Defying The Heavens Book 2 - Rising To Prominence!
by Breaker12
Summary: With a weapon in hand, a young man, bringing with him countless mysteries, will shake the entire Profound Sky Continent! He will rise to prominence, and everyone will forever know his name, which will be eternally engraved in the annals of the Profound Sky Continent! In his quest to defy the Heavens, he will stop at nothing! IsseixHarem! Crossover with DxD, MGA, MW and ISSTH!
1. Blue Wind Nation

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Hey guys, sorry for taking so long. Here is the new chapter of Book 2! Also, if you like the story, please favorite and follow so I can have an idea of how many people are enjoying the story! Not only that, remember to leave a review~!**

 **Also, if you're the owner of the image and want me to take it out, just tell me~!**

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 **Chapter 1 - Blue Wind Nation**

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Blue Wind Dragon City.

Under the scorching sun, a young girl, not older than thirteen, ran with all her speed, being pursued by five, bulky, man. The girl's eyes were narrowed, with a look of apprehension. It had already been ten or so minutes since she had begun running, and she could easily sense that her body was getting tired. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and pressed forward, as she knew what kind of fate awaited her in the hands of her five pursuers.

The young girl's cultivation, that was on the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm, half-step into the True Profound Realm, was currently sealed, as she had been the victim of a cultivation-suppression martial skill. As for the men behind her, those were the ones who had reduced her to this state.

She would occasionally glance back at her pursuers, and upon noticing that the distance between them, she would grit her teeth and continue forward, unwilling to give up. She wasn't about to fall. Not like that, at least.

"Catch the brat!" One of the man, a swarthy middle-aged man, who was in the lead, roared as he employed his cultivation of the peak of the Elementary Profound Realm to chase after her. In his eyes, the girl was nothing short of a gold mine. Her father was a wealthy merchant; if they kidnapped her and demanded a ransom, they would've have to worry for money for the rest of their lives.

Not only that, they had already provoked the girl. They knew that if she got her cultivation back, then they could be considered as dead men.

"F**k! Why is she so fast?!" roared another man, who looked much younger than the first, as he noticed that the girl was be managing to put up some distance between them. He feared that if it continued like this, never mind kidnapping the girl, all of their efforts would have been for naught! The price that they had paid to seal her cultivation wasn't a small one. In fact, it was around half of their entire wealth added together!

Suddenly, the swarthy middle-aged man slapped his cosmos sack, producing a blood-red saber. His eyes were resolute, narrowed slightly, as he began to channel his spiritual power into it. "Damn it all! One or two less limbs won't make a damn difference!"

Originally, the plan was to capture the girl unharmed, but upon seeing that the girl was beginning to increase the distance between them, he had to give up on such thoughts. If he wanted to truly catch the girl, then he would have to take some risks!

"Red Slash!"

From his saber, a wave of red sword-intent flashed, and like a dragon, flew towards the girl. As for the girl, her eyes widened as she felt the incoming attack. Turning her head to look back, she could clearly see the red beam of light clearly approaching her. There was no way she would be able to dodge it.

She then turned her head around and clenched her teeth, bracing herself for the impact, but it never came.

 _Swish~~~!_

The sound of wind blowing by filled the air, as a figure swiftly appeared in front of the young girl. His whole appearance was masked, but judging from his height, he seemed to be young. As soon as he appeared, he took a stance and punched out, directly towards the wave of spiritual power that formed the red-beam.

Spiritual power began to condense around him, originating directly from his flesh, as 100 vibrating spiritual power filaments erupted from his fist, flying towards the incoming red beam of light.

 _Bamm!_

With a loud noise, the two attacks clashed, but immediately after, the winner was determined. The 100 vibrating spiritual power filaments completely dissolved the sword-beam, scattering its spiritual power in the air. There wasn't a question about it; that single attack from the cloaked youth's part had completely overwhelmed the martial skill!

Without even giving the other men the time to breathe, the masked figure smashed his feet against the ground, dashing forward, pulling his fist back. As soon as he reached the man in the front, he brought it forward with all his might, ruthlessly punching the swarthy man's sternum. His spiritual power coated fist easily pierced through the clothes and skin, directly crushing the man's entire rib-cage.

Immediately after, the masked figure raised his leg, and with a round-house kick, he smashed the man's head, sending him flying for a few meters, shattering his cranium in the process. The swarthy middle-aged man didn't even know how he died. The masked figure then turned around, only to be intercepted by the remaining four men.

"You bastard!" One of them cried out as he jumped forward, sword in hand, and tried to slash it against the masked figure downwards, aiming to cleave his head in half.

"Hmph," the masked figure revealed a smirk behind the mask, and quickly raised up his right arm, that was completely covered by black bandages and cloth.  
 _  
_ _Clank!_

With a loud noise, the sword fell on the masked figure's hand, and differently from all expectations, instead of slashing through it, the man felt as if he had struck metal, as his arms trembled and his eyes widened. Before he could even react, the masked figure clenched his hand, grabbing the blade of the sword. At the same time, using the sword as support, the masked figure raised up his body, and by twirling around, he locked his legs on the head of another man, who had been approaching in a failed surprise attack.

With his body bending like a bowstring, the masked figure raised his legs up, bringing the other men clashing onto the sword-wielding man's head. They instantly collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Not even a second later, he twisted the sword in the air, grabbing the hilt, before turning around to face the remaining two attackers, who were looking at the scene with dumbfounded expression.

Never, not even in their wildest dreams, would have they have imaged that such a scene would actually take place right as they were to complete their plan. The worst part of it all, however, was that although the cloaked figure was clearly using spiritual power, they couldn't even sense the feeling of a cultivation base coming from him!

With his expression concealed, the masked figure made the sword dance in his fingers a few times, before he jumped forward, completely vanishing from sight, further startling the two men.

"What?!" The remaining attackers exclaimed in surprise and immediately looked around, fearful expressions on their faces. Alas, it was already too late; their fate had already been sealed.

 _Swish~~~!_ _  
_

Like a shadow, the masked figure appeared behind one of the man, quickly stabbing the sword through his heart. Pulling his sword back, he kicked the corpse forward, sending it clashing against the remaining man. At the same time, he threw the sword forward, making it pierce through the flying corpse, before deeply embedding itself on the surprised man's head.

This may take some time to describe, but from the time the masked figure had appeared, to the moment when the last kidnapper died, not even five seconds had passed!

Turning around, not even bothering to look at his newest kill, the masked figure waved his hands in the direction of the two unconscious men. Immediately, 100 vibrating spiritual power filaments burst forth, easily breaching their skins and shattering their innards. Not even a second later, although both of their bodies appeared normal on the outside, internally, all of the organs had burst open, taking away their last breath.

The masked fire the looked around before waving his hands, and five pouches, one from each corpse flew into the air, before hovering towards his hands. As a greedy person, the masked figure had developed a way of life – Always loot when you can. When you can't, just make it so you can.

Sending a strand of spiritual power within the cosmos sacks he checked what was inside briefly, before storing them away in his Sky Poison Pearl. He then turned towards the girl, who has been looking at the scene the entire time, without blinking, her eyes glued to the young man.

" _Jasmine, are you sure?'"_ The masked figure asked slightly as he gazed at the girl, a look of curiosity on his face. From within his mind, an incomparable proud and arrogant voice, that at the same time seemed sweet and pleasant, rang out.

"This princess is never wrong! This girl possess two amazing abilities!" Within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, a red-haired girl puffed up her chest proudly, while rolling her eyes in annoyance.

The masked figure nodded slightly, before approaching the girl, who looked at him quietly, with wariness all over her features. Her face was as emotionless as ice, and she didn't show any change in expression; it was as if her face has been frosted over, with a never-changing cold and apathetic expression.

Looking at the girl in front of him, although she couldn't be called beautiful, she wasn't ugly. If anything, she was rather plane, with no real outstanding characteristics. Still, the masked figure new better than that. Around her face was a spirit formation which hid her true appearance. This either meant that she looked hideous or heavenly. Frankly, he was hopping for the latter.

Pulling his mask down, he revealed a youthful yet manly face. His eyes were sharp and cold, of a dark brown color, with an occasional electric spark, while his face was straight, with sword-like brows. His hair, that had been released, was of a dark brown color, borderline black. All in all, he seemed to be about fourteen years old, apparently only a year older that the thirteen years old girl. Not only that, he was unusually handsome, with a cold yet calm and collected bearing to him.

This young man, without a doubt, was none other than Issei – the owner of the Sky Poison Pearl and the mysterious Magic Cube, as well as the boy who had swore to defy the heavens.

Issei gazed at the young girl warmly with a friendly expression, as if he hadn't even committed a genocide just a moment ago. If the five corpses behind him were ignored, this scene would have looked rather sweet.

"Are you alright?" inquired Issei as he looked at her calmly, although he clearly knew her situation. Just from gazing at her, he could see that she had poison in her body, and also a seal on her cultivation. The poison, however, was dormant, and would only act up in two days or so. From the aura he felt from the poison, he was able to determine that it was one that diminished one's life-span greatly.

The girl, however, showed no intentions of answering his question, as she continued to look at him with apprehension, clearly not willing to talk with him. Seeing that, Issei sighed, _Am I really that scary?_

Shaking his head slightly, Issei opted for a different approach. Extending his hand towards her, he smiled warmly. "Can you stand?"

Because of the constant running, the girl was filled with tiredness, and at some point during the fight, she had fallen to her knees, as her legs were unable to support her any longer. The girl was about to say something, but suddenly, her eyes widened, as she felt an overwhelming feeling of weakness take over her body. Before she could even say another word, she passed out.

Just as she was about to clash against the floor, Issei swiftly knelt down and picked her up in a princess-carry, her head snuggled against his chest. Issei then looked around a little, before casually sending a wave of 100 filaments of spiritual power towards the corpses, completely shattering all five of them.

Issei then turned around and headed towards the forest, which was nearby. Right upon arriving, he immediately headed towards his make-shift hut, that was made out of bamboos and Spirit Formations. Opening the door with a single thought, he laid the girl in his bed, that was also made of Spirit Formation, although one designed to be soft, before resting on a chair.

He then looked over the girl's body, before focusing on her face. Although he could easily burst open the Spirit Formation mask that hid her true appearance, he thought that it wouldn't be a wise option, as it would give the girl a bad impression of him. Sighing, he decided to wait for the girl to take the initiative to reveal it.

Closing his eyes, Issei crossed his legs, and started to practice the breathing exercise that was contained within the instructions of the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians.' This type of breathing exercise increased his cultivation, and at the same time, contained a law, or a Dao, which was the Law of Vibrations.

Although the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' was a cultivation skill, it also included many laws within it, and one of them was the Dao of Vibration, which was also the first one that he was able to learn.

Ten days prior, he had been in the Azure Province, practicing the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' for the first time, per Jasmine's instructions. The first time that he tried it out, however, he had also come across one of the concepts behind the cultivation skill's cultivation method, which was called as the 'Flow Like Silk Strength Training'.

Through the memories that he had acquired from the elder, he had learned that the entire body, be it the muscles, skeleton or blood, was composed of billions of tiny units, each of them being smaller than dust, invisible to the naked eye. Each of them had an important role in the human body, with complex and profound structures. According to the memories, when someone reached a high enough level of cultivation, spiritual power would gather in one's eyes, and their vision would suddenly be enhanced to the very limit, which would also be when they would discover these tiny units.

Not only that, each of the tiny units were independent organisms of their own, all of them alive. And, they could breath!

Normally, the average cultivation's body's tiny units would have an irregular breathing order, in complete disarray, each of them breathing at different times. However, if one managed to gain some some insights and make progress on the 'Flow like Silk' concept, they would be able to actually control the breathing rate of all of the tiny units, making it so that they are consistently unified, which would make them resonate.

This was the basic concept behind 'Flow like Silk', and also the introduction on the Dao of Vibrations. Only by having every tiny units in their body in resonance, would they be able to divide the spiritual power into filaments, with high vibrational power.

Ten days ago, on the day he first begun practicing the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', Issei, after countless hours of hard-work, had managed to stabilize the breathing of his tiny units slightly, and although it was far from perfect, it allowed him to divide his spiritual power into two filaments. As for the remaining eight days, they were solely spent on making his cultivation reach the peak of the third stage, the Altering Muscle Stage, and also to gain insights into the 'Flow like Silk' concept. By the end of the eighth day, Issei was already capable of dividing his spiritual power into 100 different spiritual power filaments, which was also what he had used to take down those five men. Still, in his opinion, that was far from enough, as from the memories that he had gained, he knew that the elder had reached the level of having billions or even trillions of spiritual power filaments. As such, Issei trained his hardest, trying to reach that level as soon as possible.

As for the tenth day, which was also the current day, Issei spent it in reaching Blue Wind Dragon City, which was near the Azure Province. Once there, he quickly built a hut made from bamboos and spirit power, before strolling around in the town. Coincidentally, it was also at that time that he caught sight of the girl who was being chased by the five bandits.

Thinking back to that point, Issei couldn't help but to question Jasmine, "Jasmine, you said that she has two amazing powers... what are they?"

Within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine suddenly stood up, with a complex look in her eyes. "The girl is not simple. She possess two sacred inherent abilities... which are rare even in the Higher Re... I mean, in the place where I come from. One of them is the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, while the other is the Nine Profound Exquisite Body.

"The first one, the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass, gives her a special type of mind, with high comprehensive abilities, along with pure and clear disposition. Her soul will also grow stronger over time, and will allow her to sense good and evil, as well as danger. If given time, it will allow one to easily see through various abstruse mysteries, and even peer into the heart of all living things."

Hearing her words, Issei revealed an astonished expression, as he started to see the girl in a new light. Although he couldn't clearly gauge how amazing it was, just from the way Jasmine spoke about, he could guess at how overpowered it was considered.

"You said it gives her high comprehensive abilities..." Issei begun with a curious look in his face. "How high?"

Within his mind, Jasmine sneered. "Nothing yours could even compare to. You can be considered a genius, but she is something else," Jasmine suddenly stopped, as if she had reached a difficult point, but continued nonetheless. "In fact, this princess can admit that it is comparable to mine abilities."

"What?!" Issei's eyes widened, as he had to restrain himself from shouting. He knew how amazing Jasmine was, and more than anything, how much of a genius she was. For there to be someone comparable to her...

"Don't get any wrong ideas," suddenly, Jasmine's voice turned cold enough to freeze over the entire continent. "I meant that she has the potential to reach up to my abilities, but that will only be possible if the 'Heart of Snow Glazed Glass' reaches the highest level. That should take, at the very least, ten thousand years! It would be a surprise is she isn't dead by then!"

Jasmine then shook her head as she crossed her arms. "Anyways, there is still her other ability, which is even rarer and mind-blowing, by a much larger amount, which is the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. For short, because of it, she can possess much more power than her physical body can possibly handle."

"Possess power that her physical body can't handle?" once more, Issei's eyes widened. "Do you mean..."

"Yes," already knowing where Issei was hinting at, Jasmine nodded. "The world 'Exquisite' refers to an 'Exquisite World.' That is to say that, in her body, there exists a small world! This means that she can possess infinite and endless power! Power far beyond the limits of the fleshly body can be stored within that 'small world'. Because of that, no matter which martial skill or cultivation skill she cultivates, none of them would be restricted by her cultivation base level and the endurance of her body!

"This means that even if she was in the Elementary Profound Realm, she would be able to cultivate cultivation skills made for those of the Saint or even Divine Profound Realm! The Nine Profound Exquisite body completely erase the meaning of limits! As long as she wants to, no cultivation or martial skill is beyond her reach!

"Now, do you understand just how powerful this girl is?!"

Issei's mind reeled, as he felt as if his horizons had broadened. At this point, he suddenly understood that there is a mountain beyond a mountain and a sky beyond a sky. He also considered himself as a genius, but seeing this girl in front of him, he realized that he wasn't even worthy of her mentioning his name. The disparity between the two was just too big.

At that moment, sensing Issei's mood, Eggy, that had kept quiet the whole time, finally spoke some soothing words. "Issei, don't be like that! This girl may be amazing, but so what?! You are a hundred, no... a thousand times better than her in every aspect!"

Eggy then used everything that she could to cheer the young boy up. She just couldn't stand seeing him like this, so she tried her hardest to take away the damage that Jasmine had done. Thankfully, it seemed that her words had quite an effect on the young boy, as a smile slowly formed on his face.

"Thanks, Eggy," said Issei with a small smile on his face, greatly appreciating the young girl's presence. Every time that he would feel down, ever since they had met, she would always try her best to brighten up his mood with her soothing voice, and it worked every single time.

Turning around, Issei glanced at the sleeping girl once more, before closing his eyes to resume his cultivation. At the same time, he kept his senses in high-alert, so he would immediately know the moment the girl wakes up.

However, not even two minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes, smiled lightly, and closed them again. At that moment, he suddenly remembered that that day was his birthday, which meant that he would be turning twelve.

Differently from how he looked, his real age was much younger. The young girl had assumed him to be around fourteen, but in reality, he wasn't even thirteen. This was because of practicing the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians'. Although he had only used it for ten days so far, and was still in the Altering Muscle Stage, his body had experienced many changes, which led people to think that he was older than what he truly was.

A couple hours later, the girl in the bed finally opened her eyes, which instantly caused Issei to stop cultivating, as he turned around to face her with a small smile. He didn't say anything, and only looked at her calmly, waiting for her to take the initiative to speak.

Alas, contrary to his expectations, instead of speaking, the young girl simply lifted her body up and started gazing at him quietly, without even saying a single world. A few minutes later, Issei was beginning to lose his patience.

What's this?! A f**king staring contest?!

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	2. The Best Medic In The World!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 2!**

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 **Chapter 2 -The Best Medic In The World!**

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"Hey… aren't you going to say something?"

Issei couldn't bear it any longer, and as such, was forced to take the initiative. He had a deep feeling that if he let things go along normally, then they would simply stare at each other for eternity.

"...Who are you?"

The girl looked at him coldly, without a change in expression. Just by being in her presence, Issei felt like the room would freeze over.

 _What the hell is this girl?!_ Issei was starting to feel that this girl wasn't a usual girl… well, the fact that she had so many powers already shattered that notion, but he thought that there was something seriously wrong with he personality.

Clearing his throat, Issei looked at her deeply before smiling lightly, trying to seem as approachable as possible, "I'm called Issei. No surname."

He then looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say her name, but just like before, he was greeted with pure and raw silence. After a while, Issei sighed.

"May I ask what you're called?"

"...No."

Issei's eyes widened, as he realized that he had underestimated the girl. There wasn't something wrong with her personality.. there was something wrong with everything about her! He just saved her life, and she still didn't act politely?!

"Hmm… alright, let's forget about your name," Issei gave in, and decided to focus on other subjects, trying to get her to warm up to him. "Can you tell me why you were being chased?"

" _Sometimes, your delicacy astonishes me,"_ Jasmine shook her head within the Sky Poison Pearl _._ _"She was just being chased; which girl would want to talk abo-"_

"They wanted to capture me. My father is a merchant; they desired a ransom," contrary to all expectations, not only did the girl answer his question, she even said more than three words! What kind of amazing progress was this?!

" _Hmph, what did you say, Jasmine?"_ Issei smirked triumphantly as he thought about how he should proceed with the girl.

" _You got lucky this time.. this girl is simply too abnormal,"_ unwilling to be defeated, Jasmine simply gave an excuse before cutting off the mental-link, going back to minding her own business. At the same time, Eggy opened her mental-link with Issei.

" _Alright Ise, I know this kind of girl… There were many like her in the place I lived. I'll help you talk with her,"_ as always, Eggy, in contrast to Jasmine, was always there to help him and provide support. After saying some words of gratefulness, Issei turned his attention back towards the girl.

"Your father is a merchant?" asked Issei, trying to spark some conversation. Hopefully, she would decide to start talking a bit more about herself, right?

"Yes."

Issei then waited for a long time, but no other response on her part came, making him not sure of whether he should laugh or cry. The girl in front of him was simply too tough to deal him… even more than Jasmine, is some ways.

"Alright..." Issei nodded slightly, trying to think about something else. "So, I see that you practice cultivation? Do you have a teacher, or-"

"Why did you help me? Do you want a reward or anything?"

Issei's eyes widened, as he was suddenly interrupted by the girl. Her words were sharp and cold, with a hint of vehemence, as well as distrust. Just like it had always been, her face was constantly fixed on her cold and apathetic expression.

" _Issei, now's the chance! Don't think too much, just say right now that you helped her because you wanted to! This kind of girl is usually smart; if you take too long, she will think you were trying to create an excuse!"_

" _Thanks, Eggy,"_ Issei quickly nodded, and not even a second later, he begun, calmly and steadily, "I didn't help you for any reason in specific… I simply saw you being chased, so I couldn't just turn a blind eye to it.

"As for rewards. I have no need for such things; I wasn't expecting one when I saved you," finished Issei, with a calm yet resolute look in his eyes. Even after all this time, his acting skills were still refined, if not even better than the ones he had in Heavenly Might School.

After he said his answer, the girl kept quiet for a long time, as if she was trying to search for deceit or anything wrong with his sentence, but upon not finding anything, she looked slightly surprised.

"Are you telling the truth?" the girl asked, even though by now, she was almost half-sure that he wasn't lying. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be careful.

"Why would I lie?" smiled Issei calmly, while making sure that his expressions wouldn't show any changes that might betray his true intentions.

Once more, like before, the girl kept quiet for a long time, analyzing his expression, before she finally said, "You seem trustworthy. Bring me to my father; he'll reward you accordingly."

Issei, however, shook his head, "I'm afraid I'm unable to do so."

"...What?" narrowing her eyes, the girl looked at him with wariness, not understanding the meaning behind his words. Quickly realizing what he had said, Issei corrected himself.

"I didn't mean it _that_ way," Issei shook his head in an attempt to explain himself. He then looked at her in an analyzing manner before sighing. "As a medic, I just can't let you go while in this state."

"...Medic?" the girl's eyes narrowed ever so lightly, although it was so faint that Issei didn't even notice. Her face, however, was still as cold and apathetic, as if it had been forever carved from ice; never to melt, eternally cold.

"Yes, I'm a medic," quickly nodded Issei. "The best one there is, and I can clearly tell that you're in dire needs of treatment."

"...Treatment?" once more, the girl narrowed her eyes, as she looked at him with an even colder expression. "I don't have faith in your abilities; you're only a little older than me. I'm sure that my master would be able to handle my 'situation' better."

After that, she didn't say anything for a long time, as Issei digested her words.

 _At the very least,_ Issei thought, trying to find the silver-lining. _She spoke quite a lot this time. This is what I call progress!_

Issei then shook his head, firmly standing his ground. In the fields of medicine, who in the world could possibly stand up to him?! Liang Ye was once recognized as the best medic to have ever existed, and he possessed all of his knowledge. Not only that, he had the Sky Poison Pearl!

"As I said, I'm the best medic in existence. Not only that, I'm sure that your master would have healed you already, since one of the injuries that I noticed has existed in you for a long time!"

Immediately after saying so, Issei dropped the bomb, "Tell me, do you cultivate an ice-related cultivation skill?"

"You…!" The girl's eyes widened, as she unconsciously moved a little further from him. Her cultivation base was sealed, how could he possible know the nature of her skill?! His next words, however, shook her mind her even more.

"It seems that I was right," smiled Issei lightly before continuing, "Am I also right that you've been practicing it for around five years? And that you've had great progress on it?"

"How…?" by this point, the girl was already looking at him with wary, wondering how he knew such things about her. All of that he spoke about was secret information; aside from her sister, father and master, no one knew! Not only that, she clearly knew that none of them would tell anyone else!

Looking at her reactions, Issei nodding satisfyingly, "Now, for another question…. I believe that your muscles feel stiff? You occasionally have some pains, specially in your arms, legs and chest area? Not only that, lately, your cultivation speed has dropped quite a lot?"

The girl's mind reeled, as her eyes widened in disbelief. Those kind of things were only known to her; she hadn't told anyone, not even her master, about them! How was it possible that he knew even this?! Just who was this boy?!

After dropping bomb after bomb, Issei finally used his trump card, "Now, let me ask you something else. Your talent is considered to be the very best, you have an extremely high comprehension and can learn cultivation skills and martial skills way beyond what your body can sustain, right?!"

"..."

The girl was no longer capable of speech; after this constant barrage of information, she simply stared at him blankly as her mind reeled, disbelief all over he face. Her cold and apathetic facade had long since dropped, replaced by wariness, disbelief and astonishment.

After a long while, she finally opened her mouth again, and her words came out trembling.

"H-how do you know all that?"

Issei only flashed her a smile, before resting his back against his chair. Now, the roles were reversed; he was the one in charge, and she would follow!

"As I told you..." begun Issei mysteriously. "I'm the best medic in the world. Just from looking at you, I can already tell all those things."

If it was before, the girl would have never believed him. After all, he was too young, only about fourteen years old; how could he possibly compare to those old monsters and experts who had studied the path of medicine for countless years?! Now, however, she was beginning to find that idea not so absurd.. even plausible, in fact. If not for that, how else could he know about all these things?!

Taking in a deep breath, the girl looked at him deeply. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions, so many that Issei couldn't even distinguish. After a long while, she sighed.

"My name is Xia Qingyue."

Hearing her words, Issei smiled slightly, apparently unfazed, but inside, he was celebrating. _See? That's what you get for trying to go against me! You're a thousand years to young to match me in a battle of persistence!_

Although it didn't seem like it, the fact that the girl actually told him her name had a great significance to the overall situation. This meant that she no longer looked down on him, and was willing to acknowledge him as an equal. To Issei, this was already a huge progress, given that at the start, she would only glare at him coldly.

"Senior Sister Xia, then, right?" Issei smiled lightly, as he used her family name, and not her own name. After all, he didn't want to scare her by sounding to familiar. He had already gone so far; he couldn't simply end it all right now.

At the same time, however, Issei had a nagging feeling in the back of his head. He was sure that he had heard that surname before, and not only that, her father was a merchant… he found that quite familiar, but no matter how much he tried to remember it, no one came to mind.

 _Well, it must have just been my imagination,_ Issei shook his head, clearing such thoughts away from his mind, before looking back at Xia Qingyue, who seemed much more willing to talk now. Well, willing wouldn't be the right word, as she still kept part of her cold and aloof look, but compared to before, the difference was like Heaven and Earth!

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 **A/N: I thought that compared to my previous chapters, this chapter seemed much more fluid and natural… Or it might have been just me thinking too much. (Yes, I'm aware that this is my second time saying this.)**

 **Also, some of you may be wondering: Why is Issei trying so hard to ingratiate himself to the girl? How does he know such things? Well, it will be explained in the future chapters.**


	3. Xia Qingyue

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Hope you guys like it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Xia Qingyue**

* * *

Blue Wind Dragon City, outskirts of the forest.

Within the vast expenses of the Dragon Forest, on the borders of the Blue Wind Dragon City, there was a small and rudimentary hut, made of bamboos and spirit formations, that didn't surpass twenty square meters in length. Currently, within it, the strange and soft sounds of a young man's voice were coming out of it, and if any passerby heard it, they would most likely get the wrong ideas as to what was happening inside.

"Alright, lay down..." the voice began timidly, yet softly, filled with the care that a doctor would have for its patient.

"Don't move… slowly..." by this point, however, the voice seemed more rough, as if slightly annoyed. It no longer had the doctor-like feel to it.

"Dammit girl, stop shivering!"

Patience and carefulness be dammed, Issei was beginning to get enraged!

For the past thirty minutes, he had been trying to get the girl to settle down on the bed so he could start the treatment, but no matter how much he tried, she would keep moving ever so slightly, shivering and trembling. For some reason or another, Xia Qingyue's face was slightly flushed, as she squirmed around in the bed.

It wasn't that she didn't wanted to keep fit. No, it was quite the opposite, as she was willing to collaborated with the self-proclaimed 'best doctor in existence'. Her body, however, didn't seem to harbor the same intentions. Every time – every damn time – that Issei tried to get close to her, her body would unconsciously move away; a mere act of the subconscious.

Even though Issei clearly knew that it wasn't her fault, even he had the limits to his patience. By this point, he had already begun considering tying her down to the bed, which didn't really seem like an inappropriate option in the situation. After all, as if struck by fleas, the girl simply _wouldn't_ moving around, much to his chagrin.

How could he, a doctor, start his procedures with a patient that was _unable_ to cooperate? Not only that, her situation wasn't as simple as a flesh wound, or a disease, it was cultivation problems! Her cultivation technique had frozen over a great part of her meridians, messed with her blood-flow and even interfered with her muscles!

Previously, while Issei was listing off Xia Qingyue's situation, he had mostly used his own medical knowledge and what Jasmine had told him to deduce every single information. With his trained vision, although Xia Qingyue tried to contain it, he could see the faint shiver of her body once in a while, the faint twitch of her muscles and many other symptoms that were, in normal situations, practically impossible to detect with the naked eye.

As for how he deduced the type of her cultivation method, he had to admit that it was a gamble. He had based himself on those symptoms and her cold demeanor to somehow guess that she cultivated an ice-related cultivation skill. Even then, he wasn't sure, so it was easy to guess how elated he had felt when he saw the look on surprise on Xia Qingyue's plain – yet cold – visage.

Suddenly, Xia Qingyue's slightly cold voice rang out, with hints of helplessness and annoyance.

"...You can't blame me," she begun, and for the first time, Issei could have swore that he saw something akin to a pout on her face, but it was so faint and quick that it might have been his eyes playing tricks on him. "This… is my first time being so close to a boy."

Issei looked at her deeply for a while, digesting the information that she had proved him with utmost surprise.

 _Ah, I see…_ Issei nodded his head, only to reveal an astonished look. _Wait, what?! This is the most contact that she had had with a boy?! I didn't even touch her arm for more than a second!_

Looking at the girl in front of him, Issei's eyes showed helplessness. The more time that he spent with her, the more he discovered that was rather _special._ Never mind her absurd abilities, such as the 'Heart of Snow Glazed Glass' and the 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body', her absolutely cold and apathetic temperament was already enough to label as her far-above _normal!_

Sighing, Issei decided to ask a question, that although rather personal, ignited his curiosity.

"Senior Sister Qingyue-"

"Senior Sister?" Suddenly, just as Issei was about to begin his question, Xia Qingyue looked at him coldly. After spending more than an hour with her, Issei was already able to distinguish the faint traces of curiosity in her eyes. "...I have noticed this for a while now, but you insist on call me Senior Sister. I'm only thirteen this year."

Obviously, she had been fooled by Issei's outer appearance, thinking that he was older than her. Issei didn't really blame her, as he also believed that he looked rather old for his own age.

"Although it may not look like it, I'm twelve this year," explained Issei with a slight smile, enjoying the faint traces of ephemeral surprise that rose on the girl's face for a fraction of second.

Xia Qingyue looked at him deeply for a few seconds, before she averted her glance. Already knowing her habits from the short time that he had spent with her, Issei took this time to continue his question. At the same time, he moved back from the bed, and onto his chair.

"Senior Sister Qingyue, forgive me for asking, but could it be that you have never touched someone of the opposite gender before?"

The cold girl turned her attention back to him, and after a pregnant pause, she answered, as coldly as ever, "...You're not wrong."

After saying such words, she did not elaborate any further. Issei had already noticed that she wasn't fond of speaking, and when she did speak a few sentences, her next ones would be as simple and compact as possible. Previously, she had gone so far as to inquire his reasons for calling her Senior Sister. Now, she seemed to be taking a break from talking, speaking only the bare minimum.

Right after hearing her answer, Issei was a little surprised, but he had already been expecting something like that. Most of the ice-related cultivation skills were pure Yin techniques, and contact with men was advised to be as minimum as possible. From what he could see, Xia Qingyue belonged to some great sect, and was under personal tutelage, if her extremely high cultivation for her age was anything to go by.

Taking in a deep breath, Issei thought over what he should do for a while, before immersing himself in the memories of Liang Ye. Previously, he had chosen the most simply treatment method, but there was a full repertoire with thousands of different ways to solver her problems. As such, there was bound to be a technique that didn't involve direct contact with the body.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Issei's eyes suddenly opened, and he rouse from his chair, earning a cold glance from Xia Qingyue, who said nothing as she gazed silently at his actions. Moving around the room, Issei walked over to a pile of bamboos near him and placed it on top of his chair. He then closed his eyes, and concentrated on the breathing rhythm of the millions of tiny units within him.

 _Breathing, Vibrations…_ Issei's mind was clear, as he started to recite a seemingly random string of words, but that to him, held some deep and profound meaning. After a while, he opened his eyes and extended his arm towards the bamboo stalk.

Not even a moment later, much to Xia Qingyue's slight astonishment, the bamboo started to slowly change shape, as if countless ants were making their way through it. Part after part of the bamboo fell down, and what remained of it seemed to be molding itself on what seemed to be the sculpture of saber.

After a while, Issei brought his hand down, and grabbed the saber made out of bamboo. Its surface was rough, and the blade was far from sharp, but Issei was pleased with the results. He knew that with this level of mastery, it would be more than enough to do what he was planning.

Previously, he had used his 100 vibrating spiritual power filaments to carve a saber out of the bamboo. This required extreme control and concentration on his part, and this was also the first time that he had tried to use his ability to such a delicate level. Even though it was hard, Issei could already feel that he had made some progress in his understanding of the Dao of Vibrations.

Turning around, Issei gazed deeply at Xia Qingyue, who stared at him with her cold eyes, without uttering a single word. He then moved over and brought his chair close to the bed, before sitting down on top of it. Looking at Xia Qingyue in the eyes, he smiled softly.

"Given your situation, I have decided to adopt another method of treatment. This one does not require direct contact; just make sure to keep still."

Looking at him deeply, Xia Qingyue glanced at the bamboo saber in his hands, but after a while, gave him the slightest of nods, as she let her back rest on the bed. Although she seemed defenseless, she was ready to act at any given moment.

Obviously, although she was more approachable than before, she still didn't trust the boy completely. As such, she wouldn't let her guard down… her cultivation base was already half-way restored. Given the fact that she couldn't sense any cultivation base coming from the boy, she believed that although he managed to deal with her kidnappers effortlessly, she would still be able to take him down if needed.

Gazing at the girl, Issei shook his head slightly, clearly seeing her actions, but didn't utter a single word. He was also aware that she was underestimating him, probably because of the fact that he had no cultivation base. This wasn't a surprise, as after all, no spiritual power flowed in his dantian and profound veins, but instead in his flesh and muscles. Because of that, people would easily misunderstand him for a mere mortal, but that wasn't the case. In terms of overall power, he was more than enough to deal with someone of the early stages of the Nascent Profound Realm.

Sighing, he glanced at the girl slightly, "I'll be starting now."

Raising his arms forward, he brought forth 100 vibrating filaments of spiritual power, and brought them over to her motionless figure. Not even a second later, they had penetrated deep within her skin, and were flowing through her meridians, muscles and veins.

The method that Issei planned to use was something that he came up with on his ow after observing the various treatment ways provided to him by Liang Ye's memories. By combining his cultivation skill, 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', with his medical knowledge, he had come to the conclusion that it was possible to simply shatter all of the extreme Yin spiritual power within Xia Qingyue's body, which was the cause of all her ailments.

This treatment method didn't require direct contact, and also allowed him to increase his knowledge on his Dao of Vibrations. This meant that this brought countless benefits both for Xia Qingyue, who was the patient, and Issei, who was the doctor.

…

…

…

While this happened, within the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine, who had been secretly paying close attention to the situation, laughed lightly. It wasn't filled with scorn nor haughtiness, but instead, it had hints of a little bit of respect and amazement. If anyone were to see this heaven-defying beauty laughing like that, their hearts would be ensnared, and even the most emotionless of people would be entranced by her beauty.

"You can truly count of him to do something like this," the red-haired girl smiled lightly as she looked at the scene from inside the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. "He is full of surprises, isn't he?"

After a while, Jasmine's expression slowly retreated to her cold visage, as she begun to watch the scene with more interest, wondering how well it would turn out. At the same time, she also had something that she planned on telling the boy, but, in order to not interrupt him, she decided to wait until he was done.

"Well, I can just tell him when it's over..." Jasmine shook her head slightly before playfully hmphing. "Hmph! To make this princess wait for him… how insolent can he be?"

At the same time, however, even while saying such words, the corner of Jasmine's lips curled upwards in a beautiful smile, as she gazed at Issei with deep and complex emotions, her onyx-colored eyes shimmering slightly.

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	4. Martial Intent

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Hope you guys like it!**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Martial Intent**

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After about half an hour of healing, Issei suddenly stopped, his face handsome face currently contorted in a tired visage, as he did his best to keep himself from collapsing. Apparently, it wasn't that easy to use his Dao of Vibration to deal with the extreme Yin spiritual power within Xia Qingyue. Those thin, cold strands of qi were astonishingly tenacious, and it took him quite a while to deal with a single one of them. Even after such a long time – half an hour – he had only been able to deal with about ten percent of her situation.

At the same time, noticing the sudden stop in Issei's part, Xia Qingyue turned around, a faint glimmer of surprise – or was it confusion? - evident in her eyes, as she tried to discover the reason behind the sudden stop. When she saw his face, however, her mouth slowly formed an 'o' shape, as she realized what had happened.

I thought that this would have been an easy process for him… Deep within the young girl's eyes, a faint hint of worry appeared, although it was so miniscule that it might have never even existed. To think that he needs to waste so much of his power…

"...Are you alright?"

For the first time since Issei had saved her, the young girl, Xia Qingyue, voiced her concern for him. At the same time, however, her voice was still cold as ice, and if Issei didn't know any better, he would have thought that she had been mocking him.

"Don't worry," smiled Issei slightly as he used his sleeves to dry his forehead from the beads of sweat that threatened to fall into his eyes. "This much is nothing… just give me a while to regenerate."

As he said so, he slowly straightened up his back, and crossed his legs on top of the chair, adopting a meditating posture. At the same time, within him, a magical event took place, as the tiny units within him, mysteriously, began to breath in and out in the most perfect way possible.

No matter how much Issei tried, trying to get himself to control his tiny units to such a level would have been impossible. Not only that, it was the first time that such a thing had happened. Sadly, however, Issei at the moment, couldn't feel or sense anything, as he seemed to have entered an ethereal state of mind.

It was unknown of what had caused such an event to take place. It might have been that his continuous efforts to comprehend the Dao of Vibrations had occasioned a majestic breakthrough, or a single stroke of luck in his part, but the current Issei had entered a legendary state of mind, body and soul, known as Martial Intent.

There countless types of Martial Intents. Some of them could aid in cultivation, while some increased battle experience, and others could simply be an abstruse and profound form of attack. However, they all had one thing in common; they are always rare and powerful. Comprehending a Martial Intent had nothing to do with the effort spent, ability or talent alone – it required all of that, and most important of all, in required boundless luck.

A cultivator may try his whole life to comprehend a Martial Intent, and even after millions of years, he may still be unable to. At the same time, a child, no older than five, can simply one day wake up with a Martial Intent of his own. There was simply no way to acquire it, if not for leaving it up to fate.

And, such a thing just happened to Issei. In a moment like this, when he least expected, he actually managed to comprehend something thousand desired for, but none of them had – a legendary Martial Intent. Not only that, his was even more special – it had to do with cultivation speed.

Under the effects of this legendary state of mind, body and soul, Issei no longer possessed any consciousness. His mind had entered a deep slumber, while his body was left to the natural laws of the world. His tiny units entered a state of perfect harmony, and all of the eight hundred and sixty four profound entrances on his body seemed to have become boundless vortexes, sucking all the spiritual power in the vicinity.

For over two hours, Issei remained absorbed deep within his Ethereal Martial Intent. During this period of time, his progress in refining his body had surpassed the threshold of the third level, the Muscle Altering Stage, and directly stepped into the fourth stage, the Bone Forging Stage. Within him, the accumulated spiritual power that was contained in his muscles suddenly broke through from their fetters, permeating deep within his bones.

At the same time, Issei's eyes suddenly opened, glimmering with unprecedented power and vitality. He could feel boundless and endless power coursing through his veins; he was akin to volcano, about to explode at any moment. To him, it was clear that his current level of power by far exceeded all of his previous limits.

If it wasn't for the presence of the young girl, without a doubt, Issei would have already rushed out of his hut and headed directly for the closest sect to challenge the strongest disciple. He was feeling the urge to battle, to bleed and to take blood. He wanted to test the limits of his power; how far he had grown. At the same time, he was unable to do so, so all he could do was to wait until the opportunity arouse.

Turning around, Issei's sharp and bright dark-brown eyes met deep black ones, as the young boy stared deep within Xia Qingyue's eyes. Within her eyes, he could feel boundless curiosity that she held for him. She seemed to be trying to pry deep within his soul, and find out his deepest secrets.

At first, Issei revealed an astonished look, but soon after, the corner of his lips curled upwards, as he realized that the girl was interested in him. Although it wasn't in any romantic way or anything of the sort, it was a fact that he managed to ignite her curiosity.

"Senior Sister..." Issei began calmly, his dark-brown eyes looking at her in a warm manner. "Sorry for taking so long."

"..."

Xia Qingyue kept her gaze locked on his, her cold eyes containing a plethora of emotions as she stared at him deeply. After a while, she averted her gaze, "The treatment, how long will it take?"

"...Eh?" Issei revealed a surprised look, as he truly hadn't thought about that before. After a couple of seconds, he gave her a rough estimation, "About ten days. Does it trouble you?"

"…Ten?"

With her face as still as ice, the young girl didn't let her visage betray any of her thoughts, as she contemplated his words in silence, thinking deeply. After a while, she locked her eyes on his once more, "I can wait."

After saying so, she slowly got up from the bed, and carried her delicate and graceful figure towards the fireplace before sitting down on the cold, bamboo ground. She then crossed her legs, and was about to close her eyes, when Issei suddenly called out to her.

"Senior Sister?" his tone was one of surprise, as he seemed to have not understood her actions. "What are you doing?"

"...Sleeping," was the calm yet cold reply, as her cold eyes met his.

"Are?"

Issei's gaze then fell on the bed, before going back to her, clearly confused. "You know there is a bed, right?"

"..."

Staring at him deeply, Xia Qingyue seemed to hesitate slightly, before she explained, "The house is yours, so you should sleep on the be-"

"No, you are sleeping on it," Issei quickly cut her short, while saying with a straight and determined voice, that left no room for arguments. "You are the patient; you need to rest. Not only that, as a man, how could I let you sleep on the ground?"

Looking at him deeply, Xia Qingyue quickly replied with a serious look, "I'm sorry, but I'm unwilling to share a bed with a stranger."

"Eh?"

Issei's eyes widened slightly, and he looked slightly confused, before he answered, "Who said anything about sharing a bed? I'll make myself comfortable on the floor."

This time, it was Xia Qingyue's turn to be surprised, although her cold visage didn't show it.

"But-"

"No buts," Issei shook his head firmly as he waved his hands. Instantly, boundless Spirit Power erupted from his body, before forming a small Spirit Formation beneath Xia Qingyue, which then carried her over to the bed, where it dropped her softly. "My hut, my rules. If I tell you to sleep on the bed, you'll sleep on the bed."

After taking care of that, Issei walked over to the fireplace and crossed his legs, preparing to begin cultivating. Just as he was about to, however, Xia Qingyue's cold voice startled him.

"...You're a World Spiritist?"

Turning around to face the young girl, Issei nodded slightly, "Something like that," after that, he didn't elaborate any further as he closed his eyes, beginning to cultivate. He didn't have any intentions to talk about that matter, as it reminded him of his late master, Liang Ye, which left him quite saddened. After a while, however, Issei spoke slightly, "We'll talk tomorrow. Try to get some sleep."

After saying that, he no longer spoke, completely immersed in his cultivation.

Not too far away, Xia Qingyue kept staring at him for quite a few minutes, before she turned her gaze to face the bed beneath her. Although she was still slightly reluctant to take away Issei's privilege from sleeping on something soft, she knew that she had no other choice. Shaking her head slightly, she parted the blankets and tucked herself in.

Warm… a single thought passed through Xia Qingyue's head as she realized that although the material of the sheets was quite rough and solid, it still had a cozy and warm feeling to it. At the same time, there was a faint fragrance coming from the blankets, which made her completely intoxicated. Maybe sleeping on the bed isn't that bad of an outcome…

Little did the young girl know that this blanket was the one that Issei had been using ever since he had left Heavenly Might School. That intoxicating fragrance was, in fact, none other than Issei's natural smell. If she had known that, it would be impossible to tell what her reaction would have been.

Just like that, slowly but surely, sleep claimed the young girl, as everything that had happened on the day caught up to her, letting her enter a peaceful and blissful state of slumber.

...

...

...

"Jasmine, what was that that happened before?"

Within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Issei's body appeared, as he searched around for the little, red-haired girl. It didn't take him long to find her resting against a pile of Cosmos Sacks, in deep cultivation.

"… Jasmine?"

Issei slowly moved closer, but before he could even take three steps, her onyx-colored eyes snapped open, staring at him coldly. If it was before, he would have shuddered just from taking a glimpse at those cold, emotionless eyes, but the current him had long since grown used to it.

"Make it quick."

Hearing her words, Issei nodded, and asked his question, "Before, when I was in cultivation, I entered a stat-"

"That was a Martial Intent," before Issei could even finish, Jasmine abruptly interrupted him, already knowing what he was getting at. "There's no meaning in explaining it to you in detail. Let's just say that it increases your cultivation speed."

"Ah..." hearing her words, Issei revealed a slightly down-cast look, as he wanted to find out what it was about, but didn't worry too much about that. "Do you know how I can activate it again?"

Previously, when he tried to cultivate right after telling Xia Qingyue to go to sleep, he had been trying to trigger that phenomenon again, but found himself unable to. As such, he could only rely in Jasmine, who had extensive knowledge about everything in existence.

Jasmine's next words, however, shattered his expectations.

"That's something you have to figure out by yourself; I can't help you with that," this time, Jasmine meant it. After one comprehended a Martial Intent, only they could bring it out again. Even if she wanted to, she would be unable to help him.

Hearing her words, Issei nodded slightly, understanding the meaning behind them. Just as he was about to his consciousness back, however, Jasmine spoke once more.

"Try to let your body succumb to the natural laws of nature. Don't control your body; let it control you."

After saying that, Jasmine spoke no more, already having helped Issei as much as she could. The rest was completely up to him.

"Thanks," nevertheless, Issei smiled lightly before calling off his consciousness, exiting the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Once outside, he closed his eyes, and begun to follow Jasmine's advice. No matter what, he realized that he must achieve that state again. After all, his cultivation had increased so much in such a short time... how could he not be excited?!

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	5. Heartfelt Emotions

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Hope you guys like it!**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Heartfelt Emotions**

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On the next day, Issei was awoken by the faint cries and chirps from birds. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a beautiful scene. The corner of his lips curled upwards slightly as he watched as the faint sunlight illuminated Xia Qingyue's sleeping figure from the breaches in the construction. The scene was certainly beautiful, and had a picturesque feel to it, as if something that he would only see in a painting; unlike anything that could be found on the realm of mortals.

It was also at that moment that Issei discovered, with surprise, that Xia Qingyue's appearance was no longer the same. Her plain face had experienced a total transformation. Her skin had adopted a jade-like appearance, shining with the glister of vitality, yet of a royal, pale color, akin to that of fairies. Her face had went from plain and simple to the very limits of perfection, with a creamy and soft visage, able to set ripples in the hearts of whoever saw her. Her perfectly sculpted lips and nose seemed like they were fruit of the most beautiful piece of white jade.

"So that's her true appearance," murmured Issei, as he forced himself to snap out of the trance that had taken hold of him. He had noticed that the Spirit Formation on her face had disappeared; without a doubt, this was how she _truly_ looked. In that moment, Issei couldn't help but to murmur, "Beautiful..."

So far, in Issei's life, he had seen many beauties. Two of them, Eggy and Jasmine, could be considered the very epitome of beauty, but at the same time, were completely different. One was a fiery yet cold beauty, with the hair of the brightest red, and deep, onyx-eyes, while the other was a royal and sweet kind of beauty, with lovable features, capable of ensnaring the heart of any men, and a voluptuous body to boot. Xia Qingyue, however, was different from both of them.

The young girl's beauty could be considered to be akin of that of a fairy, with a proud yet soft look, and ethereal complexion. It was hard to describe, but to Issei, it was clear that they possessed different kinds of beauty, and yet reigned perfect in each of their aspect.

After observing the sleeping beauty for a couple of more minutes, taking in the beautiful scene that was painted by sunlight, Issei finally stood up from the ground, and without another word, walked away, exiting the hut silently, not wanting to make any noise. Once outside, he closed his eyes as he slowly let his Spirit Power flood the aura with his consciousness.

Within an area of fifty meters, Issei reigned absolute. Whatever presence was there was clearly sensed by him, and he could pinpoint their location, power and ability with exact precision. This was an advantage that only World Spiritists had, which was to use their own Spirit Power as something akin to a third-eye, being able to observe the world in a different and more intimate way.

Soon, by using this strange yet handy observation method, he quickly found what he was looking for. Not too far away from him – forty meters or so – was a medium-sized Profound Beast. It didn't seemed to be a Desolate-ranked, and instead, it was only a Fierce-ranked Profound Beast. Given the size and energy fluctuations, Issei assumed that its level of power must be around the peak of the Elementary Profound Realm.

Seeing that, the corner of Issei's lips curled upwards in a small smile, as his eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, shimmering slightly. Immediately after, he waved his hands, and the boundless power of lightning filled his body, empowering him to the very limits. After his many achievements on the Dao of Lightning, his Lightning Incarnation mode had soared to new heights, and his level of fusion with Lightning had reached an astonishingly high degree. His muscles, bones and marrow had already been completely enveloped, and so were his profound veins, dantian and meridians. According to his estimations, in a month or two, he would be able to reach the level of making lightning flow through his veins like blood.

While enveloped with the boundless power of nature, lightning arcs dancing around his body, his eyes and hair colored with an ethereal blue color, Issei took a step forward. For that single instant, it seemed as if distance had lost its meaning, and space had been collapsed and bent, as that single step brought him forward by five meters. Continuing forward, Issei quickly reached his prey – the profound beast – which was hidden within the lush vegetation.

Looking at it closely, since he could only send his energy with his Spirit Power, and not his appearance, Issei discovered that it was a reptile-type Fierce Profound Beast, but that at the same time, possessed a dear-like body. Its skin was scaly, yet the body shape was that of an oversized dear.

"Eh?" widening his eyes, Issei discovered that he had never seen this type of Fierce Profound Beast before. Closing his eyes in silence, Issei searched through Liang Ye's memories, and found information of a beast that looked similar to this one, along with a recipe to cook it.

The beast in his memories, however, was a Divine-ranked Desolate Profound Beast, with its body extending for over fifty meters high and one hundreds and fifty meters wide. Still, it was close enough. With a little bit of modifications, the recipe should work out. _Hopefully_.

…

…

…

Thirty minutes later, Issei walked back to the small hut, a large pot in his hands, something that he had acquired after a quick trip to the nearby city, Blue Wind Dragon City. There, he had also bought the equivalents of various condiments and spices recorded in his memories, which resulted in the large dish in his hands.

Thankfully, even after buying all that, Issei could still be considered as a rich man, and he could even take pride in calling himself a small tycoon. After all, the money that he had acquired from his kills was no small amount. Specially the wealth that he had acquired in the cosmos sacks of the headmaster and the elders of Heavenly Might School. They were completely loaded.

As such, with so much money in his hands, Issei went as far as to buy some bowls, plates, and kitchen utensils, like frying pans, forks and knifes. After all, he couldn't keep using Gan Jiang and Mo Ye every damn time he needed to cook for himself, right? That would completely sully the swords, and Issei wasn't about to do that to his precious treasures. Well, not anymore that is.

Now, finishing cooking the dish, Issei was finally back in the hut, after adventuring out for half-an-hour. In terms of time spent, Issei could be said to have beaten many world-records with his sheer efficiency. Smiling lightly, the dark-brown-haired boy opened the door, peering inside before walking in, to make sure that nothing had happened.

He wasn't worried; after all, he had placed a spirit formation on the door before leaving, which would cover Xia Qingyue's presence, and also conceal the hut, making it seem like a small mound of dirt. At the same time, however, it wouldn't hurt to be careful.

Within, he didn't find any dangers, but instead, found another much more interesting scene. Illuminated by the faint sunlight while combing her hair, Xia Qingyue was looking outside the window, with a far-away look on her face. Resting on her collar-bone was a small crystal pendant, something that hadn't been there before. Smiling at the scene, Issei coughed slightly, announcing his own presence.

Instantly, like a bow, her hand snapped to the side in alarm, but upon seeing who it was, she let down her guards, clearly relieved. While storing her comb away in her cosmos sack, she gazed at Issei with her cold eyes.

"...Where did you go?"

Her question was cold, simple and direct, not unlike like her personality. Smiling lightly, already used to her ways, Issei walked inside, and set the steaming hot pot on top of a table, that he had also made out of bamboo, coated in Spirit Formations to enhance durability.

"Making breakfast," shrugging his shoulders with a small smirk, Issei stole a glance at her beautiful visage. Up to now, she hadn't mentioned the canceling of the Spirit Formations on her face, so Issei didn't say anything. If she didn't take the initiative, he also wouldn't, taking the change in appearance for granted.

"Hungry?" asked Issei once more, noticing the slightly dazed look that appeared in the young girl's eyes for a fraction of a second. A small smirk adorned his features, as he found himself more and more capable of registering her changes in emotions. Well, it may also be that she was showing her emotions more. Either way, Issei was pleased with the results.

"..."

Looking between the pot and Issei, Xia Qingyue was having a mental battle. Yes, she was hungry, but it went against her principles that she had been taught since young to admit that. As such, she wasn't sure of how she should proceed in this situation. Seeing the dilemma that the girl was facing, Issei shook his head slightly with a smile, while scooping up a spoon-full of the steaming hot soup, serving it on a small bowl, which he then brought it over to her.

"Here," Issei smiled slightly, while he handed her the small bowl, "You can have it."

"...Thank you," Xia Qingyue mumbled slightly, as she gracefully accepted the small bowl with a little bit of anticipation. The small arising from the large pot had already flooded her nostrils in a delightful fragrance. Just from that, she was able to determine that whatever was in that small bowl was nothing short of delectable.

Taking a step back, the soft smile on Issei's face widened, as he watched Xia Qingyue lift up the small bowl to her soft, alluring lips, before tasting a small portion of the liquid. In an instantaneous reaction, the beauty's eyes widened, as she relinquished on the pure pleasure that her taste-buds conveyed her.

As the daughter of a rich merchant, she had tasted many palatable and savory things in her live, but this completely eclipsed each and every dish that she had ever sampled in her entire thirteen years of life.

"Good, isn't it?" inquired Issei as he walked to the pot, also serving himself a bowl of the pleasurable soup. After tasting it, he revealed a satisfied expression, much alike to Xia Qingyue's, as he realized that the recipe was spot-on.

While relishing on the euphoric sensation that flooded his senses, Issei couldn't help but to glance at the sheer beauty that Xia Qingyue possessed. At this moment, he once more caught sight of the small pendant, and he couldn't help but to be intrigued.

It looked like an ice crystal, but at the same time, the surface was smooth, like jade. It also shimmered like gold, and was completely unlike all materials that he had ever seen. The design was also intricate, in a small, round sphere-like shape, hanging by the small, silver strings that circled her neck in a beautiful fashion.

At that moment, Xia Qingyue also noticed Issei's curious gaze directed at her pendant, which made her reveal a troubled expression. After a while, for the first time since she had been saved, the young girl took the initiative to speak.

"...It was a gift."

Her words were soft, and her expression was one of reminiscence, as if she was trying to look back into the past. Unlike before, her face adopted a warm expression, and in that moment, her beauty was promoted to its peak.

"Eh?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, wondering what she was talking about, before he realized that she also had her small pendant in mind. Seeing the soft expression on her face, Issei realized that it must have a high emotional value. Smiling lightly at her initiative to engage in conversation, he asked, "From whom?"

"..."

Hearing his words, Xia Qingyue revealed a troubled expression, her visage momentarily growing cold, before it receded back to her warm look. Obviously, this subject was somewhat taboo to her. Noticing that, Issei quickly shook his head.

"If you don't want to talk-"

"It... was from my mother," Xia Qingyue said after a pause, interrupting Issei's sentence. "...She gave it to me when I was young."

The words were spoken with melancholy, and her expression was one of sorrow, yet happiness. It was clear that this memory brought her many conflicting emotions, submerging her mind in an ocean of deep and complex emotions, that Issei couldn't even hope to comprehend.

Given her expression, and the way she speaks… her mother is most likely no longer in the world of the living. Issei revealed a sorrowful expression, sad for the young girl. One thing was not knowing one's parents, such as Issei's case, and another was having them, becoming emotionally attached, only to lose them later on. It was clear which one was worse.

"I'm sorry..." apologized Issei slightly. "I shouldn't have..."

"It's not your fault," shaking her head, Xia Qingyue, for the first time in Issei's presence, smiled melancholically. After that, she once more revealed a troubled expression, as if unsure if she should say the next words, but in the end, gave in, "Also, it's not like you're thinking. She hasn't passed away..."

"Ah?" widening his eyes, Issei shot her a curious look, not expecting that. The clues were clearly there, yet he had interpreted them wrongly? Issei was sure that he had made the appropriate judgment… could it be that he was wrong?

Noticing his expression, Xia Qingyue shook her head slightly, making her dark hair dance around, following her movements. "My mother… she has gone to a far away place."

Stopping for a while, the young maiden looked deeply at Issei, her eyes shimmering with complex emotions, before she continued, "By chance, have you heard of such a thing called the Higher Realm?"

"..."

Issei's eyes widened while his mind reeled, disbelief flooding his features, as if he couldn't comprehend the girl's words. The Higher Realm was an unknown information to many; an undisclosed and obscure secret, that almost no one in the Profound Sky Continent knew about. He believed that in the younger generation, he was the only one with such information, but right now, he had been proved wrong. By sheer luck or coincidence, he just found another person that seemed to hold the same information as him!

Within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine also revealed an astonished expression, as her mind reeled, in a similar way to Issei's. The reason for their astonishment, however, was different. Hers was because she had just realized something.

"Could it be…?" disbelief flashed in her deep onyx-eyes, as they shimmered with an abstruse glint. Her expression then grew into one of enlightenment, as she exclaimed, "Yes, that must be it! This explains everything!"

In the real world, while ignoring Jasmine's words in his mind, Issei looked carefully at Xia Qingyue, before shaking his head slightly, feigning ignorance.

"I might have heard that name before, but I don't really recall what it means," explained Issei, as he adopted a confused expression. "Is that…?"

Deeply Looking at his reaction, Xia Qingyue thought that something was off, quite not natural, but couldn't grasp it. She sighed slightly, as she explained, "I also don't know much. According to my mother, the Higher Realm is a dimension above our own, where Gods and Immortals live."

She then stopped for a while, took a deep breath, and continued. "...Also, that's where my mother came from."

 _What?!_ Issei's eyes widened, as he found himself unable to believe the situation unfolding in front of him. Not only did she know about the Higher Realm, she also claimed that her mother hailed from there. How could he not be astonished?!

Inside the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine clenched her hands into fists in satisfaction, while she murmured, "I knew it!"

Once more ignoring her words, Issei continued to gaze at Xia Qingyue, urging her to continue with his eyes. Seeing his incredulous look, the young maiden decided that she would go all the way. This was a secret that only she and her father knew; not even her older sister was aware of that. Right now, however, she was telling a stranger, almost completely unrelated to her, about it. She didn't know why she was doing it…She only felt inclined to proceed with it.

Taking in a deep breath, she continued with a complex look in her eyes, "My father and my mother… had a very magical meeting. When he met her outside the city, she had been in coma, while her entire body was tainted in blood. He saved her then and nursed her back to health with all he could. Not too long later, she woke up.. but she didn't remember anything, while her body was extremely weak. Later on, mother married father, and because of her frail body, giving birth to me was a hard ordeal, and I narrowly escaped death."

At some point throughout her speech, Issei realized that she wasn't simply telling him about her mother; it was the story of her life. Realizing that, he was shocked internally, and at the same time, grateful, for he realized that this girl had complete trust in him.

Without stopping, Xia Qingyue continued firmly, while her clear and beautiful eyes were filled with melancholy, "When I was four, mother magically regained her memories… after that, she left, like a fairy, flying way up into the sky. Before leaving, she hugged me and my sister, while crying pitifully, saying that she was unwilling to leave, but if she stayed, she would bring a calamity to our whole family. She told us that where she was going, back to a place called the Higher Realm. She told us that we could never go there… After that, even though father stayed strong… I… often see him shed tears in silence when he was alone. Nine years has passed, and he never remarried…"

Xia Qingyue's face then grew resolute, as she continued, surprising Issei with her next words. "The reason why I cultivate, why I practice martial arts… Is to one day reach that realm. I only want to be reunited with my family… I just want to make it full again, like it was before, and yet… yet…."

Her eyes suddenly watered, much to Issei's astonishment, as her next words were filled with sorrow, as it seemed that a knot had formed in her throat, "W-why is it so hard? No matter how much I try…It's never enough…. I have sacrificed my entire life for cultivation, and still..."

Like a dam that had been opened, tears endlessly flowed out of Xia Qingyue's eyes, as her expression was one of utter sadness and sorrow. This was clearly the result of countless years of enduring hardships, all of it culminating to this very moment, resulting in the scene before him.

Immediately, relying solely on instinct, Issei stood up and walked over to the bed, while the tearful maiden continued her sorrowful mourning. Her eyes were red, her face covered in tears, and her hands were clenched into fists. At that moment, she looked nothing like her cold and aloof presence that she previously had. She was frail and weak, completely submerged in her emotions.

"I-I never thought…." she continued, as her expression kept growing saddened, while Issei kept getting closer and closer. "That it would be so lonely… so hard… so difficult. Every night, I feel pain… I don't have friends… Everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of freak… Not even my sister and my father look at me the same way…."

By this point, Issei was already at the foot of the bed. Sitting on top of it, he brought his body close to the crying maiden and embraced her, letting her head rest in his chest, completely covering his robe in her tears.

Xia Qingyue didn't try to push him away, and only brought him closer, as she hugged him back tightly, her words slightly drowned on his clothes. "I-I didn't want any of this… I only wanted a family… and yet, why can't I have friends like everyone else? Why can't I be normal like everyone else? Why can't I have someone else to stand by my side?"

Issei's eyes were filled with complex emotions, as he listened to her every word. Holding her closer, he whispered lightly, "Don't worry… I'm here for you."

He didn't know why he said such words, but it felt natural to him. He may barely know the girl, but when faced with such situation, he couldn't help but to comfort her. Not only that, he meant those words. He _would_ be there for her.

After all, at that moment, he discovered, that like him, she was _broken_. He, a past slave, who had found hope, only to have it crushed by the will of the heavens, all of his friends having their lives taken by his hands.

She, a young girl that desired for a family, but in order to follow her dreams, had to give up many things in the process, subjected to a plain and hollow life.

In the end, both of them, although of different realities, were similar in one way or another – they had both been victims of _fate_. They had both had their wills tattered and shattered beyond salvation… They both used masks to hide their true feelings, that were sealed deep within their hearts.

…

…

…

Ten minutes later, Issei realized that the young girl had grown silent. Looking down, he found her peacefully sleeping against his chest, a relieved look in her face. Clearly, she had cleared everything from her chest, letting all of her worries and pains out, lightening up her spirit.

Smiling lightly, Issei brought her closer, and laid himself on the bed.

 _On that night, they shared the same bed._

 **Read & Review~!**


	6. Change In Attitude

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 6 - Change In Attitude**

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(There was a chapter yesterday!)

Dark-brown eyes opened slightly, as Issei slowly regained his consciousness, waking up from his slumber. Similar to the previous day, his hut was relatively well-lit, with the faint sunlight illuminating the room from the breaches in the construction, allowing him to see the inside of the house clearly.

At that moment, he looked around slowly, wondering what he was doing in the bed, before the events of the previous night flashed in his mind, reminding him of how he had comforted Xia Qingyue after she declared her inner thoughts. Immediately, Issei's head moved down, only to see a mop of black hair in his chest, with strands all over the bed.

"So, it really happened," Issei smiled slightly, as he gazed at the beautiful girl on top of him. Her hair covered most of her face, but with his vision, Issei could clearly distinguish her heavenly semblance. After gazing at her for a long while, Issei laid his back on the bed, closing his eyes while murmuring softly, "I'll wait for you to wake up..."

Some minutes later, Issei felt some movement on top of him, along with some stirring in his chest area, which caused his eyes to immediately open, only to be greeted by intense, deep black eyes, which started back at him with unprecedented intensity.

"...Good morning?"

Issei looked back at the Xia Qingyue, unsure of how to proceed. He had no way of knowing how the girl would react. Previously, he knew that she wasn't in the right state of mind, and now that she was lucid, he was wondering how she would go about the situation. Much to his surprise, however, Xia Qingyue simply looked around, a faint blush in her cheeks, as she pressed her head in his clothes.

 _Wait..._ Issei's eyes widened ever so slightly, shimmering with surprise, as if he couldn't believe the situation in front of him. Did she just... blush?

Issei may have had not many interactions with the opposite gender, but he certainly knew the basics. After all, he was taught by Shinso, who, as mentioned before, had a rather unhealthy interest in woman, which he tried his hardest to pass on to his adopted son/disciple.

As such, because of that, Issei knew the implications behind her action, which only lead to his further astonishment, as in that moment, he realized that the way that girl viewed him had completely changed. From the very beginning, he was already expecting that their relationship would change after last night's events, but this change... completely surpassed even his wildest dreams.

Gazing at the slightly blushing girl in front of him, who had her head burrowed in his clothes, unwilling to meet his gaze, no matter how much Issei tried, he couldn't connect her to the cold and aloof Ice Princess that he had met not even three days ago. The difference in personality was like Heaven and Earth!

"You're surprised? Really?"

Suddenly, within his mind, Eggy's sweet voice resounded, as she gazed at the situation from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl with a playful look in her face, although it seemed to also display a little bit of envy, which was completely suppressed by her.

"Eggy?" Issei's eyes widened, as he realized that maybe Eggy, who was clearly a woman, could explain him the situation. Using their mental link to communicate, all the while paying close attention to the bashful girl, Issei talked back to his World Spirit, "You aren't surprised about this situation?"

"Why should I be?" inquired Eggy, as she shook her head slightly, a deep and profound look in her eyes, as they shimmered with faint emotions. Her hair fluttered in the artificial wind provided in the World Spirit Space, and she looked nothing short of a goddess. "This was clearly the first time that this girl ever opened up; you're most likely the one most intimate to her, and also the one who knows her the most."

Smiling lightly, Eggy continued, "In her heart, without a doubt, your standing went from a stranger all the way to a member of the opposite sex," Eggy shook her head, as she recalled her times back in the palace, thinking back to how she used to be, "Not only that, she has never been this close to a boy, and now that she sees you as something more than her benefactor, she is bound to be shy around you."

"Is that so?" widening his eyes, Issei quickly digested the information provided by Eggy, before sighing and shaking his head. It's like they say; only woman can understand woman. A man can never hope to do so...

Looking back at Xia Qingyue, who still held him close and tight, the corner of Issei's lips curled slightly in a soft yet mischievous smile. After all, being hugged so closely by such a beauty... he couldn't help but to tease her a little.

"Oh? Can it be that you have fever?" smiling internally, Issei raised his body up, startling the girl, before he moved his hand, parting her disheveled hair and revealing her beautiful visage in one swift movement. Next, before she could react, his hand slightly pressed against her forehead, as if searching for an increase in temperature. "Eh? But it seems normal..."

Retracting his hand, Issei gave the bashful girl a puzzled look, as he eyed her closely, "Are you alright? Are you feeling anything?"

"I..." Xia Qingyue glanced at him, before letting her head down. It wasn't that she was unwilling to talk to him; it was that she couldn't. She was still on top of him, and in such close proximity, she had no idea of how she should go about the situation. After all, when she mentioned that she had never been touched by a boy, she hadn't been kidding.

Xia Qingyue was a genius in the path of cultivation, and had been taken in a by a master from one of the most famous sect in the Blue Wind Nation – Frozen Cloud Asgard. All of the members of the sect were female, and each and every of them practiced extreme Yin martial skills. Because of that, contact with males, who were naturally born with Yang-attributed energy, wasn't exactly well-received, as it could cause some minor problems with cultivations.

As such, her master had basically cut off her ties with the outside world, including her sister and father. She would go cultivating for months, only stopping to eat and drink. The last time that she had an actual conversation, before Issei, was probably three years ago, with her sister. Because of that, she wasn't exactly socially adept and outgoing. Normally, she could mask her embarrassment with her icy-expression and temperament, which came with her cultivation skill, but ever since she woke up, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't enter that cold and aloof persona again.

Every time that she tried to activate it, it only took one gaze at Issei for it to completely melt, as if faced by the brightest flame. For some reason, Issei had become – after the previous night – something akin to the nemesis of her cultivation skill, and she just couldn't find out the reason behind it. And, she had to admit that she truly didn't know how to proceed in this situation. Furthermore, upon seeing the concern in his eyes, her heart only started beating faster, and the blush in her cheeks deepened.

She just couldn't understand it. On the previous day, he was just like any other boy. Well, he was slightly more handsome than average, and was also proficient in cooking and medicine, but that was it. Now, however, she couldn't help but to feel that he held some precious space in her heart, for reasons she just couldn't fathom.

And, just at that moment, Xia Qingyue remembered how she shared everything about her with him the previous night, and also was reminded of how they had fallen asleep in the same bed, leading to this situation. Widening her eyes, she seemed to have realized something, as she took in a deep breath, preparing to speak to him.

"Junior Brother Issei..." she began slowly, trying to maintain a straight and steady mind. Her words, however, were clearly soft, something that didn't go by unnoticed by Issei. "About last night... could you please keep it a secret?"

"Eh?"

Issei looked at her in confusion, before he slightly moved away, going to one corner of the bed, letting her rest on the other, since he noticed that he had already messed with her too much. Looking at her deeply, he smiled, "Of course, why would I tell anyone? Those are the secrets from deep within your heart, and you believed me to be worthy of listening to the them... how could I possibly reveal it to anyone else?"

Each and every of his words were spoken softly, with a caring tone, as he gazed at the young girl warmly. She hadn't been the only one who had her emotions towards the other changed. Issei, in a similar way to her, was now seeing her completely differently.

Previously, he had been trying to save her for a single reason – he wanted to ingratiate himself to her, so in the future, he could have a possible ally. It wasn't for the sake of helping someone else, or any noble motive like that. Issei clearly knew that he was no saint, and he wouldn't do anything that didn't benefit him in some way.

Now, however, Xia Qingyue's place in his heart had experienced a complete change. From the very start, Issei always had a soft spot for beauties, and after he heard her story, his vision of her completely changed. Initially, he thought she was a spoiled girl, who lived in luxury, and didn't have a single worry in life. After listening to her story, however, he was proved incorrect.

She, like him, had to deal with many hardships. Much to his surprise, her true self wasn't too different from his. As mentioned before, they had both been broken by fate, toyed by the Heavens. They both had their inner worries, pains and afflictions. Ever since he realized that, he felt like he had grown closer to the girl, in levels that he couldn't even comprehend.

As they say, birds of a feather flock together...

...

Suddenly, Issei was broken out of his musings, as he realized that Xia Qingyue had opened her mouth, her alluring and soft lips parting.

"Junior Brother Issei, about last night..." she began, and as she spoke, her expression seemed to grow more bashful, as her tone grew more quiet, until it reached the point it could barely even be considered a whisper, "T-thank you."

"O-oh?" Issei was startled by her words, and couldn't help but to be taken aback, surprised by her words. His eyes suddenly glimmered with faint happiness, as he smiled brightly, "No problem. Also, I meant what I said last night... you can count on me."

Being someone who had faced his inner demons, Issei clearly knew how hard and depressing it could be. If it wasn't for Jasmine's company, that kept his mind away from his previous actions, and then Eggy, who lightened up his day, Issei knew that he would not be the person he was today. He knew that once in awhile, it was good to rely on someone else. No, more than that... once in awhile, you need to rely on someone.

"Ah?" Xia Qingyue's eyes widened, surprised at his statement, before her face was suddenly filled with happiness, which then turned into bashfulness. Then, without saying a single more word, she nodded slightly.

Seeing her confirmation, Issei also smiled once more, before getting up from the bed, garnering Xia Qingyue's attention, who looked at him puzzledly. Smiling lightly, Issei explained, "I figured that I would start the treatment right now..."

Widening her eyes, Xia Qingyue looked at him deeply, before she laid on the bed, with her back facing towards him, just like it had been the previous time. Interpreting her silence as a permission to start, Issei nodded slightly, as he waved his hands, making 100 vibrating spiritual powers filaments flow out from his sleeves, before entering Xia Qingyue's body.

At the same time, Issei gazed at the girl with a troubled look, as if unsure of something, before he sighed and raised his left hand. In his palm, the symbol of the Sky Poison Pearl flashed, as a soft green light enveloped the young girl.

At the same time that he was healing the girl, he was doing a completely different thing – he was utilizing the Sky Poison's Pearl unique skill to open up her profound entrances!

Just from looking at her, Issei could clearly see that her talent was great, with over twenty seven of her profound entrances opened naturally, but he knew that, with only that amount, her 'Seven Profound Exquisite Body' and 'Heart of Snow Glazed Grass' would be a waste. Previously, when he was hunting for breakfast, Jasmine had mentioned to him how her abilities could only be used to their full extent if she had all of her profound entrances opened.

On that day, he was in a dilemma, wondering if he should do it or not, but now, he was sure of it. This girl had a dream, and for it to be achieved, she required all help she could get. If it was only opening her profound entrances, Issei would gladly do it. After all, it didn't take any effort on his part, and it would bring her one step closer to meeting her mother.

Issei may be no saint; he may not follow the law and do 'good' things, but when it came to it, he still had compassion in his heart. And, it wouldn't hurt to do a good deed once it a while, would it?

 **Read & Review~!**

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 **A/N: There will be some action soon. I can't wait for Issei to go back to Slaughter Mode!**


	7. Unexpected Development

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

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 **Chapter 7 - Unexpected Development**

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After Issei finished the healing process, he accessed Xia Qingyue's situation once more, intending to see if the interference of the Sky Poison Pearl in the healing had somehow interfered his previous speculation. Soon after, however, he was glad to find out that while it did slow the process down slightly, since he would have to pay attention to two things at the same time, it only increased the final outcome by a few hours; his initial assessment was still standing.

As for how many profound entrances he had managed to open in this single session, it was around two dozen ones. Obviously, opening one's own profound entrances was thousands, if not millions, of times more simple than opening those of others. Not only that, this was Issei's first time trying this out, so he couldn't help but to be a little nervous.

"Junior Brother…?"

Suddenly, Xia Qingyue called him out, snapping Issei out of his thoughts, only to discover that he had been standing on the same spot with a dazed expression on his face the entire time; obviously, Xia Qingyue thought that something was wrong.

Shaking his head slightly, Issei smiled at her, while his eyes grew soft, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Now… there are other matters we need to pay attention to."

As Issei said such words, he flicked his sleeves, and a small book appeared in his hands, roughly the size of his palms. The paper was rough and dry, but it was still possible to see the contents quite easily, which were written in some kind of black paint. Within the booklet, it described the various kinds of Profound Beasts that lived in the outskirts of the Blue Wind Dragon forest, along with many types of herbs and such.

Previously, when Issei had gone to buy the kitchen utensils, he had come across a middle-aged peddler that happened to have this book in his possession, selling it for a meager amount of a few cooper coins. Issei, seeing the opportunity he was waiting for, immediately bought it, tipping the poor middle-aged man in the process. Since this book described what kinds of beasts he would be able to find in the forest, it would help him to increase his culinary repertoire.

"Here, see if anything seems appealing to you," said Issei, as he handed Xia Qingyue the book, who grasped it in her delicate, snow-white hands, obviously interested. Upon opening the booklet, she initially revealed a surprised expression, but quickly realized its purpose. However, upon doing so, she only handed the book back to him, with a calm expression on her face.

"I'm only a patient," she explained softly, her cold tone mostly gone by now. Smiling at Issei bewitchingly, she once more opened parted her cherry-like red lips, "I can't impose on you so much. You should just use whatever you want to."

Surprisingly enough, even though Xia Qingyue was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had already been taken in by a famous sect, her personality was still humble and, if her cold attitude was ignored, she could even be considered kind. This was something that had shocked Issei immensely, since he was mostly used to spoiled and proud girls, such as Eggy and Jasmine. At the very least, Issei had to admit that he preferred this kind of girl more.

After listening to Xia Qingyue's words, Issei also didn't press the matter any further, and simply stored the book away. After living with the cold beauty for more than two days already, he had come to the conclusion that she was quite head-strong, and once she had decided on something, it would be hell to change her mind.

Smiling briefly, Issei turned around and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he turned around and flashed Xia Qingyue a calm smile, "Wait for me. I should be back in five minutes or so."

In the next moment, as if a gust of wind had blown by, Issei disappeared from his spot, the door closing soon after. Gazing at the spot where the boy had just been at, Xia Qingyue smiled faintly, before laying down on her bed once more, staring at the ceiling as she thought over the events that had happened in the past few days.

"...Only seven days left…?"

Suddenly, amidst her thinking, the heavenly beauty realized something, which immediately filled her heart with a sense of hollowness. It had already been three days, counting the current one, since the treatment had started, and since Issei had said that it would last for ten days… she only had seven more days of time to spend with him. For reasons the young maiden couldn't fathom, she suddenly had the urge to curl up in the bed, as it seemed that her mind had blanked completely. It was as if… the simple thought of parting with the unusual boy had driven her insane.

After a while, she finally calmed down, but her eyes no longer contained that happy sheen to it, and instead were shimmering with unwillingness. She realized that, after these two days together, the dark-brown haired boy had somehow become a part of her existence; of the essence of her being. The thought of going separate ways… was akin to letting a part of her soul fade away, scattering in the air, like the withering leaves in the fall.

She had shared her deepest secrets with him; she had been comforted by him and, not only that, she had been saved by him. He had promised that he would be there for her, and she would take him up on that. For some reason or another, she felt that the eccentric boy, somehow, wasn't that different from her. He was _'broken',_ just like she was, and only two broken pieces could become a whole.

…

…

…

Within the woods of the Blue Wind Dragon forest, a streak of blue could be seen dashing through the terrain, as something that seemed to be a lighting bolt flashed around the trees, covering hundreds of meters in seconds. Suddenly, however, this flash of light stopped, thereupon revealing a twelve-fourteen years old boy in its place.

This boy's hair was of an azure color, extending all the way to his neck, while his eyes were like lightning bolts, flashing with electricity. However, contrary to his electrifying appearance, his demeanor was the opposite, completely cold and calm, as he stared straight ahead.

"Is this…?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, finding something rather _interesting_ up ahead. Immediately, he snapped his fingers, and the aura of lightning around him dispersed, as he returned to his normal state. This, however, didn't make him any less terrifying, and certainly didn't make him less of a threat.

Reflected in Issei's phoenix-like eyes, there was the image of three men, all of them wearing dark and conspicuous-looking robes, as they sat on top of wood logs, forming a circle, with a map in the middle. One of the man was analyzing the map, his sight focused on what seemed to be a spot in the map, while the other two were discussing over something.

What caught Issei's interest, however, was none of that, but instead, the content of their conversation, for he had heard the name 'Xia Qingyue' being spoken… five times already. As cautious as he was, Issei couldn't possibly let this go, and used his spiritual power to enhance his hearing, slowly approaching the group, all the while hiding his presence with a Spirit Formation concealing barrier.

Coming a few meters closer to the group of three, he was finally able to clearly hear their conversation.

"I'm telling you, it has been already three days since we sent those men over, and they still haven't come back!" one of the man, who seemed to be the smallest of the group, exclaimed hurriedly, with his brows furrowed, and his fingers nervously tapping against the log beneath him. He was obviously concerned.

"I know that already," sighed the other man, who was a little overweight, a dagger hanging by his plump waist. His eyes, differently from the shorter man, were set on a calm expression, completely unfazed by his colleague's worries. "Still, what could that girl have done? We sealed her cultivation, and also have poisoned her body! Those damn guys have probably been enjoying her the past three days..."

Reaching that part, the plump man revealed a wicked smile, as he licked his lips lasciviously, "Not only that, I have heard that although the girl is quite young, she is a great beauty, who keeps her true appearance hidden under a spell. Hmm… I can't wait to get a taste of her myself..."

"But still-"

"Quit arguing!" suddenly, the man with the map raised his head and growled at the shorter man, before sending the plump man an annoyed look. "As for you, stop being a damn pedophile! We are in this for the money, not for the pleasure! Afterward, we'll go visit a brothel or something, but for now, shut the hell up!"

Immediately, the two other man closed their mouths tight, fear evident on their eyes, as they trembled under the oppressing gaze of the third man. With a cold look in his eyes, the same man from before, who seemed to be the leader, pointed towards a spot in the map.

"We can't discard the possibility that somehow, the little girl dealt with our men. As such, we'll start an investigation on the forest," he pointed towards a location of the map, "If she has escaped, then she most likely came to this place, or..." he then pointed to another one, "this one."

"L-leader..." the plump man suddenly spoke while trembling, stuttering with his words. Upon seeing that his leader didn't show any intention to stop him, he continued, "w-wouldn't it be m-more likely that she w-went back to her own h-house?"

Contrary to his expectations, however, the leader smashed his hand against the log in the middle of the circle, shattering it in half. "Fool! If she has gone back, then do you think we would have not known about it already?! I have been keeping a close watch on her house these days… are you doubting my abilities?!

"N-no!" instantly, the plump man screamed, as he cowered under the other man's stare, trying his hardest to not pass out because of the sheer deterrence that his leader exuded. "I h-have been wrong! P-please, don't m-mind my words!"

Seeing his subordinate cowering attitude, the leader simply shook his head grimly, before turning back to face his map. Suddenly, however, he stopped, as he realized something. For some reason or another, he felt incredibly light, and the map was extremely close, much closer than it had been before.

Immediately after, he heard the sounds of his subordinates screaming.

"Leader!"

After that, he no longer heard anything… ever again.

…

"One down, two to go," Issei muttered plainly, as he flicked his sword, smearing the blood that covered Gan Jiang on the ground, before turning around to face the plump man and the and short one. Not even bothering to look at the decapitated head of the so-called leader, Issei looked between the two men, before focusing on the short one.

"I'll be with you right away," he spoke calmly, before disappearing from sight. The plump man's eyes widened, and he was about to move out of the way, but alas, he had realized it too late. Not even a second later, his heart had been pierced by Mo Ye, which began to hungrily suck the blood in the man's body, and before long, his corpse had been dried up.

"Oh?" seeing the completely dehydrated corpse, Issei revealed a look of surprise, before glancing at Mo Ye thoughtfully, seeing that there wasn't even a speck of blood on the blade. _This has never happened before… how did it suddenly suck his blood?_

In the next moment, without even turning his head, Issei spun around and threw Gan Jiang forward, completely piercing through the short man's cranium, who had been trying to run away, thinking that Issei was distracted. Obviously, he had made a _bad_ judgment.

Afterward, Issei walked over to the short man's corpse, and saw that it remained normal. Differently from what had happened with the plump man, his blood hadn't been absorbed. Thinking that far, Issei tentatively pierced the short man's body with Mo Ye, expecting to see some change, but nothing happened.

"...Is there some kind of condition?"

Looking at his two swords, Issei couldn't help but to think that they contained some deep secret, one that he wasn't aware of. Not only could they grow along with him, they seemed to possess something akin to a consciousness, and were also able to suck the blood of his victims, evidenced by Mo Ye's previous act.

"I wonder what's this all about…," murmured Issei with a thoughtful expression, his eyes looking at his swords deeply. In the end, he merely sighed, storing them away. He was only curious about their origins, nothing more. Any normal person would have freaked out upon seeing such blood-thirsty swords, and would probably assume that they were cursed – which probably wasn't so far from the truth – but Issei was no normal person.

Sighing, Issei was just about to turn around and hunt so more, – already having dealt with any possible future threat that could harm Xia Qingyue – but was suddenly startled, as Jasmine's voice, which was filled with unusual surprise, rang in his mind.

"Those swords… it can't be… Divine Weapons?!"

In the next moment, the air in front of Issei trembled and rippled, and Jasmine materialized right in front of him. Immediately, she looked at him sternly while waving her hands in front of him. "Take those two swords out! Let this princess see them! Immediately!"

"Ah?" voiced Issei in surprise, who quickly regained his bearing and went along with the red-haired princess' wishes, summoning his two swords out. In the next moment, Jasmine grabbed them from his hands, her eyes shimmering with surprise and disbelief.

After that, she began to closely analyze them, looking at each and every detail, and by each passing second, her expression grew even more astonished, which baffled Issei completely. A few minutes later, Jasmine finally looked back at Issei, and her eyes were filled with a zealous look.

"Where did you get these swords?!" demanded Jasmine loudly, who quickly added, with an even more earnest and serious expression, "How did you get these swords?!"

"I-I..." Issei tried to speak, but found himself unable to, being glared with such intensity by the tyrannical girl. It wasn't that he didn't know the answer, but he believed that even if he told Jasmine the truth, she wouldn't believe him. After all, judging by her previous expressions, those two swords were precious treasures, far more than Issei had taken them to be. As such, how could he simply say that he had found them gathering dust in the storage of a low-grade sect?! Hell, even he wouldn't believe this if he didn't know any better!

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	8. Divine Weapons

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Divine Weapons**

* * *

"Jasmine… about that..." looking at the girl in front of him, Issei truly didn't know where or how he should begin. After glancing at the impatient look in her eyes one more time, the dark-brown haired boy sighed, as he realized that it would be for the best if he just spilled the beans. "I found them… covered in spiderwebs, in a corner of the storage house of the Heavenly Might School."

"..."

Upon hearing his swords, Jasmine only kept quiet, staring at him blankly for a long time, before she finally sighed, a deep and profound look in her eyes, as she once more turned her attentions to the two swords, "… And to think that these two legendary swords would be reduced to such a state..."

Turning her gaze back to Issei, she handed him the swords back, as she hmphed proudly as she crossed her arms, "Since you are this princess' disciple, I'll honor you with a story!" she then looked at him deeply and explained, "Those two swords, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, are Divine Weapons… the rarest type of weapon in the middle realm, and even in the higher realm, they are incomparably rare. Not only that, even when compared to most Divine Weapons, these two are, by far, two of the best."

Her gaze suddenly turned dark, as her words also became slightly more obscure, "Thousands of years ago, there was a clan in this planet, called the Divine Blacksmith clan. In all of existence, only the disciples of this clan were able to craft such weapons. Sometimes, a person unrelated to the clan would appear, but they would soon be pulled in to the clan, gaining a position of power there. This clan, alone, was responsible for the production of all Divine Weapons in the Middle Realm..." she trailed off.

"And what happened to them?" pressed Issei, wanting to know more, as he was sure that at some point in time, this legendary clan either dissolved or was destroyed, judging by the way Jasmine had mentioned it, with a forlorn look in her eyes.

Upon hearing Issei's question, Jasmine sighed and continued, her eyes growing ever darker, "This clan was blessed by a God from the Higher Realm, the Divine Blacksmith, and because of that, they were able to prosper. Sadly, however, their times of peace wouldn't last for long. For various reasons, the Divine Blacksmith clan would only sell to the outside world five Divine Weapons every sixty-years cycle, which caused many dissatisfaction. Because of that, various clans from various planets united together, planning to invade the Divine Blacksmith Clan, plunder their weapons and enslave the blacksmiths, as their personal weapon artisans. This, however, had the opposite effect…

"When the members of the Blacksmith clan heard of the attack," continued Jasmine, "they immediately knew that they couldn't win, so in order to maintain their dignity, they took their own lives, and with them, most of their treasures. Of the original fifteen hundred millions Divine Weapons, accumulated after millions and millions of years, only a little less than fifty thousand remained. As for how many members remained, there were only two… Gan Jiang, the leader of the blacksmith clan, and Mo Ye, his wife."

"What?!" exclaimed Issei with widened eyes, as he suddenly realized that his two swords were much, much more complex than they seemed. Never, in his entire life, would he have dreamed that his two swords had such a past.

Not bothering with Issei's interruption, Jasmine continued, "Gan Jiang and Mo Ye weren't able to kill themselves fast enough, and were taken as prisoners by the leader of the strongest clan at the time, the Heaven's Slaughter Clan. After being slaved, the leader of the clan ordered Gan Jiang to produce the highest grade of Divine Weapon, an Unholy Divine Weapon, rumored to be the most powerful rank. Gan Jiang, however, refused to, unwilling to craft anything for that kind of despicable person. On the next day, the leader of the Heaven's Slaughter Clan… ravaged his wife, Mo Ye, and afterward told Gan Jiang that if he didn't craft the sword, then he would have Mo Ye suffer the most painful of tortures.

"Facing such circumstances, Gan Jiang could only unwillingly form the Unholy-grade Divine Weapon… However, an unexpected situation occurred. His wife, feeling tainted after being ravaged by the clan leader, threw herself in the melting furnace in order to end her life, and at the same time, curse the Unholy-ranked weapon, making it so the leader of the Heaven's Slaughter Sect would never be able to use it.

"Soon after, Gan Jiang also threw himself into the melting furnace, hoping to accompany his wife even in death. Seven days and seven nights later, what appeared out of the furnace were two Unholy-grade Divine Weapons, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, both of them possessing a sliver of the spirit of each one of the couple. These weapons, however, had a curse; only someone capable of forging Divine Weapons would be able to awaken their power. If any other person used it, they would be nothing different than two scraps of useless, yet sharp, metal. And thus, looking at the present, it seems that they became forgotten after that, slowly passing through owner by owner, until reaching your hands."

Currently, Issei's eyes were widened, and when he gazed at the two swords in his hands, his dark-brown eyes were filled with disbelief. The origin of those two swords…. Was simply too grandiose and dark, even for Issei. At the same time, however, he couldn't help but to be filled with doubt.

"Jasmine, previously, you mentioned that there could appear people able to craft Divine Weapons throughout the world, and they would then be pulled into the Divine Blacksmith clan… but just now, you said that Divine Weapons were rare… could it be that since the fall of the Divine Blacksmith Clan, no one has been able to figure out the secrets of crafting Divine Weapons?"

Even while Issei said such words, he couldn't help but to think back to how he had misunderstood the steps of a Martial Skill that he had acquired in Heavenly Might School, somehow bringing some change to the swords. Could it possibly be that, by sheer luck, he was able to find out the method of crafting Divine Weapons? After all, Jasmine had mentioned that only someone with that power would be able to awaken them….

"What you said is right," after hearing his question, Jasmine nodded slightly, "Since then, no one else has been able to create Divine Weapons, but there's a reason behind that. I said that the Divine Blacksmith Clan was blessed by the Divine Blacksmith, right? You see, after the perishing of the Clan, the Divine Blacksmith found out about it, and as punishment, not only did he eradicate the Heaven's Slaughter Sect, but he also used a great deal of his power to push forth a Heavenly Decree… from that moment onwards, no one would ever be able to craft Divine Weapons again. That rule… applied to the _entire_ Middle Realm."

"What?!" Issei's eyes widened, "He can actually do that?!"

"Yes," Jasmine nodded slightly, as she once more began explaining about the relation between the higher and middle realm, "You see, the Gods of the Higher Realm, by using a percentage of their power, are able to write out rules to the inhabitants of the Middle Realm. Those rules are absolute, and they can't be broken. Those are known as Heavenly Decrees."

"Then…." said Issei, an uncertain expression on his face, as his gazed at his own two hands thoughtfully, "Why was I able to…?"

"You are unaffected by the Heavenly Decrees," replied Jasmine offhandedly, although her eyes still showed surprise and interest. "The first time I saw you, I thought that there was something strange about you, but by now, I'm sure… the Heavenly Decrees don't apply to you. As for the reasons, I'm still unsure."

"The Heavenly Decrees don't apply to me?" with widened eyes, Issei looked at Jasmine, once more filled with disbelief. He already knew that his background was special, but he never imagined it to be _that_ special, to the point where it could make him invulnerable to the Heavenly Decrees. Or maybe, could it be that it hadn't to do with his background, but with something else...?

Listening to his question, Jasmine kept quiet for a while before nodding, "Yes. Not only only that, there is also a Heavenly Decree that you have broken, ever since I met you. Millions of years ago, an almighty God restricted the inhabitants of the middle realm's _luck_ by some kind of Heavenly Decree. You, however, are most likely the luckiest brat that I have ever since… apparently, you are also invulnerable to that rule."

"A rule that… restricts luck…?" asked Issei, completely baffled. The young boy had to admit, that in that single day, he had gained a much deeper insight on how vast the world was. Rules that restrict luck, Divine Weapons… all of this felt like a whole different universe to him, and he couldn't believe that he was actually wrapped around in the middle of it all. After a while, Issei simply sighed, "Alright, never mind that. I have another question… just how does a Divine Weapon differs from a normal weapon?"

Hearing another question, Jasmine sighed, but in the end, complied, as she once more explained, "Divine Weapons have two simple yet invincible characteristics. The first one is that they can grow alongside their master, and would never become obsolete. The second is that, even if they are destroyed, as long as their master supply them with Spiritual Power, they can be restored to their previous state. In other words, they can evolve and are indestructible. Not only that, once they choose a master, they can only choose another one once their previous ones dies, which also means that they are the most loyal weapons in existence."

"At the same time," suddenly added Jasmine, "There are also some other powers to them, but they differ from Divine Weapon to Divine Weapon. I only have some superficial knowledge on them, and only know deeply about Gan Jiang and Mo Ye since their story is actually famous in the place where I come from as a bedside story for children."

"Ah, I see…." Issei nodded, but suddenly stopped mid-way, as he realized something. "..Bedside story for children?"

"Ah, yes," nodded Jasmine, a calm look in her face, "but that doesn't really matter now. The fact is that right now, you have the two most powerful and only Unholy-grade Divine Weapons in existence and also the only person in the Middle Realm capable of crafting Divine Weapons."

Reaching that point, Jasmine suddenly stopped, as she remembered something. Waving her hands, she got out a normal sword from Issei's Sky Poison Pearl. Apparently, she could also use it as storage freely. Handing the sword to Issei, she said, "Do the same thing you did to Gan Jiang and Mo Ye with them."

Without a single word, Issei called the two swords back, and grasped the simple and rudimentary sword in his hands. Then, channeling his spiritual power _within_ them, and _not_ _coating_ them with it, just like how he had done with Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, he began his process. Ten minutes later, the sword in his hands looked the same, but the aura around them was slightly different; sharper.

"Did it work?" looking at the sword, Issei definitely felt that there was something different about it, but at the same time, it wasn't nearly as mystic as Gan Jiang or Mo Ye, so he figured that there was something wrong. "...They feel different from the other two."

However, contrary to his expectations, Jasmine hmphed in annoyance.

"Of course they do! Even though that sword is now a Divine Weapon, it's only the lowest grade of Divine Weapon, an Ungraded one. Your two swords, however, are the highest type, the Unholy-grade! There's bound to be a difference akin to the difference between Heaven and Earth between them! The only reason why you managed to make Gan Jiang and Mo Ye become Unholy-graded Divine Weapons was because they were already so from the start, and only needed to be awakened. If you relied on your own power, even making a Second-grade Divine Weapon would be impossible!"

Being enlightened by Jasmine on such matters, Issei was once more reminded of something. "I see… but, what's the difference between the grades of Divine Weapon? What changes between them?"

"A lot of things!" exclaimed Jasmine while she puffed her chest proudly, as if she was the one that actually created them. "Firstly, an Ungraded Divine Weapon, although it can grow together with you, it will have a much slower rate of improvement, while an Unholy-grade one can even improve faster than their master! Not only that, the time it takes for an Ungraded Divine Weapon to rebuild itself from pieces is a thirty-hours cycle, while for an Unholy-grade Divine Weapon, it's only a mere one and a half seconds! Finally, starting from the Fifth-grade onwards, Divine Weapon acquire special powers! Take your two swords, for example!

"Mo Ye, as you saw before, sucked that man dry, and at the same time, increased in power. Now, let me ask you this, what was the man saying before? He mentioned 'having fun' with your little friend, didn't he? Now, think of this… why did Mo Ye kill herself? Because she was _sexually abused!_ This means that Mo Ye is able to suck the blood of rapers and use it to increase its on power!

"As for Gan Jiang, I'm not sure yet, and you'll have to discover, but I believe that it possess a similar, if not stronger power, since it possess the soul of the most powerful Blacksmith of the Divine Blacksmith Clan in history!"

Finally, after saying such words, Jasmine seemed to have grown tired after so much speaking, so she simply closed her eyes and murmured, "This princess is now tired... I'll be in the Sky Poison Pearl. Don't disturb me for the next three days."

After that, her body started growing transparent, before her image completely dissolved right in front of Issei, just like an illusion. As for the dark-brown haired boy, he simply sat down, looking at the sword in his hands – which had just become a Divine Weapon – thoughtfully, before storing it away.

Then, he was about to get up, as he remembered that Xia Qingyue was still waiting for him back at the hut, and he could always test out his theories later. However, before he could so so, Eggy called out in his mind.

"Issei?" Eggy's sweet and soothing voice filled him mind, and Issei couldn't help but to appreciate her perfect voice, which could stir the hearts of men.

"Eggy? What is it?" asked Issei back, sitting back on the ground.

"Oh, it's nothing," replied Eggy quickly, but she quickly added, "I listened to your conversation with Jasmine, and I have a suggestion… after you send the _girl_ home, there's something that I have to suggest..."

"What is it?" asked Issei, completely oblivious to the venomous tone Eggy had used when mentioning Xia Qingyue.

"Do you remember the weapons you got from Li Xiaodie, the Asura World Spirit who injured me? Those are high-quality treasures.. if what that Jasmine girl said is correct, then it would be a good idea to transform them into Divine Weapons for training… not only that, you could use them in the Martial Skills that the Xiaodie guy used, which you possess in your cosmos sack."

Upon hearing Eggy's words, Issei's eyes widened, as he had completely forgotten about that fact. He really had gotten thousands of Li Xiaodie's swords, and not only that, there were also many jade-slips which contained sword formations that required thousands of swords… if he could use them with Divine Weapons, even if they were from the lowest grade, then his power levels would rise by tens of thousands of times!

Immediately, Issei thanked Eggy, promised that he would look into that later, and started searching around for some Profound Beast, since he still had to bring the breakfast home for Xia Qingyue, his beautiful patient. He still had matters he needed to attend to before he could focus himself in cultivation. At that moment, Issei decided that after he had finished healing Xia Qingyue, he would go into some secluded place – away from human civilization – and improve his Daos, cultivation levels, and techniques!

 **Read & Review**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Alright guys, another author note, and this one is about reviews. I believe that I have already told you this before, but, seriously, writers _need_ reviews. It isn't only me, every single damn writer (as far as I know) needs some sort of feedback, or else how would they know if people are liking their chapters or not? It's not like we can read your minds.

Originally, I wasn't planning on saying this so soon, but seeing that I got 2 reviews for my previous chapter (Which deserved more, by the way, as it was way more interesting than the last ones 0.0), I decided to say this. I need feedback, dearly. I can't know if you're liking the chapter or not, or if you're not enjoying it... this is my only way to better my story, in order to give you a better reading experience. I know that some of you may think that I'm just bitching here, since 2 reviews is more than enough, but to me, seriously, I find it quite lacking. I may be spoiled and being a brat here, but, I'll be truthful, I _love_ reviews.

I'm not asking you guys to do a thirteen lines reviews or something like that... short things like: Great Chapter!, Nice Chapter!, Bad Chapter!, Utterly Disgusting Chapter!... will suffice, you know. I need your opinions. I crave for your opinions. I love your opinions... (I can re-write this sentence with synonyms for 'need' as many times as necessary)... well, you get the point.

It only takes a few seconds out of your day, ten at most if you're a lazy typer, and it doesn't hurt at all. Even if you're too lazy to enter your account, then just leave a guest review! I don't mind at all!

Well, this is about it... anyhow, look forward to a new chapter tomorrow. And yes, I know that this chapter wasn't really that good, with too much info-dump, but that was necessary. I needed to get Divine Weapons and the origin of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye out of the way, or else I would forget them.


	9. Source Energy

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Source Energy**

* * *

After grabbing the corpses' cosmos sacks and going through his usual looting procedure, Issei turned around and was about to walk away, planning to look for some beast to hunt, but was suddenly stopped by Eggy.

"Issei? Before you go, could you do me a favor?"

Stopping in his tracks, Issei said, "Of course. What is it?"

"About this…," said Eggy, "You do know that World Spirits need to absorb Source Energy to increase their cultivation, right? Last time, since those guys were so weak, I thought that you had ignored them, but right now, since they're stronger, I believe that it would be a good idea to let me absorb some of it."

"...Source...Energy...?"

Suddenly, Issei's eyes widened, as he remembered of a crucial information regarding World Spirits. As Eggy had said, World Spirits couldn't cultivate upon being contracted and taken out of their Spiritual Worlds, and the only way in which they could increase their cultivation base was through absorption of Source Energy.

In Layman's terms, Source Energy was something present in all and every living being, and represented their essence of life. Even after a being died, their Source Energy would still be kept intact, which was the reason why their corpses could prevail for an extended period of time. Needless to say, the stronger the being's cultivation base when alive, the richer and purer the Source Energy.

At that moment, Issei felt like face-palming at his stupidity. Previously, he had killed over five men, and with Eggy's cultivation base that had regressed to the very start, it would be extremely beneficial! Still, those corpses were gone, so Issei could do nothing about it. Thankfully, he still had yet to disintegrate the corpses of his latest kills, so they could still be used.

Immediately, Issei turned around and headed towards one of the corpses, reaching it in a matter of seconds. Extending his hands in its direction, Issei said a single word, "Eggy."

In the next moment, within Issei's World Spirit Space, the cute and heavenly Eggy, who was excitedly looking at the situation while laying down on the grass, suddenly waved her hands, her eyes shimmering with anticipation. From her hands, a special type of spiritual power, characteristic of World Spirits, surged, filling the space above her.

At the same time, from Issei's extended hand, the same power that Eggy had used in the World Spirit Space appeared, which flew over towards the corpse of the dried up man. Following that, it completely encompassed the corpse, hungrily devouring the Source Energy within. A few seconds later, Issei retracted his hands and headed towards another corpse, as Eggy had already sucked the Source Energy dry from that one.

After finishing absorbing another corpse, Issei headed towards the third and repeated the same process. By the end of it all, all corpses looked the same, but in reality, in the future, they would wither at a much faster rate, since they didn't have Source Energy to support them. Well, that would be the case if they were left behind to rot. Issei, obviously, didn't have such plans.

Originally, Issei was planning on leaving them with an intact corpse, since they would be eaten by Profound Beasts later on, but since he had already absorbed their Source Energy, he figured that he might as well go all the way.

After he had finished burning up the corpses with his lightning and scattering their ashes in the wind, Issei dusted his clothes and asked, "Eggy? How was it?"

Soon after, his reply came in the form of an excited voice, "Great! I have already reached what would be the equivalent of the third level of the Elementary Profound Realm!"

If it had been the past Eggy, such a small achievement wouldn't be anything to her, but to the current her, who had completely lost her cultivation base, just the taste of having power once more in her body thrilled her infinitely. Having power was rejuvenating, and filled her entire body with energy, no matter how small it may be.

"That's good," agreed Issei, as he turned around, and chose a direction. Just as he was about to set off in a hunt for beasts, he suddenly stopped and sighed, a down-cast look on his face. "Eggy, sorry about before. It was my duty to supplement you with Source Energy, but I had completely forgotten about it..."

Eggy, upon hearing those words, was filled with inexplicable joy, as it showed that Issei, indeed, truly felt like he had let her down. This act, alone, showed how much he treasured her. Smiling brightly, the beautiful girl giggled slightly, "Don't worry about it, Issei. You were to busy to pay attention to that..."

As she said so, she smiled beautifully, looking at him from the World Spirit Space.

"This..." trailed off Issei, slightly surprised about Eggy's words. He seemed like he was about to say something else, but stopped as the corners of his lips curled up in a smile that came from the bottom of his heart, "Thanks, Eggy."

After that, Issei closed his eyes, and sent his Spirit Power outside his body, flooding the entire area with his consciousness. Not even a couple of seconds later, Issei's eyes opened, a strange shimmer within them, and he disappeared from sight, having found his prey.

…

…

…

Within the bamboo hut that Issei had built, there was a young girl laying on the bed, a look of worry in her face as she stared fixedly at the door, as if awaiting for it to open at any given moment. Previously, Issei had told Xia Qingyue that he would be back in five minutes, but it had already been over fifteen minutes since he had left. Xia Qingyue knew that clearly. After all, she had been counting the seconds.

"… Could it be that something happened?"

Xia Qingyue widened her eyes at such thought, but it immediately shook it off. She didn't believe that there could be anyone in the vicinity who could pose a threat to the young boy. After all, she had seen how he had completely killed five cultivators at the peak of the Elementary Profound Realm effortlessly. She didn't believe that someone of this region could actually harm him. Aside from her and her master, that is.

"Still, why hasn't he come back?" Nevertheless, Xia Qingyue was unable to qualm the worries in her heart. The young boy was already an existence that she couldn't live without, and she couldn't dare to think what would happen to him if he died. He was her first friend, the person who knew her deepest secrets, and also the one who pledged to be there for her. As such, she was really beginning to worry for him.

Slowly, five more minutes passed. By this point, the anxiety was slowly eating the young girl from within, and she couldn't hold back any longer. She stood up from the bed, worry all over her face, and walked over to the door. Just as she was about to get near it, it was flung open, revealing Issei on the other side.

His appearance was slightly disheveled, with some blood-stains in various parts of his clothes, something that Xia Qingyue didn't fail to notice. At the same time, however, he didn't seem to be hurt, and was standing there normally.

"….Senior Sister Xia?" asked Issei, his eyes widening slightly in surprise, right upon seeing the worrisome girl. Her normally dignified and graceful figure was gone, and was replaced by one of that a young girl full of worry. This, obviously, surprised the young boy, wondering what had happened.

However, he didn't get any answer, as instead of talking back to him, the moment Xia Qingyue saw the young boy, she immediately ran forward, and hugged him tightly, completely disregarding her previous unwillingness to touch males. Her arms were tightly wrapped around him, and if Issei hadn't be practicing cultivation that strengthened his body, it wouldn't be strange if he had been crushed to death. To the current him, however, there was no discomfort, and only astonishment.

"…Is everything alright?" inquired Issei, as he did nothing to get out of the young girl's embrace, which enveloped him tightly. Her head was leaning on his chest, and he could feel her trembling. As such, he did nothing to stop her, and only stood in the same place, waiting for her to take the initiative to break the apart the embrace.

One or two minutes later, Xia Qingyue finally took a step back, and although her face still contained some worry, there were the faint traces of a blush on it, as she seemed to be surprisingly bashful. Looking at the young boy in front of her, save and sound, she could finally qualm the worries in her heart, but that still didn't mean that she would forget that accident.

The lives of a martial artist – a cultivator – was more delicate than a fading wisp a flame, and it was fraught with danger at every turn. There were countless ways to die, and it wasn't strange for people to die in friendly battle, fighting Profound Beasts, or even during Cultivation, because of some problem that occurred. Xia Qingyue knew that clearly, and that was why, although Issei had only been a couple of minutes late, she was so worried. To a martial artist, a couple of _seconds_ could mean life and death.

"…What happened?" asked Xia Qingyue, finally being able to stabilize her emotions and heart. At the moment, she was more worried over what had happened on the way, since Issei was covered in blood, and she could clearly discern that it was human blood. "Did anyone attack your, or…?"

"It was nothing," assured Issei as he shook his head, taking a step inside the hut. While he did so, he couldn't help but to glance at Xia Qingyue in silent surprise, wondering what had caused her to become concerned. Not only that, Issei also noticed that lately, she had been speaking much more than before. At the very least, he assumed it to be some progress. "I only met with some bad people on the way… I just sent them in a different direction."

 _Straight to hell, I mean,_ though Issei grimly, although he didn't voice his thoughts. As for Xia Qingyue, she seemed to have understood the hidden meaning in his words, and only nodded slightly, not perturbed by it in the least. She had already seen him kill people; learning that he killed some more didn't change anything at all...

"Anyways," said Issei, snapping Xia Qingyue out of her thoughts, "are you hungry?"

As he said so, he waved his sleeves, and on top of the bamboo table, a pot of steaming hot soup appeared, similar to the previous day. This one, however, had a different kind of meat within, as well as different herbs.

"..."

Xia Qingyue didn't say anything, but instead, she walked over and sat on the bed, looking at Issei expectantly. Reading her behavior, Issei scooped up some of the soup, placed it in a bowl and handed it to her. Afterward, he got himself his own bowl, and sat next to her on the bed, eating quietly.

"...Is it good?" asked Issei after a while, stealing a glance at Xia Qingyue, who was gracefully eating the soup. She most likely had some classes on how have a lady-like behavior some time ago, Issei guessed. There was no way she could have such a dignified behavior naturaly, right…?

As for Xia Qingyue, instead of answering him, she just moved slightly, approaching his side, and leaned her side slightly on his, letting their strands of hair touch each other. Just like that, she carried on eating, although her face was slightly redder than before.

"...I'll take that as a yes," said Issei, shrugging his shoulders as he carried on eating.

 **Read & Review~!**

 ** _(Really important Author Note below!)_**

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ : Alright guys, next chapter will be the tenth day of the treatment! I guess you know what that means!

On another note, thank you for all the reviews~! I'm literally jubilant at the over 23 reviews that I got on the last chapter! Thank you so much! At the same time, however, I know that keeping this amount per chapter is borderline impossible, but fear not, for I have some plans on my own.

You guys may not know, but starting today, I'm on vacations! This means more writing time! Now, I have something planned for this story. You see, as I said before, I love to read your opinions and review, no matter how shallow they are, and since I would I have more time, I came up with something while I was having dinner.

I suppose you guys would like to read more chapters? As such, I have a proposal. I'll regularly release 7 chapters per week, but at the same time, this number may increase! How? For every 20 reviews on a chapter, in the next day, there will be ONE more chapter! And, it can pile up to two chapters! This means that, for example, if I get 40 reviews on this chapter, tomorrow, there will be three chapters. At the same time, however, even if I get, I don't know, 80 reviews, there will still be only three chapters tomorrow, so it can only pile up to two extra chapters.

Still, there are some restrictions. Firstly, it doesn't count if the same person reviews TWICE or MORE on the SAME chapter. So, even if you submit a hundred reviews for a chapter, they will only count as ONE.

Second Rule: Please, don't go creating other accounts just to review more. (I don't know if anyone likes this story enough to read this, but who knows?) I'm not doing this to get a lot of reviews (Although it certainly does seem like it), but instead, because I love reading your opinions. As such, there will bring me no joy to read the same person's opinion twice on the same chapter. After all, it brings me no benefit whatsoever to have a lot of reviews on a chapter. I can't brag about it, since who will I brag to? I don't have any author friends of real life, and in this site, most of my friends will only congratulate me before I can even brag! As such, don't misunderstand, I'm not doing this just to get a lot of reviews! I only have some strange craving for reading reviews, and there's no hidden reason behind it.

Third Rule: It's like this. Imagine that in Monday, there are three chapters. On Tuesday, the maximum amount would be two. On Wednesday, the maximum would be three and on Thursday, it would once again become two. See the pattern? If a day has three chapters, the next one can only have two and if a day has two chapters, the next one can have three. So, for example, imagine that I wrote 3 chapters Monday, and summing all of it, I got over 45 reviews. On Tuesday, there will only be two chapters. However, if I get over 40 reviews on Tuesday, there will be three chapters on Wednesday.

So, for normal days (Which aren't preceded by a day with three chapters), each 20 reviews will add one chapter, for the maximum of two chapters. However, for days preceded by a day with three chapters, if it reaches 20 reviews, there will be another guaranteed chapter the next day, but that's it. Even if it reaches 50, there will only be two.

Finally, Fourth rule: On days with more than one chapter, there has to be a minimum of four reviews on each chapter for the previous rules to count. As such, imagine that I publish chapters 10, 11 and 12 tomorrow. Even if chapter 12 has over 40 reviews, if there are less than four reviews on chapters 10 and 11, there will be no extra chapters the next day. Why? Because, as I said, I want to know your opinions on each chapter, not to have a huge amount of reviews. As such, if I don't know your opinions on the other chapters, what's the point?

And, that's about it! Reason why I'm doing this: Since I have time, and well, in the Chinese novels I read, there's such a thing called Sponsored chapters, in which readers pay money for the translators to give extra chapters. Some stories require 40, others 50 and even 80 dollars for chapters. I wanted to do something similar, but not with money, but instead with reviews! After all, a review only takes ten seconds out of your day!

Anyhow, that's it! Thanks for your time! See you tomorrow with more chapters!


	10. Going Different Ways

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Going Different Ways**

* * *

Slowly, the days passed and before long, it was already the tenth day since the treatment had begun. Currently, Issei was with his arms extended, looking towards Xia Qingyue, who was peacefully laying on the bed. From the young boy's hands, the deep and mysterious power of the Sky Poison Pearl, coupled with the power of Vibrations erupted, making their way to the beautiful girl's body.

Soon, Issei could hear two distinctive sounds coming from her body. One of them was the result of her Profound Entrances opening, while the other one was the shattering of the extreme Yin qi accumulated in her meridians. Just like this, one hour passed.

…

"This should be enough," said Issei, as he retrieved his hands, canceling the power. With his Spirit Power, he could already sense that all of the extreme, harmful Yin qi had been eliminated, and her last Profound Entrance had opened. These two things marked the end of the treatment.

"Ah?" murmured Xia Qingyue in shock, as she turned around to meet Issei's gaze. "...Enough? You mean….?"

"That the treatment has ended," nodded Issei quietly, as he sat back on his chair, looking at Xia Qingyue with a complicated gaze. Within his dark-brown eyes, countless emotions flashed by, while his eyes kept growing darker by the second, as if he was in deep thought over something. After a while, he sighed, "This also means, that now… we must part ways."

"..."

Xia Qingyue kept quiet for a long time, looking at him deeply, her gaze completely focused on his dark-brown eyes, not saying a single word. After a while, she stood up from the bed, and slowly walked forward, before finally stopping in front of his bed.

"...Senior Sister Xia?" asked Issei puzzledly, wondering what the girl was doing. In the next moment, however, his eyes widened, as he was suddenly enveloped by Xia Qingyue's arms. The young girl hugged him tightly, and because of her abrupt movement, the chair that they were in fell down to the ground, but it seemed that neither of them had noticed it, as they were too engrossed in their emotions.

"...Don't go…," Xia Qingyue whimpered in Issei's ear, laying her head close to his. "Please…. don't go."

After hearing her plead, Issei slowly raised his arms and hugged her back, although his face still showed unwillingness. "I'm sorry, but… I can't go back with you."

"...Why?"

"I have a mission," explained Issei as he closed his eyes, a deep and profound expression on his face, "and it requires me to grow strong… If I follow you, I won't be able to go through that path."

"But, if…." Xia Qingyue tried to counter his words with some argument, but she couldn't find it in herself to continue speaking. She only laid there, embracing him tightly, as tears slowly flowed out her watery, clear eyes. Since the very start, she knew that this moment would come, but never, not even in her wildest dreams, would she have thought that it would have been so hard. She couldn't bear to part with him… she just wouldn't be able to live with his absence.

Sighing, Issei only shook his head slightly, hugging her closer, as he knew that no words would be able to solve this situation. Indeed, he wanted to go with her; just like her, he was unwilling to part ways, but deep inside, he knew that there was no other way. In order to grow strong, he needed to live through various experiences and life and death battles.. if he followed her, he wouldn't be able to go through all of that.

In the end, no matter how much he cared for the young girl, he still had an oath, and no matter what happened, he would not stray from his path. Once he swore that he would defy the Heavens, he would never go back on his words. He needed power, and the only way to acquire it would be through living life… without any sheltering.

He needed to risk his life, fight powerful enemies, clash against those stronger than himself, but, if he went to Xia Qingyue, even if he got a position in her powerful sect due to his talent, he wouldn't be able to take part in such experiences.

He understood this clearly, and yet.. he was still reluctant to go. The bonds that he had created with the young girl in these past ten days were something precious; something that he was unwilling to sever, but there was no other way. Cultivation was a path of loneliness, and since he knew that from the very start, he was already prepared to go along with it.

Submerging himself in such thoughts, Issei kept quiet for a long while, hugging the weeping girl tightly the entire time. Finally, he opened his eyes again, and they seemed to have a dimmer glow than before, as if he had parted with a precious part of his being.

"...Senior Sister Xia…," he murmured softly, his eyes wandering around before settling on the beautiful young girl by his side, with her beautiful visage centimeters away from his. Turning his head around, he also laid on the ground side-ways, making his face directly parallel of hers.

Peering deep into Xia Qingyue's dark, beautiful eyes, Issei smiled lightly. It was a sad smile, and at the same time, it was an incredibly beautiful one. It conveyed the feelings that he felt deep within his heart; reluctance, unwillingness, regret, sadness… and a deep and boundless infatuation, something that he had never showed anyone before.

Without a single word, under the surprised and teary gaze of the black-haired girl, he moved his head slowly, and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then, he moved his head down, and pecked her on the tip of her nose. Finally, after a fraction of hesitation, he brought his head down even further, and claimed her lips.

At that moment, it was as if time had stopped. The world had stood still, and existence itself had interrupted its continuous development, only for this moment to last longer. Initially, Xia Qingyue's eyes showed surprise, but soon, it became a deep and profound feeling of love, as she delved deeper into the kiss, returning the young boy's feeling with equal passion.

It's like they say, actions speak louder than words. Through their blissful and pure act of endearment, they exchanged feelings in an ethereal and mystical way. Hundreds of feeling were conveyed; so many that even thousands of words wouldn't suffice to describe them. At that moment, they were one with each other, and everything that they felt aligned together in a single feeling of deep and boundless affection for one another.

After a long time, Issei finally moved his head back, breaking apart the kiss. As of that moment, his gaze was no longer as dim, and seemed to contain an emotion that hadn't been there before. As for what that was, not even he knew.

"Senior Sister," smiled Issei lightly, as he gave her one final peck on the lip. The young girl's eyes were hazy, as she looked back at him unblinking, yearning for one another kiss; another peck… another _connection_. However, she knew that it would never come.

For a long time, all they did was to stare at one another, as both of them engraved the images of each other in their hearts, never to be forgotten. After a long time, Issei sighed one more time, as he slowly got up from the ground. Immediately, Xia Qingyue copied his actions, looking at him deeply and expectantly. He didn't say a single word, so she also wouldn't.

Now standing up, Issei's eyes glanced at the exit of the hut. Although the distance between them was only a few meters, in his eyes, he had never seen such a large and difficult distance. He knew that this would be one of the most difficult decisions of his life, but it had to be done.

"… Goodbye," murmured Issei, as he turned around, "my beautiful patient…."

He then started walking towards the door, but not even three steps later, he was forced to stop, as he was embraced from behind, Xia Qingyue's head pressed against his chest. In the following second, he could feel the area of his back growing wet…

"…Will we ever meet again?" murmured Xia Qingyue, as it took all of her self to ask those simple words. Her emotions were in a mess, her heart was in chaos, and she didn't know what was right and wrong anymore. All she knew was Issei, and only Issei.

"We will," turning around, Issei looked at Xia Qingyue firmly, and there wasn't any doubt in his words. He was certain of it. Even if it wasn't meant to happen, he would make it happen. "I promise."

As he said so, he waved his hands slightly, and produced a small bamboo straw from his cosmos sack. In the next moment, his hands shook faintly, and from within him, the power of vibrations surged forth, drilling deep into the bamboo, slowly changing its shape. Before long, it acquired the form of a small, beautiful heart. Following that, Issei's fingers moved slightly, cleanly cutting the heart in half.

"This is for you," said Issei, as he handed Xia Qingyue one half, while keeping the other one to himself. He smiled at her sadly, "When we meet again, we'll unite these pieces."

After saying so, he turned around, and this time, he didn't look back, nor was he held back. He only continued forward, walking deep into the forest. Unbeknownst to him, however, his eyes were no longer firm like they had been, and from their corners, small drops of tears flowed down.

This was the decision that he had chosen. He would pursue the path of cultivation, no matter how much it pained him.

…

…

…

Later that day, in a large mansion, situated in the Blue Wind Dragon City, a lean and healthy middle-aged man was looking outside of a window, his hands behind his back while his gaze was focused on the weeping skies. His eyes, that were normally sharp, were filled with melancholy and sadness, as he peered deep into the other side of the window.

"Xia Qingyue… my daughter, it has been a week… where are you…?" murmured the man, looking outside with deep and complex sadness. This man was Xia Hongyi, Xia Qingyue's father and a wealthy merchant, who had once been a cultivator in his younger days.

His appearance, although slightly wizened, was still mighty. His hair, which used to be of a deep black color in his youth, had slowly faded into a gray one, although it only made his appearance more striking. Between his brows, there was a deep feeling of power engraved, and the same feeling existed within his soul. This man had once been a powerful expert, but due to various reasons, was reduced to a small but wealthy merchant.

Ten days prior, he had gone home, only to find out that one of his two daughters had disappeared. Since then, he had spent no small amount of efforts and money, but no matter how much he tried, he was unable to find even a trance of the young girl.

"…My dear, it seems that I have failed you," sighed the man, as he gazed out of the window, his eyes filled with a lonesome feeling. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly stopped, as he caught sight of someone walking into his courtyard. This person walked slowly, and even limply, completely drenched in water, but that did nothing to contain her perfect and heavenly features.

"What?!" the man's eyes widened, as he ran over to the window. In the next moment, without hesitation, he pushed the windows opened and jumped down, falling directly to the ground and trenching his robes in the process. Xia Hongyi, however, turned a blind eye to it, as he hurried towards the weakened girl, who had a deep and entranced look in her eyes.

Immediately, he reached her, but at the same time, he didn't dare to touch her. He knew about her cultivation restrictions, and didn't want to disturb her progress by entering in contact with her. At the same time, however, he wasn't able to hide the worry in his voice, "My daughter… what happened? Are you alright?"

"..."

Xia Qingyue didn't say anything, only blankly staring ahead, as if she couldn't even see the man she called father. After a long time, she spoke, and her words were unbearably cold, even more than they had been when Issei first met her. "Father, bring me to Master… I need to speak with her."

"Ah?" Xia Hongyi's eyes widened, slightly surprised by the extra coldness in her tone, but didn't think too much into it. He then hurriedly nodded towards her, as he urged her to go into the house and dry herself. "Alright, I'll do that right away. But first, let's get you inside..."

Not even bothering to nod, Xia Qingyue only walked forward, in the house's direction, with her father staying by her side, looking at her deeply. At the same time, in her mind, the young girl only had one thought. She had decided that she would grow stronger; stronger than she could even imagine.

Since the boy she loved needed to be strong to fulfill his mission, she decided that she would be strong for him. She wanted to help him shoulder his burden, just like he had done with her. And, for that, she needed power. For him, she would grow strong.

Her objective, however, hadn't changed. She still wanted a reunited family, with a single difference … She wouldn't have it unless Issei was in it. Only with his presence could she consider it to be a true family.

 **Read an Review~!**

 **A/N: 7 reviews short of 40. So, two chapters today. If we reach Forty tomorrow, than expect three. On another note, if each of you leave one review for each chapter (one for ten and for eleven), then even if the same amount of people as yesterday review, there are going to be over 66 reviews, which means two extra chapters!**


	11. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Welcome Home**

* * *

 ** _There were two chapters today! This is the second!_**

After Issei exited the hut, leaving Xia Qingyue behind, he walked deeper into the forest, until he reached a distance far enough from the hut. There, he sat down and closed his eyes, sending his consciousness within his World Spirit Space. Immediately, in front of his eyes, a huge palace appeared, followed by a long corridor.

"Eggy…," murmured Issei, as he walked towards her room. Opening it, he found her laying on the vast plain of grass, a downcast look on her face. Walking over to her, he sat down at her side.

"Hey," said Issei, not bothering to look at her, and instead gazing far into the distance of the artificial world. "Is everything alright?"

Ever since Issei had established the contract with Eggy, a sort of link had been created between them, which allowed them to faintly feel the other person's emotion. As such, Issei could clearly feel the cold and dark cloud that hung above her heart.

"...It's nothing," murmured Eggy as she shook her head slightly, unwilling to look at Issei. Within her, there were thousands of emotions swirling, and she didn't know how she should go about it. She had seen with her own two eyes as Issei displayed his affection towards Xia Qingyue, and for some reason or another, she felt… a very ugly feeling welling up within her. Every time she recalled him kissing the girl, her hands would clench into fists, and it took every effort of her being to not scream out it anger.

She knew that she had feeling for the young boy; after spending six months with him inside the cave in the Asura Spiritual World, that was something bound to happen. However, she didn't know the sheer depth of her feelings… just the thought of seeing Issei with another woman made her mad with anger.

At the same time, however, she couldn't really act on Issei now. He had already made clear that he held feelings for Xia Qingyue… this meant that she had been too late. As far as she knew, the boy she loved was taken, and she just couldn't resign herself to that fact. It annoyed her. Immensely.

"Eggy, about before..." said Issei, trying to say something, but no words came to his mind. He simply didn't know where or how he should start; he had never been through such a situation before in his life, nor did he ever think that something like that would ever happen. "...Eggy..."

Once more, Issei tried to muster up some courage, but still couldn't bring himself to explain the situation. The problem was that he knew that Eggy had feeling for him, and he had to admit that he felt the same towards her. The problem, however, was that he was also attracted to Xia Qingyue, and he just couldn't decide himself.

Both of the girls had been kind to him, and he loved them equally, even though didn't display his affections as much with Eggy, as he had some lingering fear towards her, and most specifically, her power, that although gone, still frightened him. He loved them both, and just couldn't bring himself to choose between them.

He never thought that the simple act of saving the girl on whim had lead to this, but now that it was done, it couldn't be reverted. And, to be truthful, even if it could, Issei knew that in the end, he wouldn't go back on what he had done. Sure, he may have not chosen the best path, but that was still his path. It didn't matter if it was right or good.

In the end, Issei only sat there, staring far into the horizon, his head muddled with thousands of thoughts. After some time, he finally sighed, as he brought his head to the side, looking directly at Eggy. Coincidentally, she had also done the same thing at the same time, and the result was them peering into each other eyes.

They kept their eyes locked onto each other for a long time, and no one spoke a single world, as they transmitted their emotions simply by their eyes. Eggy showed pain, betrayal and unwillingness, while Issei displayed solely sadness and a tad bit of regret.

After a while, Issei finally took the initiative to speak, as he could see that with things as they were, no problem would be solved. The best option would be to man-up and face his problem head-on. He didn't want to escape and hide from his problems anymore; he needed to be direct and precise, or else they would only haunt him in his dreams.

"Eggy, I don't know how to say this, but…," begun Issei, using his newfound determination to empower his words, and keep himself from stuttering at this crucial moment. "I may hold feelings for Xia Qingyue, but at the same time, I also..."

Before Issei could finish, Eggy did an action that surprised him greatly. She pounced forward, and locked her lips on Issei's, shutting him up completely. Her eyes were closed, and her beautiful body was pressing against his, as she sealed his last words.

As for Issei, he looked at her in shock for a long time, before he slowly gave in, also delving deeper into the kiss. They stayed like this for a long time, before Eggy suddenly broke it, leaving a trail of saliva connecting their mouths. Her eyes suddenly opened, and stared at him with care and boundless infatuation.

Seeing her look, Issei also looked back at her, also conveying his feelings. The two of them didn't say anything; they only stared at each other for a long period of time, before Eggy suddenly smiled brightly, all of her past worries and doubts long since gone.

"Ne, Issei?" asked Eggy cutely, as she gently moved over to the place behind the young boy, before embracing him from the back, her head resting against the crook of his neck cutely. "Can you promise me something?"

"Of course," Issei murmured softly, letting his body fall into her soft and warm embrace. "You can ask me anything, Eggy."

Nodding slightly, Eggy revealed her beautiful smile, as she pecked Issei lightly on the cheek, "Just promise me that you won't forget me… that even if you find more lovers, you will not leave me behind..."

The words Eggy had spoken came from the bottom of her heart, and it really took a great deal of effort for her to say them. She clearly desired to have Issei alone, but more than anything, she just didn't want to lose him. She had decided that as long as he didn't forget about her, everything would be fine.

Since she was young, Eggy had never had anyone to rely on. The amount of times she had met her parents was pitifully small, and could be counted in a single hand. She had been taught cultivation at the age of two, and had been practicing ever since. She had never had any friends, family or anyone to rely on… she was always lonely. However, at the hardest period of her life, Issei had finally appeared, bringing a new light to her entire world. He had become her focus; her essence and her world. He had saved her from the abyss, he had showed her what it meant to care and be cared for… it could be said that Eggy, in terms of dependence, needed Issei even more than Xia Qingyue.

In the end of it all, even though Eggy was still unwilling to share, as long as she wouldn't lose her light, her world, she could live with it. This didn't meant that she would accept other woman; this only meant that she would be able to not kill them, should they come. After all, such action would most likely tarnish Eggy's precious relationship with Issei.

As for the young boy, object of the love of two beautiful and kind females, he didn't even need to think about her question; the answer was already clear to him. With determination that could shake the world, and the utmost certainty, Issei nodded, "Eggy, no matter what happens, you'll always be in my heart."

In one night, Issei had vowed twice. One of them was for the beautiful Xia Qingyue, while the other one was for the heavenly Eggy. The first vow would be to meet again in the future, while the second one would be to never forget the other. This two vows, although seemingly small, meant the whole world to the two girls.

…

…

…

After Issei had settled the matter with Eggy, he exited the World Spirit Space, and went back to the forest, his feelings already stabilizing. He didn't know how he would proceed in his relationship with Xia Qingyue and Eggy, but that was a matter for the future. At the moment, there were other things that require his immediate attention.

First of all, he had a visit to pay. Issei was planning on going into secluded meditation, and he didn't know how long it would last. It could be days, months or even years. As such, before he did anything, he needed to first settle some matters, or else his heart would not be able to move on. Once more, he opened his eyes, and from within, a spark of lightning flashed. In the next moment, his figure disappeared from that spot, as if he had never been there.

…

…

…

Within the Azure Province, back in the continent of the Nine Provinces, there was a small yet prosperous city, called the Azure Tiger City. In the very center of it, surrounded by houses and fields, was a large castle.

Inside the castle, with a forlorn look in his eyes, was a man that gazed outside the window, staring at the star-less sky deeply. This man had long gray hair, along with gray eyes, that seemed to contain boundless wisdom and power. This man's aura was of the peak of the Sky Profound Realm, and he was the mayor of the Azure Tiger City, and the only vampire in the Profound Sky Continent. He was none other than Shinso, Issei's foster father and master.

Previously, Shinso had been an active and easy-going man, but ever since the destruction of the Heavenly Might School, he never laughed nor smiled, not even once. His face would always be monotone and stoic, and even if the entire world collapsed in front of him, he wouldn't bat an eye.

He knew that Issei was alive; the kid wouldn't die in a place like that. The problem was that he didn't know where he was, and he worried for his safety. Shinso, however, never searched for him. He knew that if Issei wanted to be found, he would come to him himself. As such, he waited, day after day, until he would finally meet with his disciple and adopted child.

"I guess he isn't coming today either," sighed Shinso, as he turned around from the window, sitting down in his chair in his study. Every night, he would wait until dawn for the young boy, hoping to see him, but it had already been more than one year, and he had never appeared. At the same time, however, even while faced with such low prospects, Shinso wasn't dispirited. He was immortal; he could wait for as long as it took.

Just as Shinso was about to grab the book on top of his table, he suddenly stopped, and his eyes shimmered in disbelief, which then turned into joy and happiness. He didn't say anything, and only continued his actions, grabbing the book and starting to read it as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, from Shinso's window, a shadow walked inside the large study, before casually walking over to the table, sitting in the chair opposite of Shinso, gazing quietly at the handsome, gray-haired man.

For a long time, Shinso didn't say anything as he kept reading his book. After a while, he sighed slightly, as he brought the book down, coming face to face with the dark-brown haired boy that he had adopted long ago.

Smiling lightly, Shinso said with a serene and calm voice, "Welcome home."

 **Read and Review~!**


	12. Friendly Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Friendly Reunion**

* * *

 **(First chapter of the day.)**

Looking at the man in front of him, which would be his foster father and master, Issei couldn't help but to smile lightly at his acting. Issei could see that he was excited, but at the same time, he was trying his hardest to contain it. Shaking his head, Issei said, "I'm home… Shinso."

Following that, Shinso got up from his chair and looked at him with the affection a master would have for their disciple. He then stood by Issei's chair, and motioned for him to follow him. Finally, both of them left the study and strolled around the castle, talking all the way.

"So, mind telling me what happened after the incident at Heavenly Might School?" asked Shinso, glancing slightly at the brown-haired boy. He had to admit, although it had only been one year and a half since they had last seen each other, Issei had truly grown.

Previously, on the day he left, he could easily be mistaken for a girl, and seemed frail and weak. Now, however, he was undoubtedly manly, much more so than many his age, and had a wild and powerful look to him that could only be acquired through experience. It was obvious that he had been through a lot the time they had been away.

"Nothing much," Issei smiled faintly as he shook his head, "only some stuff here and there."

"I see…," Shinso nodded, clearly knowing how much of a lie that was. Aside from the change in the young boy's appearance, it seemed as if his cultivation base had been reverted back to the very start, but no matter how Shinso thought of it, his instincts kept telling him that compared to before, the boy was a hundred, if not a thousand times more dangerous. "Some stuff here and there, you say?"

"Yes," nodded Issei slightly, as they turned around the corner. "Nothing really worth mentioning… However, I'm more interested in what has been happening since I left… any news?"

"Oh, there has been some interesting events," smiled Shinso wickedly, as he thought back to what had happened recently. Turning around to face Issei, he asked, "Do you remember Sayla?"

"Obviously," Issei nodded, clearly aware of the name of the first servant of Shinso that he had met. Sayla was a half-human half-vampire, transformed by Shinso, with long hair and a pretty face. She also had a rather entertaining personality… Issei remembered that clearly. "What about her?"

"Well, she has..." begun Shinso, as his lecherous smile grew wider, "married Yen!"

"Yen?" Issei widened his eyes in surprise, recalling Shinso's other servant from memory. He was a rather swarthy man, with medium height, black-hair and black eyes, with his left eye covered by his hair. He always had a stoic and serious attitude, something that Issei clearly remembered. "I see… well, that's… unexpected."

At that point, Issei couldn't help but to be astonished. Since the very first day he arrived, he could always tell that Sayla had feelings for Shinso… could it be that something changed? It seemed as if some really important things had happened while he was away….

"Yeah, I was also surprised," replied Shinso, as he also adopted a thoughtful expression. After a while, he only sighed slightly, a smile on his handsome and rugged face, "Well, that's that… Aside from that, not much has happened, really."

"Oh?" Issei turned around to look at Shinso, a nasty look in his face, "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't hooked up with anyone? I'm surprised..."

"Shut the hell up, kid," growled Shinso, as he slightly flicked his fingers at Issei's forehead, which didn't face the boy in the least. Seeing that, Shinso resorted to his only weapon, "It's not like you can say anything… You're only a child! You haven't even kissed yet!"

"Ah…?" hearing that comment, the grin in Issei's face grew wider, as he revealed a feral and lecherous look, much alike Shinso's. "Oh yeah, I guess that something did happen…."

"What?!" Shinso immediately stopped in his tracks, as he looked at Issei in pure astonishment and surprise. The meaning behind his words was clear, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Such a concept, to the old vampire, was truly foreign. "You mean…?"

"Yup," smirked Issei, as he raised his hand proudly, two fingers straightened up. He didn't say a single word after that, but his actions were enough to get the message across. Shinso clearly received as he looked back and forth between Issei and his fingers in disbelief. After a while, he revealed an expression of proudness.

"So you have chosen to follow my teachings…" said Shinso as he nodded approvingly. "That proves it… you are the best disciple I have ever had."

"And the only one, you should add," smiled Issei, as he carried on talking with his surrogate father. Normally, he would never act so free, but with Shinso, the man who had introduced him to this world, he could be completely free, without a single worry. There was no need for restraints or anything of the sort.

…

…

…

"…Is that really Issei?" murmured Eggy in disbelief, as she watched the scenes from Issei's World Spirit Space. No matter how she thought of it, she couldn't connect this easy-going and smiling boy to the calm and collected killer she had always been with. They seemed like two completely different people. "That man…. Just who is he to cause Issei to change so much?"

Eggy was clearly surprised, but at the same time, she was glad. She had been noticing that Issei rarely laughed, and smiled like he was having fun. Even when he would smile, it would either be a calm smile or a sad one. This was probably the first or second time that she had ever seen such an expression on the young boy's face, and she had to admit that it was a nice breath of fresh air.

She cared for him, deeply, and it brought her joy to see him acting so freely, without a care in the world. However, she knew that this moment wouldn't last long, for his stay there was predestined to be short from the very start. Soon, Issei would once again enter secluded meditation, and it would be entirely up to her make sure that he stayed cheered up.

"...I have to admit, he does look good when he smiles," suddenly murmured Eggy, as she realized how handsome the boy became every time he expressed happiness. His face grew brighter, and his expression always carried a wild and alluring powerful force to it, something that certainly charmed the young World Spirit.

…

…

…

Meanwhile, within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine was also watching the scene, but her expression maintained stoic the entire time, without a change in expression. Her attention, although still focused on Issei, was still a little on Shinso.

Even though she was only looking at him from a projection, because of her high-sensitivity towards Spiritual Power, she could easily sense that the man was no human. He was a vampire, and that very fact surprised her, since it was more than rare for vampires to mingle with humans, let alone have such deep and friendly bonds.

"That vampire… although it seems as if he's only in the Sky Profound Realm, that's not really the case," murmured Jasmine, as she gazed analytically at Shinso, her deep onyx-eyes peering into his every secret. "His true cultivation is sealed… how interesting…."

The young red-head could easily sense that Shinso possessed a seal on his true powers. Not only that, it was no simple seal… it was an impossibly difficult one to cast, and even more complicated to break. Given the complexity and power of the seal, she was able to determine that at the very least, it sealed more than two realms of his cultivation base. As for the maximum… even she couldn't determine without a closer inspection.

"This boy, he truly is lucky," Jasmine shook her head helplessly, "disgustingly lucky, I say."

…

…

…

After walking around the mansion for some hours, engaging in casual conversation, Shinso finally stopped, as he gazed at Issei, a serious look on his face, "Issei, I have a question… I believe that you have come here because you won't be able to visit for a long time, is that right?"

"Yes," nodded Issei, clearly not surprised by Shinso's spot-on deduction.

"Then… how long are you planning to stay? A few minutes, hours, or…?"

"Hours," said Issei sadly, as he shook his head. He had only come to pay Shinso one last visit, and to set the old vampire's heart at ease. Issei was in a hurry to enter secluded meditation, and it should be done as soon as possible. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave soon…"

"It doesn't matter," smiled Shinso as he shook his head, "I only wanted to be sure that you're alright… now I can finally calm down..."

Reaching that far, Shinso looked around the mansions briefly, before looking back at Issei, "Would you like me to call for them, or….?"

"No need," Issei shook his head. "Just tell them that I'm alright, and that should be fine. It has been so long… it wouldn't be wise to reunite with the rest under such hurried circumstances. When I have more time, I'll be sure to come back."

"Alright," nodded Shinso as he smiled bitterly, "we can wait, after all. As long as it takes. We live forever, after all..."

"I know," nodded Issei, thereupon shaking his head. He then glanced outside of the window and towards the moon, before turning back to look at Shinso. "Right now, I..."

"Go," smiled Shinso as he opened up the window. He knew what he wanted to say, and simply ended the difficult sentence for him. "You know where to find us..."

"En," nodded Issei as he took a step forward. He then reached the window, and just as he was about to jump out, he suddenly stopped and grinned at Shinso mischievously. "Next time I come, I'm expecting a new mother..."

Before Shinso could even reply, he jumped down, disappearing into the night. As for Shinso, he merely stood in place, slightly baffled by Issei's last words, before sighing slightly, shaking his head and murmuring something about 'troublesome'.

Walking back to his study, he opened the door and sat down in his chair, picking up the book that he had been reading when Issei arrived. After a bit of searching, he found the page where he had stopped, and carried on reading, as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, however, there was a clear difference to the gray-haired vampire. His face, that was constantly set in stone-cold expression suddenly relaxed, giving birth to the faintest of smiles, as he could finally be at peace again, knowing that his adopted child and disciple was truly alright.

...

...

...

"Issei, stop for a moment."

Just as Issei was about to continue his travel, Jasmine's words rang in his mind. Immediately, the brown-haired boy stopped in his tracks. "Jasmine? Something wrong?"

"There is something I have been meaning to tell you," began Jasmine slowly, her face still set on her cold and stoic expression, as she gazed at Issei from within the Sky Poison Peal. "Do you remember Xia Qingyue's special body? The 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'."

"Oh? Yes," Issei nodded, thinking back to the extremely unfair power, which even he envied. "...What about it?"

"There's a method for you to obtain it," said Jasmine, as her face kept as stoic as ever. "And it's a very simple one..."

Immediately upon hearing Jasmine's words, Issei's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Obtaining the 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'?! This would be simply perfect for his cultivation! If he had such power, his talent, that was already unbelievably high, would become even more heaven-defying. Instantly, Issei asked Jasmine with boundless anticipation, "How?!"

"You only need to...," began Jasmine slowly, quickly continuing soon after, "absorb that Xia girl's primordial Yin energy. That's it."

"Absorb her Primordial Yin energy...?" repeated Issei, slightly dazed at her words. Soon, however, his eyes widened, as he realized what that implied. Women were naturally born with a Primordial Yin energy, while man were born with a Primordial Yang energy. And, there was only one way for another person to absorb that energy. "Doesn't that mean that I would have to..."

"Have sex with her," concluded Jasmine with the same expression as always. "If you take her vital virginity, then you will naturally gain her 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'."

"..."

For a long time, Issei was speechless, and couldn't bring himself to say anything. After a while, he only sighed and said, "Thanks for telling me, Jasmine."

The red-haired girl didn't say anything in return, and only kept quiet, silently observing the boy, who seemed to be in deep thought over the information he had just acquired. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Issei shook his head and continued on his travel. It was not the time to think about such matters... he could think about that later on in the future.

 **Read & Review~!**


	13. Reaping The Rewards

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Reaping The Rewards**

* * *

 **(Second chapter of the day.)**

After Issei finished talking with Jasmine, he didn't directly head towards the Blue Wind Nation's territory. Before he went there, there was one more thing that needed to be done. Before long, Issei arrived in front of the ruins of what had previously been a grand school.

Heavenly Might School.

The whole area around the ruins of the school was sealed off by a white-colored Spirit Formation, the likes of which Issei could easily trespass. With a single wave of his hands, the Spirit Formation opened, and he stepped inside, closing it behind him.

Now, inside the school, Issei closed his eyes and sent his Spirit Power to fill the entire territory of the school, searching for something. Before long, he sensed a high agglomeration of spiritual power, just beneath what had been the mansion of the headmaster.

"There it is," said Issei, as he opened his eyes, his sight set in the space in front of him, directly towards the ruined mansion. Lightning then flashed in his eyes, and he disappeared from sight. All that could be seen was a blue streak, running across the huge territory of the school, with extreme speeds.

Before long, Issei arrived at the place where his final battle against the Headmaster had taken place, along with the area where he took the lives of most of his friends. Sighing slightly, Issei lowered his arms, and flicked his fingers.

"Explode."

The ground beneath Issei shattered, as it was completely pierced and destroyed by his one hundred strands of vibrating spiritual power, which exploded everything in it's sight. This was the true nature of Vibrations; destruction itself. Previously, when he was healing Xia Qingyue, he had been forced to suppress the boundless and tyrannical power, but now that he didn't need to hold back, only utter and pure destruction laid in his sight.

Issei then looked into the crater that he had made, and noticed that it still wasn't deep and wide enough. Bringing his had down once more, he murmured, "Explode."

This time, the strands of spiritual power came with double the power, enlarging the crater length and depth-wise by a large amount. This, however, still wasn't enough to Issei. From his guesses, if it continued like this, it would take a little more than one hour to reach the point he desired.

Sighing, Issei raised both of his arms up in the air and took a step back, concentrating on the Spirit power within him. In the next moment, in front of Issei, an invisible stream of energy started to agglomerate in the air, swirling and recoiling, just like gusts of winds, slowly solidifying in a whitened spirit formation.

Looking at his creation, Issei took a few more steps back to make sure, before bringing his arms down with full power, his Spirit Formation coming crashing against the ground along with it. In the next moment, the sound of an explosion rang out, as the entire Spirit Formation burst in a torrent of Spirit power, that completely shattered the ground beneath.

Spirit Formations had thousands of uses. Some could be used for protection, while other for stealth and even for concealment. Their uses and powers all depended on the imagination, something that Issei had plenty of. The Spirit Formation that he had just used belong to a branch of the attack-type ones.

"This should be enough," said Issei, as he walked over and peered deep within the crater he had created, looking at the structure of rocks underneath. Obviously, there was something aside from earth down there. "Well then, time to reap the rewards..."

Issei then jumped down into the hole, cleanly falling onto the rock surface underneath. In the next moment, he crouched down and placed his hand against the floor made of rocks, searching for something. Before long, he found something that seemed to be a hole.

Immediately upon finding out what he wanted, Issei waved his sleeves and produced a small key from his cosmos sack. Bringing the key down, he placed it on the whole and turned it. In the following moment, a rumbling sound filled the air, as in the surface next to Issei, a small hole, just large enough for an adult to pass, appeared.

Storing his key back, Issei jumped into the hole with no hesitation, instantly falling into a dark room, without a single illumination. Seeing that, Issei activated his Lightning Incarnation mode, which allowed him to see in the dark, and looked around the area, an excited look on his face.

Surrounding him on all sides were piles upon piles of Nascent Beads, spirit grass and even other kinds of rare cultivation resources, including True Beads, which were a grade above Nascent Beads. Seeing the huge amount of treasures, a greedy look appeared in Issei's eyes as he waved his hands.

As if a gust of wind has passed through the area, all of the cultivation resources in the room suddenly disappeared out of sight, appearing within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl in the next moment. Smiling lightly, Issei dusted off his clothes before jumping up, exiting the room.

Once Issei was out of the underground storage room, he turned around and walked away, exiting the territory of the Heavenly Might School and returning to the Blue Wind Nation, as if nothing had happened.

Previously, when he had killed the headmaster, he had looked into his cosmos sack, and saw information regarding the secret storage of cultivation resources of the school, along with the location and the key. However, at the time, he had been crippled, and was unable to reach it. Now, however, with his cultivation restored, he could finally come back and reap the rewards.

As for cultivation resources, although Issei had no need for them anymore, as he could already cultivate normally, it wouldn't be bad to have some around for him to use, in case he was needing some. Not only that, they were only harmful if used excessively. If used once in a while, there was no problem at all, and could even be considered beneficial.

Obviously, during his period of secluded cultivation, he would need cultivation resources once in a while, and Issei wasn't about to waste his hard-earned money on such things. He had killed a lot of people for them, after all… Issei considered it to be his treasure.

By nature, Issei always had a greedy personality, which was demonstrated by his constant looting of corpses, no matter how invaluable. As someone who had once been a slave, living in ultimate poverty, now that he had the chance, he couldn't help but to want to accumulate large amounts of wealth. It wasn't his fault; only his origins could be blamed.

…

…

…

A couple hundreds of kilometers away from the Blue Wind Dragon City, and the forest in which Issei resided, there was a large mountain range, called the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range. It covered a large territory, and according to the rumors, on the highest area of the mountain range, there was a powerful red dragon, who had taken that place as its residence. That was where the name had also come from.

The mountain range was large, and in one of its areas, there was a small clearing. The atmosphere was quiet, and there were no animals in sight. Suddenly, however, a streak of blue flashed, and in the next second, a young boy magically appeared in the middle of the clearing.

This youth was no other than Issei, and he had traveled all the way to the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, which was quite far from the Blue Wind Dragon City, in other to be able to cultivate in silence. The area was dangerous, with various profound beasts, and very few people traveled through there, let alone live there. As such, Issei had chosen it as his new residence.

"This area should do," nodded Issei as he looked around. After a while, he sat down in the ground, and laid a concealment Spirit Formation around him, which also served to block the sounds from the exterior, allowing him to cultivate in complete silence. "Alright, now all that's left..."

Issei then waved his hands, and sword after sword appeared in front of him. All of those could be considered treasures, even in great sects, and the less valuable one was as powerful as an Earth Profound weapon, which was suitable to cultivators of the Earth Profound Realm, the fifth realm of cultivation.

This rank of weapon, however, was used by cultivators of the Sky Profound Realm and the Emperor Profound Realm, as Earth Profound Weapons were already extremely rare, and only great sects would have a few Sky Profound weapons. As for Emperor Profound weapons, it was unknown whether they existed in the Blue Wind Nation or not.

And, this was only the worth of the weakest of the hundreds of swords in front of Issei. As for the strongest, there was no way to determine its rank, but it was, at the very least, higher than an Emperor Profound weapon.

This weapons, obviously, were the ones he had acquired in Li Xiaodie's, the Asura World Spirit that had battled with Eggy, cosmos sack. To the mighty World Spirit, those kinds of swords were only relatively good, as his realm, which to Issei was still considered unfathomable, was far above them.

Now, this group of swords, in which the weakest of them was enough to cause a large sect to go crazy, were all going to be Issei's test subjects. He was prepared to polish his skills in creating Divine Weapons with them.

For his training, Issei had already decided what he would focus on. In this period of secluded meditation, Issei was determined to enter the last stage of bodily transformations, the Pulse Condensation period, and begin cultivating in the ways of the profound. Along with that, he had various other objectives.

First of all, he would improve his swordsmanship skills, and maybe even come up with a style of his own. Not only that, he would also indulge himself in learning Li Xiaodie's styles of fighting, which included using various swords at the same time as flying swords and controlling each of them individually using thought. There were thousands of formation to do so, and Issei was planning on researching every and each of them. The biggest his skill repertoire, the better.

Secondly, he would also increase his understatement over his two Daos, the Dao of Lightning and his Dao of Vibrations, which would be improved through the constant use of the 'Flow like Silk' strength training. Not only that, he would also further immerse himself in the memories he had gained from the Magic Cube, and see if there was anything else he could learn, aside from his cultivation skill.

All in all, it could be said that the moment Issei emerged from his secluded cultivation, he would be a completely different person. He would be much more _deadly_ above all, much more powerful. When he finished this period of cultivation, although he would still be far from achieving his dream, he would still be one step closer to defying the Heavens!

With such thoughts in mind, Issei sat down and grabbed the first sword, immediately beginning the process of creating Divine Weapons.

This marked the start of his secluded cultivation period!

 **Read & Review~!**


	14. Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins**

* * *

 **(Third chapter of the day.)**

While Issei begun his secluded cultivation, in another place, back in the Blue Wind Dragon City, a young girl with heaven-defying beauty was looking at a woman, who seemed to be in her mid to late twenties, and also one of the most beautiful woman in the Blue Wind Nation, Chu Yueli.

This woman, Chu Yueli, was considered as one of the strongest masters of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, which was known as the second most powerful sect of the Blue Wind Nation, second only to the Heavenly Sword Villa, and above the Xiao Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan. Those four sects were called the overlords of the Blue Wind Nation, and all of them were far more powerful than the Blue Wind Royal Family, the ruler in-name of the Blue Wind Nation.

Chu Yueli's status in her sect, the Frozen Cloud Asgard, was special, as not only was she part of the strongest group of masters of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the Seven Fairies, her sister was Chu Yuechan, the head of the Seven Fairies and also the woman recognized as the most beautiful woman in the Blue Wind Nation.

Not only was Chu Yueli powerful, but she was also of astonishing beauty, capable of charming the heart of any man. Her beauty, however, still paled in front of her student, who although being younger than her by many years, and not being in the peak of her beauty, surpassed her by a large margin.

"Qingyue, my disciple, why have you called me so soon?" asked Chu Yueli, as she gazed at her treasured apprentice, Xia Qingyue. The young girl was a talent like no other, and was an absolute genius. However, she couldn't help but to wonder why her treasured disciple had suddenly called her over.

Previously, she had told Xia Qingyue to stay a few days with her father, as she had some matters related to cultivation to attend to, and would be back in three weeks or so. The day before, however, she had suddenly received a message, telling her that her disciple was calling for her. Since her matter was basically finished, and it had taken less time than she had imagined, she hurried over, wondering what she had to tell her.

As for Xia Qingyue herself, she looked at Chu Yueli quietly for a long time before she suddenly thought back to the brown-haired boy. In the next moment, determination filled her eyes as she uttered a string of words that shocked and at the same time brought great joy to Chu Yueli.

"I would like to… begin my closed doors training," said Xia Qingyue without an ounce of hesitation. "I have waited long enough. It's time."

"...What?" asked Chu Yueli in shock, completely astonishment upon hearing her disciple's words. Previously, she had discussed the matters of closed-door training with her before, but she had been reluctant, saying that she still had some matter to attend to. Now, however, she suddenly decided to go along with it! How could she not be surprised!?

"Are you sure about this…?" tried to confirm Chu Yueli, wondering if the girl was in her right state of mind. "You know that once it starts, it can't be interrupted….? It can also last for many months, even years… are you truly sure?"

Although Chu Yueli would normally be happy upon hearing such words, she couldn't help but to think that something was wrong with the young girl. Not only was Xia Qingyue's gaze much colder than usual, and her disposition seemed to contain something that hadn't been there before, although not even Chu Yueli could figure out what it was.

"I'm sure," nodded Xia Qingyue with utmost confidence. From the look in her eyes, it was obvious that she had already thought it over, and was completely aware of what her decision implied. Seeing that, Chu Yueli merely shook her head slightly.

"Alright, then so be it," the beautiful woman said slightly, before turning her gaze towards the door. "Say goodbye to your father. We leave in a five minutes."

Chu Yueli then turned around, but before she could walk three steps, Xia Qingyue's cold and stoic voice stopped her.

"I have already done so. We can leave right now."

Stopping in her tracks, Chu Yueli turned around to look at Xia Qingyue in surprise before nodding, and without a single word, she walked back and grabbed Xia Qingyue's arm, prepared to take her with her to Frozen Cloud Asgard, so they could begin the closed-door cultivation process.

However, the moment her hand touched Xia Qingyue's jade-like wrist, her eyes widened, as she revealed an expression of utmost astonishment, immediately drawing her hand back like a frightened cat.

"I-Impossible…. Impossible…! How can this be?!"

Her eyes were widened, and she was staring at Xia Qingyue with utter disbelief, like she had seen a ghost. As for the young girl, she only stood in her spot, both surprised and puzzled at her master's reaction, clearly not understanding the reason behind it.

"…Master? What has happened?" inquired Xia Qingyue, looking at her master with uncertainty. She hadn't done anything, had she? So why did Chu Yueli act so surprised the moment she grabbed her wrist…?

Her answer, however, was quickly answered.

"Qingyue…," began Chu Yueli as she forcefully suppressed her emotions, stabilizing her mind and heart, making sure that she could think straight. After a while, she took in a deep breath and gave her disciple a thoughtful look, "Do you remember what profound entrances are?"

"Yes," Xia Qingyue said plainly, not really understanding where her master was getting at. Could it be that something had happened to her profound entrances….?

"Then, do you have any idea how hard it is to open one?" inquired Chu Yueli as she quickly added, "It is impossibly hard. Unbelievably so, and the amount of people that have managed to open theirs are as rare as Dragons and Phoenixes… and yet… you..."

Reaching that point, Chu Yueli had to take a deep breath once more before she could continue. "Your profound entrances...all Fifty Four of them are opened!"

Instantly, Xia Qingyue's eyes widened. She clearly remembered that she had only a couple dozen of them open naturally, and she couldn't think of anything else that could have happened to trigger such an event. She only stood there, looking at Chu Yueli dazedly.

However, her eyes widened in the next moment, as she thought back to a certain brow-haired boy that claimed to be the best medic in the world. Her heart suddenly started to beat faster, as an insane thought flashed through her mind. Could it be…

"Qingyue, let me tell you this," Chu Yueli came closer to her disciple, not noticing her inner emotions. "In that split moment I touched your wrist, I sensed that all of your Profound Entrances had been opened… permanently! Not only that, they were opened flawlessly, with no imperfections! Do you know what this means? Even Milady, in order to open seven profound entrances, took over a century! And, at the moment, she only has thirty of them opened. Not only that, the number of people in the Blue Wind Nation with so many profound entrances opened cannot surpass five!

"The fact that all of your profound entrances are opened.. all of your Fifty Four Profound Entrances…. is what is rumored in the legends to be the 'Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins'! According to the ancient legends, only Gods could possess such precious veins! In the entire Profound Sky Continent, and even in the nations surrounding it… you are most likely the only one to have achieved such a level!"

As she said so, she grabbed onto Xia Qingyue's wrist one more, and stared deep into her onyx-eyes unblinkingly. "Do you know what this implies? Your cultivation speed is going to be much faster than everyone's else! It will even be twice as fast as Milady's, and more than five times faster than normal cultivators!"

Chu Yueli suddenly stopped and once more took in a deep breath, looking at her disciple with unprecedented seriousness. "Tell me, Qingyue… just what happened in the days I was gone? Just what sort of heavenly luck fell upon you?!"

The young girl, however, was no longer listening to Chu Yueli's words. By this point, she was already completely certain of what had happened. During the treatment of her extreme Yin qi, Issei had also done the impossible, and perfectly opened her profound entrances! That was the only explanation!

And, now that she thought back of all that Issei had done for her, her passion only grew stronger, as the flames of love within her heart started to burn brighter, her eyes shimmering with determination! Issei had gifted her with a heaven-defying physique… and she would definitely use it to become stronger! And, in the future, she would use it to protect him!

"Master…," began Xia Qingyue after a long time. She was uncertain of whether she should tell her master the truth or not, but in the end, opted not to. If Issei's ability was known by many, she knew that what would await the young boy would not be fame and power, but instead, hardships, as he would most likely be forced by various sects to use his ability. As such, Xia Qingyue could only cover up the truth. "… I met with a Senior Cultivator during these days… he was the one who helped me."

"Ah?" Chu Yueli's eyes widened in surprise. Although she was already expecting such words, actually hearing them was a completely different thing! Someone capable of opening all Fifty Four Profound Entrances and activating the status of Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins?! Just what sort of power expert was that?! "Then… would it be possible for you to take master to him or her? I would really like to meet with the one who did it."

Xia Qingyue's response, however, shattered all her hopes.

"I'm sorry, Master, but he has already departed…."

"Then, what about his name?" Chu Yueli pressed on, clearly unwilling to let the matter go.

"He didn't tell me," lied Xia Qingyue without hesitation. She definitely didn't want to bring trouble to Issei, and she would make sure that no harm would befall him, even if it meant to lie to her master. "I don't even know how he looks like… he was cloaked the entire time. He could even have been a woman."

After hearing such words, Chu Yueli turned even more dispirited, knowing that if this truly was the situation, then her chances of roping in such a master to her sect would be impossible. At the very end, she couldn't help but to ask, "Then, did he or she give you something? Like, some way that you could use to communicate with him…?"

"No," stated Xia Qingyue firmly, but at the same time, she couldn't help but slightly move her hand towards her neck, slightly caressing the pendant that adorned her jade-like skin. It was simple, and was made of bamboo, crafted in what seemed to be one half of a heart. This was obviously the bamboo piece that Issei had given her, which she had placed it in a specially made necklace. "He didn't give me anything..."

"..."

Chu Yueli looked at Xia Qingyue quietly for a long time, knowing that something was definitely off about the entire situation, but knew that if Xia Qingyue was concealing the truth, then she had a reason to. Sighing, she shook her head slightly before grabbing Xia Qingyue's wrist one more and turning around.

"If that's the case, then we should not delay any longer. We must immediately report this to Milady, and then we shall begin your closed-doors cultivation period."

"En," nodded Xia Qingyue, and in the next moment, she felt the scenery around her distort, as she suddenly flew out of the window. Now in the sky, being carried by Chu Yueli, Xia Qingyue traveled through the air like an arrow, flying far off into the distance.

…

…

…

"Darling, it seems that one of our little daughters has grown up," smiled Xia Hongyi sadly, as he watched the departing figure of the two beauties with a forlorn look in his face, filled with melancholy. Even after the master and disciple had disappeared far over the horizon, he still kept his gaze fixated in the same direction.

Finally, he sighed and gazed at the beautiful moon, which hung up high in the sky. It was shining brightly, and illuminating the entire world with its splendor. Afterward, he turned around and went back to his room, thereupon laying down on his bed, which suddenly felt colder than usual.

"I wish you good luck, my daughter…," murmured Xia Hongyi before he closed his eyes and slowly lost consciousness, dreaming of his wife who had disappeared years ago, flying back to the Higher Realm, the place where she had come from.

 **Read & Review~!**

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 **A/N:** You guys all know the rules. At least five reviews on each chapter and more than twenty reviews in total will mean an extra chapter tomorrow! (Try to review in most of them, though, even if twenty have already been reached, since I  may decide to add one more chapter if I get even more reviews.) Also, next chapter will have a time-skip! Right now, the real story is about to begin! (Yeah, the _real_ story after almost a hundred chapters... I think I have problems...)

See you guys tomorrow~!


	15. Flame Dragon

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 _ **Important Author Note:** _ Alright guys, now the story will officially head into the main story-line. However, before we move on to that, I just want to address some of the problems, plot-holes, doubts and suggestions of the previous chapters released so far, so we can start smoothly the real story, alright?

First things first, Issei. I don't know if I have mentioned it or not, but in various parts, he is said to have brown hair, black on some and even gray on others. So, for the real story, let's focus on dark-brown hair, almost black hair. The same can be said about his eyes. On another note, his age before entering secluded cultivation is twelve and half, while Xia Qingyue was thirteen and a half and Xia Mei was fourteen and a few months. That's about the basics for those three.

Now, continuing on in the characters category... Romance. Some of you may or may not have noticed, but the romance felt kinda rushed and unnatural, especially with Eggy and Xia Qingyue (For those that read either ATG or MGA, see the author note at the end of the chapter). Now, there's a reason for that: Both of them have _serious_ mental problems. They were mostly alone their entire life, and when faced with someone as kind, handsome and _badass_ as Issei, they can't help but to quickly fall in love.

But worry not. From now on, the other girls will be much more normal, and it will take a much longer time for their feelings to develop, allowing me to slowly build up the relationships. So, what can be said is: From this chapter onwards, the interaction between character and the developing of feelings will happen more slowly and more realistically.

Secondly, there's the realms of cultivation... I know that not many of you already have all the levels in mind, so whenever I mention a level, I will add next to it which level it is. For example:

"Issei had finally broke through to the Earth Profound Realm, the fifth realm!" See? The little 'fifth realm' there? Every time I mention a realm, I'll include this. Of course, if I have already mentioned it on the same chapter what realm it is a couple of times, I'll refrain from being repetitive.

Going onwards... Divine Armaments. You see, in other to avoid misunderstandings, I have changed Divine Armaments to Divine Weapons, mostly because all Divine Armaments are weapons, so it makes more sense to use Weapons. Not only that, I'll say this right now: Issei is able to transform normal weapons into Divine Weapons, but he can only make the lowest grade of Divine Weapons, the Ungraded ones. As long as he practices, he will be able to increase his proficiency. As for the other grades aside from the Unholy-grade, they will be revealed later on.

Now, other matters... Issei's cultivation before the secluded cultivation period. Before he began, he was in the Bone Forging Stage, of the Fleshly Body Training. This means that he wasn't even in the ways of the Profound yet. Before he could even enter the Elementary Profound Realms, he first needs to enter into the Pulse Condensation Period, which comes after the Bone Forging State. Also, remember: In the whole Middle Realm, only Issei needs to do so, since his method requires him to do it and it betters his foundations. No one else even know of the existence of such stages.

As for World Spiritist techniques, Issei is currently on the peak of the White-cloak World Spiritist level, and is only one shy step away from becoming a Gray-cloak World Spiritist. Remember, all of this is BEFORE he enters the secluded cultivation period.

Oh yes, there's also the matter about Profound Systems... well, at the time I wrote the third chapter, I'm sure that I had some plans for them, but right now, I only see them as something bothersome, and a pain in the ass. So, I suggest you don't pay too much attention to them anymore... they will still be in the story, but later on, they will lose their meaning, and you will soon see why. So, just forget about them for now... Since, *spoiler *, after one reaches the Sky Profound Realm, their Profound System type loses basically all of it powers, and it only give one final boost in power, the higher the rank of the Profound System, the higher your cultivation will climb. That's like a one-time boost.

Also, talking about chapter three... I think that I mentioned two moons or something... I was probably not in my right mind. Also forget about that. (Damn, I'll have to re-write chapter three soon to get rid of so many crazy stuff...)

That's about it for now. As such, I thank all of those that have come with me so far, and let us go even further!

Real story, begin!

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 **Chapter 15 - Flame Dragon**

* * *

 **(Really important Author Note above!)**

Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range.

Within the vasts lands of one of the most dangerous areas in the Blue Wind Nation, there was a small clearing, where the sun almost didn't reach. Right in the middle of it, surrounded by lush vegetation, including trees, plants and the like, was a relatively tall figure, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

The figure's body was covered in what seemed to be a black cloak, that was embroiled with golden markings. As for the person itself, it was a male, seemingly in his sixteen-seventeen years of age. His hair was long, and of a dark brown color, almost black, tied behind him.

The young man's face was handsome, with sharp, sword-like brows, smart and narrowed eyes, along with a slightly curved nose, with a handsome mouth beneath it. His skin was like jade, of a pure white color, seemingly shining with the faint light of the sun, but it was not of a sickly pale color. Instead, it was clearly healthy, brimming with vitality.

Without a doubt, this young man could clearly be considered handsome, with extremely manly and suave characteristics to him, but the most entrancing aspect to his being were his dark-brown, almost black, eyes. They were sharp, and contained a prideful and mighty feeling, something that could only be achieved naturally, and not forced upon.

As for the name of the handsome young man, who although seemed to be sixteen or seventeen years old, was only fifteen, it was Issei, the same person that had entered secluded meditation two and a half years ago. Previously, he could already be considered handsome, but it was obvious that after these two and a half years, he had grown into an incredibly handsome young man.

Suddenly, Issei's eyes that were closed opened, and within shined the occasional spark of lightning, as they shimmered with electricity, along with a sharp light. His gaze, although as fierce as a sword, was impossibly calm, like the still waters in a pond, and his expression was completely serene, as if one with the nature that surrounded him.

Issei then slowly stood up, and without a single word, looked up at the sky. In the next second, various shadows flew by above him, before flying away into the distance, towards what seemed to be the peak of the mountain range.

"Those are...," murmured Issei, as he slowly watched the flying figures with his calm and unwavering gaze, "experts of the Sky Profound Realm, the sixth realm... I wonder what they are doing here...?"

A few hours prior, with his enhanced senses, Issei had already noticed the arrival of this group of experts, and was only patiently waiting for them to make an appearance. Now that Issei could clearly see the direction in which they were headed, Issei's interest was piqued.

"That's the peak of the mountain... Could it be that they're going to challenge it?" mused Issei for a few seconds, before he shook his head slightly, his gaze set in the direction of the mountain peak. "It has already been so long... I believe that it wouldn't hurt to have a look."

While he said so, he waved his sleeves, and on his hands, two swords appeared. One of them had a wave-like pattern, while the other one was covered in red hexagons. Their names were Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, and although they weren't Issei's strongest swords, they were still his favorite ones.

"Jasmine, have they noticed me already?" asked Issei, as he kept his gaze fixated on the sky.

"What do you expect?" a proud and haughty voice rang in Issei's mind, clearly belonging to the small, red-haired girl that resided in the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. "They are of the Sky Profound Realm and even have a half-step Emperor! If they couldn't notice you, then they wouldn't be worthy of calling themselves cultivators!"

While Jasmine said so, she crossed her arms in the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, as her petite face adopted an expression of annoyance, "However, they didn't put you in their eyes... you can follow them freely. They won't make any move to attack you. After all, your current cultivation is only in the fourth level of the Elementary Profound Realm!"

As she said so, she huffed once more, her petite body clearly settled in a position that expressed utmost disdain and superiority.

Although more than two and a half years had already passed, Jasmine's body still maintained in the form of a thirteen-years old. Initially, Issei was surprised by this, but he then thought about how her body was semi-ethereal, and he concluded that aging was something of the fleshly body, something that she didn't possess. As such, it was understandable why her appearance remained the same.

"Alright, Jasmine," nodded Issei calmly, "thanks for the info."

Issei then cut off the mental link, and slightly clenched his hands, calling his swords back, as he realized they wouldn't be necessary. In the following moment, he disappeared from sight. A few meters later, he reappeared for a split-second, only to disappear once more, reappearing even further in the distance. It wasn't teleport; Issei's speed had simply reached the level in which he could run much faster than what the eye could manage to capture.

In that manner, he soon caught up with the entourage of five Sky Profound Realm cultivators, whose speed, under normal circumstances, was unmatchable to those below their levels, never mind to someone in the measly fourth level of the Elementary Profound Realm. Issei, however, wasn't a simple cultivator.

During his training, he had spent more than two years to reach the peak of the Pulse Condensation Period, which marked the end of the stages of fleshly body training. After that, he finally begun cultivating through his profound veins and dantian, and in the following four months, he managed to reach the fourth level of the Elementary Profound Realm.

Because he had spent such a long time building up his foundations, although he seemed to only be in the beginning stages of the Elementary Profound Realm, his fleshly body alone could compare to those geniuses in the peak of the second realm, the Nascent Profound Realm, or even to normal cultivators in the middle stages of the third realm, the True Profound Realm. And, that was only considering his fleshly body.

During this two and a half years, it could be said that Issei's progress was something never-before-seen and even Jasmine, who was normally not impressed by anything, was astonished. In this period of time, his achievements in the Dao of Lightning had reached an all-time-high, and his Dao of Vibrations managed to have its profoundness increased. For example, before, Issei was only able to emit one hundred filaments of vibrating spiritual power. As for the current him, he was already able to separate his spiritual power in over 5,000 filaments! Not only that, each of them was almost ten times as strong as his previous ones!

Aside from that, Issei had progressed in many other areas, but many of those didn't actually affect his combat. Some of his biggest advancements, for example, was in inscription techniques, which came from the memories he had absorbed from the Magic Cube.

As such, how could Issei, whose power was simply unfathomable to people of the same level of cultivation, not be able to catch up with those Sky Profound Realm experts? In many case, a lineup like that could shake the entire country, but Issei's main power was his speed! Not only that, those five Sky Profound Realm experts weren't actually using their true speed, and were actually flying at quite a leisurely pace.

…

…

…

"Issei, could you tell me what you're planning?"

Suddenly, while Issei was running through the woods, following after the flying group of experts, Eggy's sweet and melodic voice resounded in his head, like the soothing strings of a harp.

Not stopping in the slightest, Issei continued his pursuit, and at the same time, managed to calmly answer back, "Such a group, to come over to this mountain range, most likely has an objective. And, since they seem to be heading towards the peak, they can only have one aim..."

"...You mean they want to challenge the red dragon?!" asked Eggy in amazement, as she suddenly realized the situation. The red dragon she spoke of was actually the Profound Beast that lived in the peak of the mountain range, and also the creature which originated the name of the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range.

One of the first things that Issei had done after choosing the Scarlet Mountain Range as his residence was to check what laid in the peak of the mountain, wanting to confirm the rumors. There, he indeed found a Profound Beast with dragon blood-line, and although Jasmine claimed that it was only an ant to be smashed beneath her feet, Issei and Eggy both had a clear idea on how powerful it was, which was what lead to the young girl's surprise.

"But isn't that dragon in the Emperor Profound Realm?! How do they expect to beat it with such a pitiful group?" asked Eggy once more, as she adopted a puzzled look within the World Spirit Space, clearly not understanding the situation. "They can't be this stupid, can they?"

"I think...," began Issei, but before he could, he suddenly stopped, as he noticed that the group of experts had begun their descent. Immediately, he hid his aura with a concealment Spirit Formation, and enhanced his audition with spiritual power. "...You should find your answer shortly."

The area that Issei was now in was already the prohibited region of the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, called as the Scarlet Dragon Prohibited Region. On the way, he had met with many warning signs, some of which that said: "High Level Profound Beasts ahead. Those below the Nascent Profound Realm please leave with haste."

There were many of those warning sings, and because of that, Issei had a clear idea on his location. Currently, he was only a few hundred meters away from the most dangerous area in the entire Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range…,the cave of the Scarlet Dragon.

At the same time, a couple dozens of meters in front of Issei, the group of five people slowly flew down, hovering slightly above the ground, as they seemed to be discussing something important.

"It should be up ahead," a member of the group said to the other four, as his red robes fluttered in the wind. "We are only a few meters away from the nest of the Flame Dragon."

"The Flame Dragon...," one of the cultivators, and also the only one half-step into the Emperor Profound Realm, murmured. His appearance was wizened, and he was clearly the leader of the group. "Are you sure of its true strength?"

"Yes, senior elder!" answered the same member from before in a respectful manner, as the man in front of him was his superior, be it in status of power. "The Flame Dragon is definitely a tenth level Sky Profound Beast! I have already confirmed it numerous times, and since senior elder is here, we should be able to quickly and cleanly dispose of it! A creature of that level, although powerful, in the face of our might, is nothing but child's play!"

Not only was this particular cultivator confident in his words, his expression was of utmost certainty and haughtiness, as he continued with determination, "As long as we can obtain the Flame Dragon's fire-attributed Profound Core, then young master's Burning Heaven Arts will definitely experience another breakthrough! With that, in the upcoming Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, we will definitely surpass the Xiao Sect and even be able to dispute with Frozen Cloud Asgard for the second position!"

 **Read & Review~!**

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 _ **For those people that have read MGA and ATG:**_

First things first, there will be a lot of OOC. Especially when it comes to Jasmine, Eggy and Qingyue, so please, don't try to compare them to the originals. As for Eggy, I changed her personality the most; in the original, her back-story isn't shown, and we don't even know her real age. As such, I made her young, sixteen, with a rather young emotional intelligence, which barely explains why she is so attached to Issei. As for Qingyue and Jasmine... the changes in Qingyue are pretty much obvious, while the ones in Jasmine will be more explicitly shown in the next seven or so chapters.

Now, the reason why I changed Divine Armaments to Divine Weapons, it's simple. Divine Armaments make it seem like it is related to the Elite and Royal Armaments from MGA, but it definitely is not. There is absolutely not relation between them. So, in order to avoid misunderstandings, I changed the name to weapons. Not only that, when I do introduce Elite and Royal Armaments in the story, I didn't want to cause an even bigger misunderstanding, so you can see why I changed.


	16. The Might Of A Dragon!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - The Might Of A Dragon!**

* * *

"Burning Heaven Arts?" murmured Issei in surprise, a look of enlightenment flashing across his handsome features. This actually explained everything that Issei was unsure of! The Burning Heaven Arts was the cultivation skill of the core disciples of the Burning Heaven Clan, one of the top four clans of the Blue Wind Nation!

This explained why such a huge amount of power was gathered together in one place. Five Sky Profound Realm experts were something a normal clan would never be able to send out, but to one of the top four great clans, although it would still contain some of their core strength, it was completely feasible!

And, the other things they spoke about explained their objectives. From what Issei could understand, there was some kind of tournament, and in order for their young master to achieve a good ranking, they were actually planning on letting him absorb the Flame Dragon's Profound Core, which is quintessentially a Profound Beast's dantian.

"However, they are wrong about one thing...," the corner of Issei's lips curled upwards in a sly smile, one full of schadenfreude. "The Flame Dragon... isn't that weak."

At the same time, within Issei's Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine crossed her arms with a disdainful expression, "Hmph! They are simply courting death! Trying to wrest way a dragon's Profound Core... the audacity! Death is a perfect fit for fools such as them."

Hearing Jasmine's words, Issei could only nod, as he agreed with her completely. Eggy also agreed, but she seemed to be actually looking at the scene as if watching a show; she was laying on the grass of the World Spirit Space, giggling slightly.

"Issei, this should be fun... be sure to not miss it, hehehe," said Eggy as she smiled brightly. She was definitely looking forward to seeing those bunch of old man being defeated by a dragon; how comical would it be to see such proud figures being rendered to absolutely pitiful states?

"Don't worry, Eggy," murmured Issei back as he kept his gaze focused on the group of five, although the corner of his lips were now curled upwards in a nasty smile. "I will definitely watch it!"

Suddenly, at that time, one of the elders of the Burning Heaven Clan looked around, a suspicious look on his ancient features, "It appears that someone has been following us... should the little weasel be dealt with?"

"Don't worry," smirked another old man, a disdainful look in his face as he snorted, "It's only a weakling at the trifling Elementary Profound Realm! The little brat was probably attracted because we were flying... Let him be. He seems to have a death wish... he will be killed by the after-effects of our battle with the Flame Dragon, no use worrying about him."

"Fellow Elder is right," another man nodded, "He's just a little brat... we would be staining our hands if we dealt with him..."

Hearing the old man's words, Eggy's eyes suddenly widened as she called out to Issei, "Hey, they have discovered you! What are you going to do...?"

"Silly girl!" reprimanded Jasmine with a hmph, "Why should we worry? They obviously don't look at Issei as a threat... it makes no difference! Our plan will proceed as usual!"

"But..."

"Alright, that's enough," interrupted Issei, as he noticed that the five men were once more advancing towards the dragon's nest. "Be quiet; I can't be dealing with any distractions."

Issei then took a step forward, and just as he was about to follow after the five old man, he suddenly stopped, as his eyes widened. The moment he took that step, his heart had skipped a beat. As someone trained in containing his emotions, how could something like this happen?

"This..." murmured Issei, as an expression of astonishment appeared on his face. He tried taking another step forward, and once more, he felt some inexplicable feeling in his heart, as if he was attracted to something. "Something... is calling out for me...?"

Immediately, Issei's head turned around, directly gazing towards the south direction, which happened to be the direction in which the group of five was headed. Although the feeling was faint; border-line illusory, it was definitely there... something was calling out to him!

"Issei, this is..." murmured Jasmine, as her eyes widened. Since her soul was basically attached to Issei's, she could easily sense the differences in his body. "Something is… No! Head in that direction right now!"

Without another word, Issei hurried his pace, his speed even faster than before, as he quickly approached the direction in which he felt that mystical feeling of attraction. This was something that he had never felt before... and it was somehow connected to his profound veins and dantian! Whatever that was, he definitely had to take a look.

It was dangerous, yes, but so what?! The higher the danger, the greater the reward! If Issei wasn't willing to risk his life, he would never improve! As such, he strode forward, closely following after the five old men, who were quickly approaching a mountain top.

Soon after, the group of five disappeared from sight, which caused Issei's eyes to narrow, as he increased his speed even more, reaching the mountaintop in seconds. At that moment, looking at what laid ahead, Issei's eyes suddenly widened. A wave of searing hot air washed over him, as he felt himself burning up within his robes.

In front of him was a large expanse of crimson, which covered a huge area. The grass, rocks and even the boulders in that region were of a deep scarlet color, which emanated an extremely dense wave of heat!

However, the area that was by far the most conspicuous was the entrance to a cave, encrusted into the walls of the mountain facing him. It was humongous in size, and of a deep crimson color, that seemed brighter than the sun.

Even though he had come close to this area before, he had never officially seen it before; he had merely come close so Jasmine could determine the level of power of the Dragon, and see if it was truly as powerful as the legends said. Now that he could see its lair, Issei had to admit that he was completely flabbergasted.

"Such size... such power... just what is this...?" murmured Issei in complete and utter awe, but soon enough, his gaze turned focused once more, as he set his eye on the five old men, who were quickly approaching the huge cave.

Since the distance was too far, even if Issei enhanced his ears with spiritual power, he wouldn't be able to hear them, so he had to resort to other methods. Waving his fingers, he created two Spirit Formations. One of them was small, by his ear, which increased his healing abilities, while the other one covered his surroundings, blocking a portion of the scalding heat.

While Issei was making his preparations, the five elders had already arrived in front of the colossal cave, flying a few dozen meters above ground. The elder in the lead was the one who had been refereed to as the Senior Elder, and was also the strongest of the group.

"I can feel the aura of a dragon here...," murmured the senior elder with a concentrated look on his ancient and wizened features, "and it is at the tenth stage of the Sky Profound Realm..."

Waving his sleeves, the elder threw a small cosmos sack in the one of the man's direction, "Take this as your reward. You have done a good job... after we return to the sect, Young Master will definitely reward all of you."

"Thank you, senior elder," the old-man bowed respectfully, before sending his consciousness inside the cosmos sack. Within, there was actually ten Earth beads and a Sky bead! Seeing that, the old man's eyes widened, as his gaze turned even more grateful, although he didn't add anything to his previous words.

"Now, all that's left...," said the senior elder as he turned around to face the entrance of the cave. "Is to deal with the Flame Dragon... It would be best to one-shot him in order to save time... I have been meaning to test it out, anyways!"

As he said so, he produced a blood-red blade from his cosmos sack and raised it, with the tip facing the skies. Fire-attributed spiritual power started to swirl in the tip of the blood-red sword, and before long, it was completely encased in burning hot red-colored flames.

"Burning Heaven Blade – Wrath of the Flames!"

Fire rippled in the air, as the air around the senior elder started to turn into a crimson color, not unlike the surroundings. Flames started to quickly spread in the air, coiling into what seemed to be a gigantic fire dragon!

It was completely colossal in size, extending for dozens of meters, and its wingspan was over one-hundred meters wide! This colossal fire dragon was directly above the point of the senior elder's sword, which was almost melting under the fierceness of the skill!

"Heavens, this is...!" screamed out one of the elders in surprise.

"Isn't this Wrath of the Flames?! One of the most difficult of all of our core skill?! Has senior elder finally managed to master it?!"

"Heh," smiled the old man, as beads of sweat ran down his forehead. It was obvious that he was under great strain, and this ability, although powerful, clearly drained his energy in large amounts! "This is only a minor accomplishment that I achieved recently... I have been meaning to test it out, and this is the perfect chance!"

As he said so, he waved his swords, and pointed towards the cave, "Take my sword!"

In the next moment, the colossal flame dragon raised its head up high as it charged forward towards the cave.

"Roooooaarr!" roared the flame dragon with boundless power, as it quickly flew in the direction of the cave. Before it could reach it, however, it was suddenly intercepted by a wave of insane and tyrannical power.

 **"ROOOAAARRR!"**

An ear-splitting roar erupted from the cave, this one thousands times fiercer and louder than the flame dragon's. The clouds up above parted, and the all of the grass in the plain was thrown in the opposite direction, even trees were uprooted!

Instantly, the colossal flame dragon, that contained almost the full power of the elder suddenly dissolved, becoming wisps of a flame in the air! Just like that, with a single roar, the mighty martial skill of the elder was nullified!

The faces of the five old men sunk, as their eyes widened. This... this wasn't the roar of a Sky Profound Dragon!

"You...!" the senior elder's head immediately snapped in the direction of one of the man, who was hurriedly trying to store away his reward. "You damnable idiot! F**k you and your sister! You call this a Sky Profound Dragon?!"

The senior elder then raised his arm, and just as he was about to slap the elder's face, a deep and terrifying voice, that sent chills down the elders' spines, erupted from the cave.

"You insignificant whelps! How dare you disturb my slumber!"

Following that, from the entrance of the cave, a huge, scarlet dragon flew out of the cave. Its body was colossal, and although not as big as the fire dragon, he was a thousand times more imposing! The air around it twirled, as it seemed that all living beings would bow before it!

This was the might of a dragon, something that a martial skill could never hope to copy! The dragon was the sovereign of all beasts, the ruler of the lands, sea and the skies! Even the weakest of them could cause other beasts to cower in fear!

The faces of the five elders paled even further, as if they had seen a nightmare. The senior elder, that was one step away from slapping his fellow elder in the face was rendered silly. It was almost comical seeing him there, glaring at the dragon whilst being petrified with fear.

Everyone's faces were ashen, and they couldn't bring themselves to move! In the entire scene, there was only a single person that remained unaffected, who also happened to be the person farthest away, far from the area of influence of the Flame Dragon.

"This should be interesting...," smiled Issei wickedly as he watched the scene with morbid interest. At that time, however, he also noticed something else. The Scarlet Dragon had just come from a cave... which would logically be its nest. And, the moment it did so, the thumping of his heart seemed to have grown wilder. Whatever was calling for him... originated from inside the cave!

"It's coming from the cave," murmured Issei, before he set his eyes on the towering dragon and the cowering cultivators. "Maybe, just maybe... if they can distract the dragon for long enough, I can..."

Without a second thought, Issei moved closer to the edge of the peak. Instantly, Eggy, who had been watching the scene with utmost attention, cried out, "Issei! What are you-"

Before she could even finish, Issei took a step forward and jumped down, falling directly towards the endless plains of red! Reaching the ground, he immediately rolled, dispersing the damage of the fall, before quickly hiding behind a large boulder.

"I have to be quick," said Issei, his eyes shimmering with determination. "I don't know for how long those guys will be able to hold out, but... I can't let this opportunity go! I must enter the cave and search for what's inside!"

Issei was determined, and nothing would be able to change his mind. In reality, even if there was no felling of attraction towards the nest of the dragon, he would still head over. After all, as the legends say, dragons are always guarding treasures; they are attracted to it by nature. Obviously, there must be some kind of legendary treasure for such a mighty dragon to take this mountain, which isn't anything special, as its residence!

Where treasure went, Issei would follow! This was simply his nature, that even after two and half years of constant training, hadn't changed, but instead, seeped deep into his bones and marrow! A belief that belonged only to him and him alone!

Plunder all resources! Loot everything!

This was Issei's way of life, and not even thousands of years would change it!

 **Read & Review~! (Do I need to say the importance of reviews again...? You guys know the rules, review every chapter!)**


	17. Fire Spirit Grass

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - Fire Spirit Grass**

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Never, in his entire life, had the man known as the senior elder of the Burning Heaven Sect loathed someone as he hated his fellow elder. Previously, he had clearly affirmed him that the fabled 'Flame Dragon' was, without an ounce of doubt, was a Tenth level Sky Profound Beast, but, apparently, he couldn't have been more wrong.

Staring at the imposing dragon in front of him, the senior elder didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that if his guess was right, and it was indeed an Emperor Profound Beast, than even if there were hundreds of them, it would still be a one-sided massacre!

What was an Emperor Profound Beast?! Even two experts of the Emperor Profound Realm wouldn't be able to equal one, never mind a dragon, the king of all the beasts! At that moment, he knew that this trip to the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range had been useless; they could only run away in hopes to keep their lives.

Turning his head around to stare at his fellow elders, the senior elder was about to give the signal for retreat, but suddenly stopped as he realized something. With widened eyes, he looked back at the huge dragon, and now that he paid attention, he could notice that although it was the aura of the Emperor Profound Realm, it was actually unstable!

"This means…," murmured the senior elder, his eyes widening. Just a moment ago, he had been almost pissing himself in fear, but currently, he was jubilant, as if he had found a treasure chest. "The Flame Dragon only broke through recently…!"

The senior elder than raised his sword up to the sky and roared, "That's not an Emperor Profound Beast! He just broke through! We can still fight him!"

As he said so, he slashed down his sword, and flames rippled in the sky, condensing into a huge lotus that flew in the direction of the dragon.

"Burning Heaven Blade – Lotus Flame Slaughter!"

The temperature in the region raised even further, as the huge lotus came crashing onto the dragon, throwing a rain of flames in all direction. Immediately, he sent a stern glare in the direction of the others elders as he took a step back.

"Attack!" ordered the elder as he started powering up another Martial Skill. At the same time, the other elders awoke from their daze, as they repeated the same movements.

The sky was suddenly clad in fire, as everything in the vicinity was burned down; flames devouring everything in the area. Those five elders weren't holding back anything; they were using all of their trump cards and attacks in hopes of defeating the dragon.

After all, since it seemed like the dragon had only broken through to the Emperor Profound Realm, it could be said that his strength, was actually, still in the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. One the other hand, his Profound Core was already in the Emperor Profound Realm!

What did this mean?! It meant that if they killed this dragon, who still had the power of the Sky Profound Realm, they would end up with an Emperor Profound Core! In terms of value, an Emperor Profound Core was hundreds of thousands of times more valuable! It was twice the reward with the same effort! How the could elders not be excited?!

As for how the dragon had broken through the senior elder's attack earlier, they assumed that it had been a fluke. After all, the senior elder had only learned that ability recently, and he most likely didn't have a great control over it, which lead it to being dissipated!

…

…

…

From afar, watching the intense battle in the sky, was Issei, hiding behind a large boulder that was doing a rather good job in blocking the flames from burning him down. Currently, his eyes were widened, as he watched the scene, clearly surprised by the elders' actions.

"What the hell are they doing?!" murmured Issei in disbelief. Previously, he had been sure that they would try to run away, which was why he was in such a hurry to enter the cave, but now that they had actually confronted the dragon head on, he couldn't believe what was happening!

"Hahaha! Are these guys stupid or what?" giggled Eggy, as she watched the scene from the World Spirit Space. "T-they are actually challenging the dragon! And here I was, thinking that no one could be so stupid!"

Issei, however, wasn't laughing, as he knew that something was wrong. Those elders, to have reached the Sky Profound Realm, couldn't possibly be so stupid as to dig their own graves only to throw themselves inside! There was definitely something happening up there of which the brown-haired boy wasn't aware.

"...Jasmine, do you know what's happening?"

"Obviously," murmured Jasmine as she rolled her eyes. She then straightened her back slightly in the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl as she explained, "Dragons are usually proud and mighty creatures; how could it simply let the Elders run off after they disturbed his slumber?

"Most likely, the Flame Dragon knew that if they tried to escape, it wouldn't be able to catch up, so he's most likely restricting his own strength in order to make the elders think it's something that they can beat. It's planning on catching them off-guard, and with that, give them a finishing blow when they least expect it, so they wouldn't have the chance to run away."

"...Restricting his own strength?" asked Issei in shock, before the corner of his lips curled upwards slightly. "So the dragon is actually playing the game of being underestimated…? I can't say that it's a bad idea… I would have done the same."

After saying so, Issei once more spared a glance to the battle up in the skies, but no matter how much he looked, all he could see was an endless river of flames, as the two sides clashed fiercely against each others in a battle for supremacy.

"I should probably have a few minutes," accessed Issei after some calculations. "That should most likely be enough for me to store away whatever is inside the cave… Not only that, after the battle ends, I will be able to get myself the cosmos sacks of the fallen elders… Seems like this day will be a rather good one."

Issei then flicked his sleeves, and he was enveloped in various Spirit Formations. Some of them were for concealment, while others were for blocking the heat. Even though he knew that most of them were useless, given the level of the elders, it wouldn't hurt to have some.

After doing so, Issei moved his body slightly from the boulder, and waited until the right time came for him to make his move. Not even five minutes later, Issei's eyes narrowed as he disappeared from sight, throwing himself in the middle of the battlefield.

The temperature in the air suddenly increased by various levels, and countless Spirit Formations around Issei were immediately burst apart, leaving behind only a couple few from the original dozen. After all, they were only white-colored, and there was only so much they could take.

Nevertheless, Issei wasn't dispirited as he pressed forward, going from boulder to boulder, rock to rock, until he finally reached the area around the cave. At that point, he was directly below the battle in the sky, and the temperature had already reached levels that not even Issei would be able to survive without the help of Spirit Formations.

"A little more," murmured Issei as he held his breath and sprinted forward one last time, covering dozens of meters in a second. Before he even knew it, the area around him darkened, and the sun disappeared from sight, replaced by a stone ceiling! He had made it into the cave!

"...That.. was… hard…," murmured Issei as he slightly used the wall on the side as support for his body. In terms of tiredness, it could be said that he was more mentally spent than physically, since he had been creating Spirit Formations every single second in order to survive the heat of the clash between the two sides. As such, his mental faculties were quite wasted.

However, he knew that he didn't have the time to rest, and only allowed himself a few seconds of resting before he began moving again, delving deeper into the cave. He needed to be fast; he couldn't afford to spend too much of his time in one place.

Quickly, however, he noticed that the cave was deep; immeasurably so. Most likely, it occupied the entire length of the mountain. The light in the cave was also dim, and there was only a few flickers of flames here and there, which would have made it quite hard to look if not for Issei's special vision.

Suddenly, however, Issei's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of something in the distance. It was a bright scarlet light, that filled the cave with its crimson hue. Immediately, Issei headed over, and upon reaching its origin, the young man revealed an expression of pleasant surprise.

"This is actually Fire Spirit Grass!" exclaimed Issei as he knelt down and grabbed one of them, analyzing it closely. "Not only that, it's mature… What luck! Who would have thought that I would find such good materials in this situation?!"

Fire Spirit Grass normally took over ten years to mature, and was extremely rare. Even if cultivators searched for hundreds of years, there was still the chance of coming back empty-handed! Now, however, looking at the ground, there were over three hundred stains, and various of them had already reached maturity!

Not too far away from Issei was a small chunk, in which only remained roots. Most likely, they were eaten by the Flame Dragon, which would also mean that it was the one who had planted them here for its own consumption!

There were thousands of uses for Fire Spirit Grass, and it could be used to increase a cultivator's compatibility with Fire, boosting the cultivation speed for fire-related cultivation skills! It also had many other uses, such as creating some rare kinds of medicines, and could be sold for a sky-high price! Not only that, it was also a great type of food for Fire-attributed beasts, and could greatly help their cultivation base!

"This is probably the dragon's own storage of food," murmured Issei as he looked at the grass in the ground greedily. After some seconds of considering, he waved his arms, and activating the storing abilities of the Sky Poison Pearls while saying, "Well, since I'm such a good person, I might as well leave a little of it behind for the Flame Dragon. After all, he went through all of the trouble to plant them..."

After saying so, Issei walked away, going deeper into the cave. What he left behind, however, was a single stalk of grass. Not only that, it had yet to reach maturity, and it was obvious that it had only been planted recently!

This was actually what Issei had left behind for the dragon, a measly single stalk from the three hundreds! He had even taken the immature ones, that had yet to mature! Why? Simply because he didn't know when he would be able to come back, and he had decided that with some special methods he had gained from the elder's memories, he would simply be able to plant them in another place!

Think about it, an entire garden full of Fire Spirit Grass! How much money would that mean…? And the sheer amount of things he would be able to buy... just this thought alone already caused Issei's mind to be filled with excitement!

…

"You know that you're really shameless, right?" asked Jasmine as she sweat-dropped at the vast greediness that Issei had just displayed. "… Why did you even bother leaving one behind, anyways? There's basically no difference between leaving one or not leaving..."

"Hey, the Flame Dragon went through all the troubles of planting and taking care of them _for me_ , how could I simply leave him empty-handed? Even I have some sense of respect..."

Hearing Issei's words, Jasmine seemed like she wanted to say something, but quickly gave up on it as she shut her mouth, deciding that arguing with someone of Issei's level of shamelessness would be useless. They would simply drag you down to their level and beat you with experience…

As for Eggy, she only rolled around in the World Spirit Space, giggling at Issei's pure and utter shamelessness, which seemed to know no bounds. At that moment, the beautiful World Spirit was sure that if there was such a thing as the Dao of Shamelessness, Issei would have already mastered it!

 **Read & Review~!**


	18. Bad Situation

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Bad Situation**

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 _ **(This is the second chapter of the day! There was one before it!)**_

After walking a bit more deeper into the cave, Issei started to feel that even under the protection of his Spirit Formation barriers, the heat was beginning to get unbearable. If it was a normal situation, then he would be glad to use this heat in order to train, but since he was in a hurry, it was a huge hindrance to him. One that had to be dealt with.

"Well, I didn't want to use this so early, but…," murmured Issei as he waved his hands, producing a mature Fire Spirit Grass from the Sky Poison Pearl. Clenching his hands over it slightly, the mark of the Sky Poison Pearl appeared on the back of his hands. When he opened his hands again, what was in the middle of his palm was no longer a stalk of grass, but instead a small, ruby-like crystal.

Then, without the smallest hint of hesitation, Issei brought the ruby up to his mouth and swallowed it down. Soon, he felt his body heating up, and it was as if his skin would even melt. However, not even a full second later, the heat within his body died down, and along with it, so did the heat of the ambient.

"Much better now," nodded Issei slightly as he continued his exploration of the cave, now in a much more stable and durable condition. What he had just eaten was the refined essence of the Fire Spirit Grass, which was made possible through the miraculous refining abilities of the Sky Poison Pearl.

In the memories Issei had acquired from Liang Ye, the Fire Spirit Grass was mentioned, and it also explained that if its essence was digested, it would temporarily increase someone's resistance towards fire.

As such, using his enhanced resistance, Issei delved deeper into the Flame Dragon's abode, searching for more treasures. At the same time, the beating of his heart kept growing more erratic, as it seemed that he was getting closer and closer to whatever was calling for him.

After three more minutes of running, Issei finally arrived in what he assumed to be the main nest of the Flame Dragon. It consisted of a huge den, with an extremely high ceiling and wide space, and was most likely the place where the Fire Dragon slept and spent its time. Most likely, it was also the area where he kept its treasures.

Licking his lips, Issei sent his greedy gaze all over the cave, thirsting for many treasures and precious materials, but much to his utter disappointment, the Flame Dragon seemed like it was a pretty neat fellow.

Aside from the huge nest in the middle, the huge room was empty, with not even a single treasure or precious plant in sight. Only construction made out of rock, and nothing more.

"...Are you serious…?" murmured Issei, as he walked deeper into the room, but no matter how much he searched, he couldn't find any hidden treasure. After a while, he cursed, "What kind of bullshit Dragon is this?! Where are the freaking treasures?!"

However, it was at that moment that the ground beneath Issei trembled, and the whole cave shook slightly. A dense heat of wave flooded the cave, and even Issei, who was under the protection of the essence of the Flame Spirit Grass, felt his body burning up.

"This…," murmured Issei in astonishment. "Something happened outside!"

Not even a second later after Issei said so, he could hear the vague sounds of shouting.

"Foolish hairless monkeys, now you shall pay the true price!" roared what Issei assumed to be the dragon.

Immediately, Issei could distinguish the sounds of screaming.

"What? How's this even possible?! Where's this strength coming from?!"

Soon after, Issei could hear the senior elder crying out, "What?! This power… the Flame Dragon… hasn't just broken through! He's clearly a legit Profound Beast of the Emperor Profound Realm! Retreat-"

"Not so fast, humans!" roared the ground.

After that, Issei didn't hear anything more.

"Oh… I guess it has become serious," murmured Issei as his eyes narrowed slightly. With the battle reaching this point, this meant that in a matter of seconds, the Flame Dragon would head back into the cave! Which meant… that his time was running out. "Crap! I was hoping for more time!"

Immediately, Issei jumped directly into the nest, and started to madly search through the area with renowned intensity, unwilling to give up. Seeing that, Jasmine and Eggy, who had kept quiet, cried out.

"Issei, what are you doing?!" cried out Eggy as she got up from her laying position, clearly worried.

"You fool, head back at this instant! Do you not value your life?!" reprimanded Jasmine, as she also adopted a serious look. Issei's life was tied with hers. If he wanted to throw his life away like this, then it would be akin to throwing her own life away! How could she stand that?!

However, even when faced with such orders, Issei merely shook his head stubbornly as he continued to search even more. "I'm not leaving right now! I have yet to find whatever was calling out to me.. I don't know when I'll be able to come back again… this is a one-time opportunity!"

Issei's profit in this trip could already be considered significant, as the sheer amount of Fire Spirit Grass he had looted could probably give him enough money for a life-time, but Issei was unwilling to give up! There was something calling for him, and for it to have such an effect on his body, Issei was sure that it must be some heaven-defying treasure! How could he, in all his greediness, be willing to head back?!

"You damnable idiot!" cursed Jasmine before she crossed her arms. "So be it! I won't care for you anymore!"

Even while she said such words, however, her attention was still completely focused on Issei's surroundings. No matter what she said, she still placed a great deal of importance on Issei's life, as it was directly connected to her own. If worse came to worst, she was preparing to save him from the situation, which required her complete awareness.

"Issei! Please, give up!" pleaded Eggy, as she was clearly worried, but for completely different reasons from Jasmine. Eggy's life wasn't tied to Issei, and if he died, the contract would only be nullified, and she would be sent back to the Asura Spiritual World, but her worry could be comparable to Jasmine's!

She was clearly, deeply worried for Issei's life.

Alas, at that point, Issei could no longer hear them, as he was completely engrossed in searching. He could feel it.. he knew that he was close to the whatever was calling out to him! His heart's beating had reach all all-time high, and his eyes were bloodshot as he continued to search, desperate.

Currently, all of Issei's mental faculties were focused on pinpointing the location of the treasure. It was said that the greater the risk, the greater the reward, and this was exactly such case! If Issei managed to survive, then he was sure that would he would acquire would be some terrifying, heaven-defying treasure!

Suddenly, Issei stopped, as his eyes locked onto the rightmost corner of the huge den. When he had neared that area, the beating in his heart, just like an alarm, had rushed to the very peak. Immediately, Issei ran in that direction, and upon reaching it, Issei discovered that his feelings were correct!

The rightmost corner was full of rocks, and many of them were covered in dust, and charred by fire. However, there was a single rock that was completely unblemished, untainted by dust, and given the markings of the ground, it was obvious that it was moved around quite a lot.

"Found it!" rejoiced Issei as he pushed over the rock with all his power, exerting strength that even he didn't know he had in order to aid in the process. Soon, the rock was pushed aside, and in front of Issei's brown eyes, what was revealed was a bright dot of deep scarlet-red light!

Within the deep light was a small, round bead, smaller than the usual Nascent Beads and True Beads. This bead, however, seemed much more ethereal and atavistic, as it sparked with translucence, emitting a deep and profound radiance. Immediately, Issei's heart started beating so fast that it was a few moments away from exploding, as an intense feeling of desire and longing filled his mind!

He had found it! Without a doubt, this was what had called out to him!

Not even a second later, Issei extended his hand, his mind clouded and muddled, unable to think things through with clarity. He was no longer in control of his own body; his most primal instincts had taken over, and all of them were telling him to grab the bead and to never let it go!

At that moment, Jasmine, who had been looked at the situation with stern eyes, suddenly jumped up as she cried out, "Don't you touch it! There's the Flame Dragon's inflammatory imprint on-"

Before Jasmine could finish, Issei's hand had already grasped its fingers around the round bead, deeply grasping it. Quickly after, as if it had been suddenly awakened, the bead suddenly started to shine brighter, completely enveloping Issei's entire frame.

Suddenly, Issei's clarity returned, and his eyes that had been hazed turned normal. Looking at the bead in his hands, Issei managed to faintly ask, "This… what…?"

Issei's heart was no longer throbbing like before, but instead, his profound system had begun acting up, entering a deep state of turmoil, as it seemed to be thirsting for the small bead. It was as if this small bead belonged to him… as if it was a part of him that had been separated, and now was about to reunite!

Seeing that scene, Jasmine shook her head in dismay while Eggy watched on with horror, being able to feel what was happening near the location Issei was in.

"Issei, hide! Right now!" screamed Eggy, but it seemed that Jasmine had different thoughts as she merely shook her head.

"It's already over… _it_ has already sensed…."

At that moment, from the entrance of the cave, a deep and proud voice rang out, "FUDGE! You BASTARD! How dare you try to steal the King's treasure…! Scoundrel! Despicable hairless monkey!…. You shall pay with your LIFE!"

At that moment, the Flame Dragon, who had been about to deal the finishing blow against the fire experts of the Burning Heaven Clan suddenly turned his head around, and immediately flew back into the cave. He had left a soul imprint on the small bead; the moment someone touched it, he would sense it!

"What…?" murmured one of the elders in surprise, but before he could do anything, he was slapped hard across the face, leaving behind a deep red palm-imprint in the ancient and wizened face of the elder, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"Don't fool around, you useless imbecile! This is our chance, let's head back!" roared the senior elder, already pissed off at that elder's foolishness. It turned out that the dragon was actually strong, but just as it was about to claim their lives, it suddenly headed back! This was their only chance to keep their lives intact!

Not even a moment later, the five elders flew into the sky, leaving behind the infuriated dragon, who was rushing into his cave, fire coming out of its nostril, with an expression of utmost hatred on its scary complexion!

Someone had tried to steal its treasure while he had been fighting.. how could it possibly tolerate that?! It had never been so enraged in its entire life!

There was actually someone who dared to play the role of the fisherman who reaps the reward?! The Flame Dragon was prepared to make this intruder suffer his immense wrath!

Soon after, the immense dragon arrived in front of the den, immediately catching sight of Issei, who was hurriedly trying to store away the scarlet-colored bead, his expression one of utmost and pure, unfiltered horror.

"So it's you! You despicable, shameless hairless monkey! How dare you steal my TREASURE?! PREPARE TO SUFFER MY WRATH!" roared the dragon furiously, causing ripples to spread out in the air!

Everything trembled, as fire rippled in the air, inundating the cave in intense heat and pressuring might! The dragon's eyes were ablaze with fury and hatred, and if looks could kill, Issei would have died a thousands times over! Boundless and deep hatred emanated from the colossal dragon, and the atmosphere itself was suffocating Issei.

At that moment, Issei knew that he had f**ked up. Big. Time.

Looking at the huge dragon, who was giving him a deathly glare, Issei heart beat increased once more, but for clearly different reasons. He was filled with a feeling of apprehensiveness, as he knew that it would be impossible to discuss his way out of this situation. The dragon was in a maddened state, and it was just like a Shura who had ascended from the deepest hells; it wanted blood! His blood!

Never mind fighting the dragon, Issei knew that he would be killed with a single thought on its part. After all, it was an Emperor Profound Dragon… how the hell was he supposed to handle that?! Even if Issei took out all of his Divine Weapons, he would still be powerless against such a monster! There was a difference of over 7 realms between them!

Currently, Issei could only blame his deep greediness for this horrible predicament. He had gambled with his life on this situation, and it seemed like it had been the wrong choice. While it's true that the more bigger the risk, the bigger the reward, it was also true that the bigger the risk, the higher the chance of death!

However, it was at that moment that the Sky Poison Pearl in Issei's hands flashed slightly, and right in front of Issei, a deep scarlet colored flashed. Before long, right in front of Issei, lustrous red-hair appeared, which connected to a heavenly thirteen-years-old girl, who was hovering right in front of Issei, with her back to him, while facing the Flame Dragon!

"Jasmine…?!" murmured Issei in shock, but his words fell death in the red-haired girl's ears, as she kept her unwavering gaze at the large dragon.

Crossing her arms, Jasmine looked at the dragon with utmost disdain and arrogance. Her haughtiness wasn't something that could be acquired; it was something inherent, something born with! Jasmine was proud and mighty to her very bones!

With eyes that seemed to look down on all creation, Jasmine gave the dragon a disdainful look, as if he was an insect to be crushed under her feet.

"Insolent creature! If you don't want to die an early death, then stop this moment!" demanded Jasmine as she kept her deep onyx-eyes locked onto the dragon. Her frame was small, and in comparison to the dragon, miniscule, but at the moment, the might that she emanated surpassed the deterrence of the dragon by miles!

A dragon? A measly Emperor Profound Dragon?! In front of the almighty Jasmine, even the son of God himself wouldn't dare to be disrespectful! Such a thing as the dragon in front of her wasn't worth anything more than a speck of dust!

 **Read & Review~! (Review, Review, REVIEW!)**

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 **A/N: I messed up my schedule yesterday and wasn't able to write. Sorry about that... Hope you like these chapters, though.**


	19. Great Profits!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 19 - Great Profits!**

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 _ **(This is the only chapter today, since it's double the size of a normal ones. If I get enough reviews on this one (40-60), I may release three chapters tomorrow.)**_

"You… who are you?!" roared the Dragon, as it tentatively took a step back, its huge body causing the entire den to tremble. Before, the dragon was burning with the flames of anger, and was just one step away from charring everything in front of it, but at the moment, the only emotion on its eyes... was fear.

The might that Jasmine emanated far surpassed him. Even though he was clearly a Profound Beast of the Emperor Profound Realm, the Flame Dragon couldn't even sense Jasmine's level! This wasn't a difference in level… This was a difference in realms!

"Tyrant…?" The Flame Dragon murmured in shock, but soon after, its eyes widened even further. "No.. not a Tyrant! Sovereign… No, higher!"

By each passing second, the aura around Jasmine kept getting stronger, and even the colossal dragon was having trouble breathing! The little girl in front of him… was simply a monster! A terrifying, supreme monster that crawled out from the depths of hell!

"H-how… is someone like you.. here..?" stuttered the Flame Dragon fearfully.

Upon hearing the Flame Dragon's words, Jasmine narrowed her eyes disdainfully, an expression impatience appearing on her beautiful face, "This princess will not repeat herself again. Screw off!"

Staring blankly at the red-haired girl in front of him, the Flame Dragon suddenly stopped, as it seemed to have realized something. The girl… she was clearly powerful, but why was she actually giving him the chance to back away…? This.. it seemed as if she was reluctant to fight!

"Wait…," murmured the Flame Dragon, apparently having realized something. "You… this is an illusion, isn't it?!"

"...Hah?" Jasmine's eyes widened at the dragon, shocked by its words. "...Have you gone mad? What are you-"

"I knew it!" exclaimed the dragon as it took a step forward, "You disgusting, despicable hairless monkeys! Fudge! How dare you try to fake your power only to claim this King's treasure?! How could a little girl like you be so powerful… this must be an illusion!"

After hearing the dragon's words, Issei's eyes widened, as he realized that the Dragon had done something that it shouldn't have. The brown-haired boy knew better than anyone that Jasmine shouldn't be insulted, or else...

"...Hairless monkey….? Little girl…?" muttered Jasmine, as her whole body began to tremble, her hair overshadowing her eyes. After a couple of seconds, she lifted her head once more, and her eyes were filled with hatred. "That's it, you overgrown lizard! This princess gave you a chance, but you didn't take it! See how I kill you!"

As she said so, Jasmine raised up her hand, and extended her index finger in the direction of the Flame Dragon. Immediately, the Flame Dragon, who had 'apparently' seen through the 'facade', opened its mouth, as it began to power up an attack of his own.

"Star God's might..," murmured Jasmine, her eyes growing colder, "Cleanse the world… Shine your light, Evil suffering the Eternal damnation..."

The instant Jasmine began to say such words, the entire den seemed to have grown darker, while Jasmine's index finger began to shine brightly. At the same time, an expression of horror appeared on the Flame Dragon's large eyes, as it seemed to have yet again realized something.

"Slaughter God, Eternal Suffering… Destruction of realms," continued Jasmine. Her body seemed to be growing more frail, but at the same time, a small energy dot condensed right in front of her finger. "Twelve Star Gods, the forbidden one..."

"….W-what?!" cried out the Flame Dragon in shock, as in that moment, he realized that there was no such thing as 'facade'. The power around Jasmine had long since transcended what was possible from illusions… this proved that she was actually the real deal! "W-wait...No!"

However, by that point, Jasmine was no longer paying attention to the dragon, as she was completely immersed in her chant. Previously, she had been planning on only giving the Flame Dragon a swift death if it resisted, but the current Jasmine was overflowing with anger… she was determined to give it the worst of sufferings!

"Jasmine, no!" suddenly, at that time, Issei took a step forward, standing directly in front of the Flame Dragon. "Don't attack it!"

"Fool!" Jasmine's eyes widened. "Get out of the way, I must kill that sinner!"

"No you don't!" once more, Issei cried out and got closer to her. He knew that Jasmine wouldn't kill him under no circumstance, since her life was tied to his, so using his body as a shield was the best option. "Calm down for a second!"

"But-"

"If you don't, I'll kill myself right now!" threatened Issei as he flicked his sleeves, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye appearing in his hands, only for him to cross them over his neck. "You value your life, don't you?! You have a reason to live, right?! So stop this right now, or else I'm bringing you down with me!"

"You…!" Jasmine's eyes widened in fury, and if looks could kill, Issei would have died a thousand times over. However, that wasn't the case, and Jasmine could do nothing about it. "Hmph! I'll get back at you for this!"

After saying so, Jasmine canceled the attack, and after sending a stern look in Issei's direction, she moved to one of the corners of the cave, sitting down on the ground and crossing her legs, entering a state of meditation.

"Phew, that was a close one…," murmured Issei as he let out a breath of relief, seeing that he had managed to accomplish his objective. He then turned around to face the Flame Dragon, who was staring at him in shock, "So… about that… I have an offer for you."

"...Offer?" asked the Flame Dragon as it looked at him strangely.

"Yes," nodded Issei as he sat down, directly in front of the Flame Dragon. At the same time, he stored the small red-colored bead in his pocket, deciding to leave it for later. It had caused too much trouble already. "How about this… instead of dying, you become my contracted Profound Beast?"

"Your what?!" The Flame Dragon's eyes widened, as it gave Issei an incredulous look. "A contracted Profound Beast?! You want to become my master?! You.. a measly cultivator of the Elementary Profound Realm?!"

"That's about it," nodded Issei nonchalantly, completely ignoring the insulting tone used by the Dragon. "So, you up for it?"

"Never!" raged the Dragon as it looked at Issei with ferocity. "I would rather die than become another person's pet!"

At the same time, within the World Spirit Space, Eggy, who had been looking at the scene with interest, immediately explained the situation, seeing that Jasmine was too busy with her sulking, "Issei, although this is a good idea, it has no chance of working. Dragon's are the most proud creatures of all the beasts… even if you were stronger than it, it wouldn't accept it, never mind now that you're over seven Realms below it!"

"Ah, is that so…," Issei murmured as he shrugged his shoulders, his reply being to both the Flame Dragon and Eggy. "Well, if that's the case…."

Issei then looked in Jasmine's direction and opened his mouth, "Hey, Jas-"

"Wait!" upon seeing what Issei was planning, the Flame Dragon's eyes widened in horror and fear as it immediately cried out. "Don't!"

"…Oh?" turning around, Issei faced the dragon, an innocent look on his face. In his mind, however, he was grinning. "What is it now? I thought that we were done talking…?"

"Don't call that devil," pleaded the Dragon. "Anyone but her."

Seeing that, although Issei's expression remained the same, within his mind, his grin widened. "But I clearly heard you saying that you would rather die than to become my Profound Beast… I was simply taking you up on your words..."

"This…," the Flame Dragon suddenly revealed a troubled expression, but suddenly, determination filled its eyes. "Alright, call her! So what?! I'll never become a human's pet!"

"If you say so," Issei shrugged his shoulders as he once more turned in Jasmine's direction. Before calling her, however, he murmured in a tone that the dragon could hear, "However, this is indeed a pity… such a powerful dragon will meet its end so soon. Well, it would have been fine if it could enter the reincarnation cycle, but… Jasmine's power doesn't let it, since it doesn't allow the soul to enter the fabled cycle. It's a pity indeed…."

After saying so, he immediately called out again, as if he hadn't said anything before, "Hey, Jasmi-"

"Wait!" once again, the Flame Dragon cried out, but this time, the fear in its eyes was even more evident and much deeper.

"What now?" asked Issei in faked annoyance as he turned back around to face the Flame Dragon. "I don't have all day here."

"You… what you said just now about not entering the reincarnation cycle… is it true?!" The Dragon asked, as its eyes were full of fear. Previously, he was indeed prepared to lose his life, as he thought that it would be a better ending than becoming Issei's mount, but at that time, he was hoping that he would have another chance in another life. Now, however, it seemed as if it wouldn't have such a chance!

"You heard that?" asked Issei in faked surprise, as it gave the dragon an awkward look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything, but yeah, that's one of Jasmine's powers. If you're killed by her, you can kiss your next life goodbye. After all, she is known as the God of Eternal Suffering for a reason… all of the souls killed by her will be sent to a special place, where they are tortured for all eternity..."

"...God of Eternal Suffering…?" murmured the Flame Dragon in shock, as it had never heard of such an overbearing and mighty name as this. If it was before, it would have never believed such words, but after Jasmine displayed her might, and everything that had happened, it couldn't help but to have a bad feeling about the entire situation. "Suffering for all eternity…?"

"Yeah, why?" asked Issei innocently. In his mind, however, Issei thought, _Hook._

"This… this…," the Flame Dragon revealed a troubled expression, as if it was going through the most difficult decision in its life. After some time, it glanced back at Issei with a complicated look in its eyes, "...You mentioned something about becoming your contracted Profound Beast? Can you explain that?"

"Well, I would use the Contracted Profound Seal with you, and the you'd become my contracted Profound Beast… why?" continued Issei, as he revealed a puzzled expression. In his mind, however, he was grinning madly as he thought, _Line…_

"Then, if I become your contracted beast, would it mean… that I wouldn't be killed by the…," the Flame Dragon then spared a glance in Jasmine's direction, shuddering slightly. "God of Eternal Suffering..?"

"That's pretty much it," nodded Issei, while thinking, _And…_

"I… This King…," began the dragon, as it was having trouble saying the next words. "…will become your contracted Profound Beast..."

"Really?!" Issei's eyes widened as he revealed an excited expression. _Sinker!_

"Yes," said the Flame Dragon after sparing another look at Jasmine, who was still meditating in the corner. "As long as I can maintain my life… then I'll sign the contract with you."

Nodding, Issei immediately grabbed Gan Jiang, which was by his side, and used it to slash the palm of one of his hands, drawing a bit of blood. At the same time, he approached the dragon, who after a few seconds, lowered his head to the ground with a little bit of unwillingness, his giant eyes, which were Issei's size, staring at him with helplessness.

Coming closer to the dragon, Issei said, "I'm going to have to make a cut on your forehead. Any problems?"

In order to establish the Contracted Profound Seal, which was what contracted a beast to the cultivator, it was required for the blood of the two beings to enter in contact, so they could establish a connection.

The Flame Dragon, upon hearing Issei's swords, couldn't help but to snort slightly, "You are only in the Elementary Profound Realm… how do you expect to cut through my hide? Let me do it-"

Before it could even continue, Issei's hands flashed, and in Gan Jiang's place, another sword appeared. This sword, however, was a longsword, with a pitch-black blade and a snake-hide hilt. The blade was narrow and long, almost Issei's size in length.

The moment the sword appeared, however, it was as if the air in the region had turned dense, as boundless killing intent started being emitted from the sword itself. The aura around the sword… was even higher than the aura around the Flame Dragon! It wasn't an Emperor Profound Weapon… it was possibly a Tyrant Profound Weapon, or even a Sovereign Profound Weapon!

This was one of the swords that Issei had acquired from Li Xiaodie's cosmos sacks, and even among all of his treasured swords, it was one of the most powerful ones. Originally, it was already extremely powerful, but after it went through the process of becoming a Divine Weapon, its might rocketed!

During the two and a half years, Issei progressed in various aspects, and one of them was the converting of normal weapons into Divine Weapons. Originally, he could make normal weapons into Ungraded Divine Weapons with a bit of effort, and at most, he would be able to create a Grade 1 Divine Weapon, which was only one grade above the Ungraded ones.

However, after the intensive training period, he was able to craft Grade 2 Divine Weapons with ease, Grade 3 with some difficulty, and if he completely exhausted himself, he would be able to come up with a Grade 4 Divine Weapon. The sword in his hands was precisely one of his masterpieces, a Grade 4 Divine Weapon. After all, it was originally one of the best swords, so Issei wanted to use his best method to make it the highest grade possible.

According to Jasmine, there were countless grades of Divine Weapons, and Issei had only merely touched upon the initial grades. Although she wouldn't say the amount of grades, from her words, Issei could deduce that it was at least more than than a hundred! So, this also meant that Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, although not being his strongest swords at the moment, since they were of the Unholy Grade, they were the ones with the highest potential!

As for the sword in Issei's hands, although in terms of future potential it was much worse than the two married swords, it was still one of his strongest current weapons, and he believed that if he used it, he would be able to harm the dragon.

However, harming was one thing, while fighting was another. No matter how strong the weapon was, if the user was weak, then its might would never be displayed. Although the sword in Issei's hands was far stronger than the dragon, because of the fact that Issei was too weak, he wouldn't even be able to scratch the dragon in a normal situation.

At the moment, however, since the dragon was actually setting down its defenses for him, and since it would be only a superficial cut, his sword would be more than enough to do its job. Swinging his hands down, Issei effortlessly created a small cut in the region between the dragon's two huge eyes before storing away the black sword in the Sky Poison Pearl.

"Ready?" asked Issei as he raised his arm and placed his bleeding hand on top of the gash on the dragon's forehead. In order for the contracting to work, the dragon couldn't show any unwillingness, so before he started, Issei had to make sure that the dragon was ready.

"...Go on," grumbled the dragon, but at the same time, the way he looked at Issei was different, for he had seen just how terrifying that sword was. For him to have such a weapon… it meant that Issei's background wasn't simple in the least. "Get over with it already."

"Gladly," nodded Issei as he pressed his palm against the cut in the Dragon's forehead, and in the next moment, he closed his eyes, as he activated the Contracted Profound Seal, which had been taught to him by Shinso long ago.

Not even a few seconds later, Issei's hands begun to shine brightly, as the small imprint of a flame appeared on the back of his hands. At the same time, within Issei's mind, he could feel a mental connection forming between him and the large dragon.

Soon after, Issei pulled back his hand, and at the same time, the small imprint disappeared into his skin, keeping itself hidden. On the dragon's forehead, the same imprint flashed slightly, before also disappearing into its scales.

Seeing that, Issei couldn't contain his excitement any longer as he grinned wildly. With this seal in place, it didn't matter how strong the Flame Dragon was, it would have to always listen to his orders! Not only that, this seal could only be broken by him, which meant that as long as he wanted, the Flame Dragon would have to forever listen to his own wishes!

However, Issei knew that it wasn't the time to celebrate. After the process was done, Issei glanced at the Flame Dragon and asked, "Now that all is done, I think some introductions are in order. My name's Issei. Yours?"

"Ddraig," the Flame Dragon said after a few moments of silence, slowly adjusting himself to the reality that he had lost its freedom.

"Ddraig…?" murmured Issei, who then smiled slightly, "Since you are an Emperor Profound Beast, wouldn't your title be like Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor?"

Ddraig looked at Issei plainly in silence before sighing, "I guess so..."

They then talked for a few minutes, in which they gave a basic introduction of themselves, but soon, they had already gone through all of the basics. Not only that, Issei was in a hurry to deal with some other matters, so he had to wrap things up.

"Alright, now that that's done with…," began Issei as he channeled a bit of spiritual power into the palm of his hand, making the flame mark appear on it once more, "I have some things I need to do… and you're occupying quite a bit of space… would you mind if I store you away?"

"...No. Feel free to."

Nodding, Issei slightly tapped the flame mark, and in the following moment, Ddraig's body began to shine slightly, before it completely disappeared, its colossal frame transforming into a single speck of light which flew then into the flame-like imprint in his hands.

Another one of the functions of the Contracted Profound Seal was that it allowed the masters to store their beasts away within the dimensional space created by the contract. Once stored, the beast would enter a state of slumber, and wouldn't need to eat or drink. It was quite a useful power.

"Well, that went better than expected," smiled Issei as he glanced at the flame-like mark in his hand one last time. The profits he had had on this single trip were already far beyond his imagination. Not only did he get himself hundreds of Fire Spirit Grass, he also found himself a brand-new contracted Profound Beast! An Emperor Profound Dragon at that!

And, there was still the red-colored bead…

"Now, I can finally find out what it is," said Issei happily as he took out the small, bead-like object from his pockets. Bringing it to his eye-level, Issei analyzed it closely, not realizing that Jasmine had suddenly stopped meditating and had walked over to where he was.

"This thing actually made my mind crazy enough for me to lose all sense of reason…," murmured Issei as he glared at the small bead puzzledly, while suppressing the intense longing that surged through his body. Previously, he remembered how desire had taken hold of him, and had forced him to throw caution to the wind as he grabbed the bead, while not considering the dangers. Now that he was back in his right mind, he wanted to analyze it before he did something stupid.

At that time, Jasmine, who had come over, spoke, "That… if my guess is not wrong, that's most likely what I had told you about before, one of the seeds of the Evil God."

"Huh?!" Issei's eyes widened in astonishment as he turned around to look at Jasmine, "Are you serious?"

"It's only a guess of my part," Jasmine explained, a cold expression on her face. Although it appeared as if she had already forgotten about Issei's interruption earlier, it was clear that her gaze was even colder than before. "Most likely, this was the reason why The Flame Dragon kept this mountain range as his home for all this years. Previously, you said that it was beckoning you, and although I can feel a scalding heat coming from it, you seem to be completely unaffected. All of this adds up to what's mentioned in the memory imprint of the Evil God, which talks about the five seeds."

After saying so, Jasmine kept quiet for a while before sending a deep glance in Issei's direction "Also… God of Eternal Suffering?"

"Sorry," apologized Issei with an awkward expression on his handsome face. "I thought of it in the spur of the moment..."

Previously, everything that he had told the Flame Dragon Ddraig was everything stuff that he had made up on the spot, as he needed to somehow instill fear into the colossal dragon. Thankfully, even though his lies were pretty ridiculous, it all worked out in the end.

"..."

Jasmine didn't say anything more, looking at him plainly with a stoic expression, and before long, her body disappeared, entering the inner world of The Sky Poison Pearl. Apparently, she didn't want to talk anymore.

Seeing that Jasmine was now gone, Issei once more focused his attention on the small bead, which could possibly be the Fire Seed of the Evil God. From what Issei recalled, Jasmine had said that each of the seeds would grant Issei complete power over one domain of nature. If that was true, then if this bead was truly the Fire Seed… it meant that he had truly struck the jack-pot with this trip.

After all, he had been in secluded training for two and a half years, and the first time that he went out, he ended up with a vast amount of Fire Spirit Grass, an overpowered Profound Beast and, finally, what could possibly be one of the most powerful objects in existence!

Complete power over a domain of nature? This meant that if this was indeed the Fire Seed, then he would never again be harmed by fire, no matter how strong it was! Not only that, he would be able to practice fire-related cultivation skills with one fourth the effort and dozens of times the result!

However, there was still one problem remaining in the entire situation...

"...What should I do now?" murmured Issei, wondering how he should go about the situation. Although it was apparently hot, even while holding it his hands, all he felt was a pleasant, comfortable sensation, along with a feeling of familiarity. As such, it meant that even if he swallowed it, there wouldn't be any problems.

At the same time, however, this would only be the case if this was indeed the Fire Seed of the Evil God. If it was anything else, like some precious mineral, then swallowing it would mean throwing away an extremely power material!

As such, at the moment, he was faced with a dilemma. Either he swallowed it and took the risk, or he did nothing about it. Seeing that, Issei decided to resort to his reliable World Spirit, "Eggy, any thoughts on what I should do?"

"What are your instincts telling you to do?" asked Eggy as she sat up within the World Spirit Space, her attention focused on Issei.

"They are telling me that I should absorb it…"

"Then you should swallow it!" said Eggy excitedly. "Follow your instincts.. You have been doing this so far, haven't you? And hasn't it worked so far? Why hesitate now?"

"..."

For a long time, Issei didn't say anything. A couple of seconds later, however, a flash of determination appeared on his eyes, and without hesitation, he brought the bead up to his mouth and swallowed it. Eggy was right! He had been following his instincts so far.. why stop now?!

Quickly, the small bead arrived in Issei's stomach, being forcefully sent there. In the next second, a rumbling sound filled his body, as his entire frame started to shake violently. Before Issei could even think about what was happening, the profound veins in his body began to emit a low humming sound, while his dantian began to quiver with excitement.

Not even a second later, from Issei's skin, a crimson ball of luminescence was released, the area around him being completely enveloped with flames as his entire body was bathed in an inferno of raging flames.

 **Read & Review~!**

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 _ **For everyone who have read ATG (Spoilers for those who haven't):**_

 _You see, some of you may have noticed that I'm slightly following the main story-line, but at the same time, I'm making a lot of differences, so I'll just explain right now what I'm planning._

 _It's like this: The main events in ATG will be kept the same. For example, the main event in this part was getting the Fire Seed. Another example is getting the Phoenix Bloodline, the Dragon Bloodline, and even winning the tournaments... most of this will not be changed, but the events related to it will have some great changes. Here is a great example: I kept the dragon alive._

 _In other words, the main events will be the same, but because of the fact that Issei is different from Yun Che (He will actually think before he acts, and will be more laid-back, since as mentioned before, he's not nearly as prideful as Yun Che) and that they have different powers (Issei will have much more powers), the way he wins his fights, interacts with people, and even creates enemies and deal with things will be completely different. As such, it the future, all these small events that I have changed may lead to a change in a main event. (Like, not destroying a 'certain' clan... just an example, no promises.)_

 _As such, changes you can expect: What Issei will receive from the legacies, how he deals with the trials, how he fights in the tournaments, how he makes enemies... and also the fact that Issei, unlike Smooth Che, will not try his hardest to get girls, like how Yun Che did with Cang Yue. Also, the various interactions in my story between the characters will be different, and I'll add in arcs of my own, and even some arcs from other stories, such as MGA and Martial World. Not only that, you'll see a huge change regarding Chu Yuechan. (Guess what? Issei getting Ddraig now will change what happens in that 'certain part' in the future. (The one with the two Sky Profound Dragons)_ )


	20. Fire Seed Of The Evil God!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Fire Seed Of The Evil God!**

* * *

Fire rippled all around Issei, and deep orange flames filled the area, giving birth to an ever-burning hell, which allowed no room for life. The ground melted, and the ceiling and the walls, which were impervious to the scalding flames of the Flame Dragon, were also beginning to heat up.

In the midst of all this flames, in what would supposedly be the hottest and deadliest region, was a young man, sitting cross-legged, surrounded by utter and pure destruction. His expression, however, wasn't one of pain, but instead, of bewilderment and confusion, with his widened eyes gazing at his surroundings in astonishment.

"...This… what's going on here…?!" exclaimed Issei in shock. Not even a moment ago, he was peacefully sitting on the cave, but in the following one, he was submerged in a blazing inferno! However, the most surprising thing to it all was the fact that although these flames could most likely burn down even an experts of countless realms above him, he wasn't feeling anything at all!

It was as if the flames couldn't affect him in the least! All he felt was a mild, and even pleasurable and cozy temperature, without the slightest hint of discomfort. And, that wasn't the only surprising event! At that moment, Issei also noticed that within him, his profound veins and dantian were beginning to change color, slowly assuming a scarlet hue! Even his eight-hundred and sixty four profound entrances, along with the 'gates' were also being subjected to this change!

Suddenly, at that moment, the spiritual power in his veins began to rise up exponentially. If what he had before could be considered to a small stream, in less than a second, it had become a river! And, it didn't stop there as it continuously rouse, in an insanely fast speed!

Bang!

"What?!" exclaimed Issei, his eyes widened, as he discovered that his profound veins and dantian suddenly trembled slightly before increasing in thickness and density. This… this was the signs of a breakthrough! His cultivation of the fourth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, had, in seconds, stepped in to the fifth level of the Elementary Profound Realm!

However, it still didn't stop, and it was as if a dam had been opening, as more and more spiritual power flooded his profound system. His profound veins swelled and trembled, while his dantian shook, and in the next moment, the soft sound of something breaking rang again!

Bang!

"...Sixth level?!" Issei's eyes, as it it was even possible, widened even further, as his whole body began to tremble in excitement! In less than two minutes, he had risen from the fourth level all the way to the sixth! And, it showed no signs of stopping! "That small bead… is it the cause of all of this?!"

Eight years ago, the first time that Issei had practiced a cultivation skill, the same event had taken place, and he had broken through various levels in seconds! This moment, however, had a cored difference from what had happened back then. Before, although he had clearly broken-through, it made his foundations weak and frail, since it had happened so fast, but at the moment, even though it was happening even faster, his foundations were only growing stronger and more stable!

This kind of progress, even to Issei, who had been through this before, made him completely baffled. Not only was his cultivation base rising in heaven-defying speeds, the color of his profound system kept getting brighter and brighter, assuming a deep-scarlet power! What did this mean? It mean that his profound system was becoming fire-attributed!

By this point, there ground had long since turned liquid, becoming a steaming hot stream of lava which churned beneath Issei, but that at the same time, didn't burn him in the slightest! The flames around him only kept getting hotter, and his cultivation base kept getting higher!

More and more spiritual power was thrown inside his body, and not even a few minutes later, another breakthrough took place, as his cultivation base entered into the seventh level of the Elementary Profound Realm!

Issei's now crimson profound veins and dantian were constantly trembling, wriggling and thickening, as they experienced breakthrough after breakthrough! The influx of spiritual power was seemingly endless, as his cultivation base kept getting higher!

One minute later, he reached the eight level! On the following one, the ninth and two minutes after that, the tenth! In a few minutes, he he had experienced a mind-blowing change, reaching the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm!

Going from the fourth level of the Elementary Profound Realm to the tenth in less than ten minutes… Even to Issei, this was simply unbelievable! Even when this happened before, it had taken more than a few hours to reach this level, but now, it was done in mere seconds! And, his foundations didn't waver in the slightest, growing more and more stable!

"Jasmine, this… do you know what's happening?" asked Issei, as he felt that the speed of the influx had slightly slowed down. From his estimations, it would take a couple more minutes for him to make another breakthrough. As such, he could finally have some time to talk.

"Hmph! Of course this princess knows," stated Jasmine proudly as she crossed her arms within the Sky Poison Pearl. "There's no longer any doubt; what you swallowed was definitely the Fire Seed of the Evil God! This increase in cultivation base is only a consequence!"

"So it was indeed the Fire Seed…?" murmured Issei in shock.

"Obviously! What other object would be able to change your profound system to the fire attribute? You should have most likely noticed it by now, but your profound system has turned into a deep scarlet color! This means that currently, it's extremely compatible with fire, and has become the apex of the fire-attribute! Not only that, you shouldn't worry about the sudden increase in power; it will not come with any set-backs."

Jasmine then suddenly displayed a stern expression as she continued, "However, don't let your guard down! The power of the Evil God is something desired by many, and loathed by even more! Now that you have awakened one of your powers through the Fire Seed, who knows what kinds of hardships and troubles await you?! You might even suffer from the jealousy of the Heavens!

"As such, you should not grow complacent! Your power may have risen, but it doesn't mean that you're strong. From what I have seen, being at your level while only fourteen, although rare, isn't anything really impressive in the Blue Wind Nation, which is only a backwater nation of a backwater country! If you want to protect yourself, you must first grow strong! Search for the other seeds, and unlock all of the potential of the Evil God!"

"En," Issei nodded in affirmation, already knowing all about this information. At the moment, however, his attention was focused on another thing. As of this moment, if what Jasmine had said was true, then he would be completely immune to fire-related attacks. As such, he believed that testing that out was his top priority, and was already making plans for a sparring session with Ddraig. "I'll be careful, don't worry….," Issei suddenly stopped and acquired a funny expression, "God of Eternal Suffering..."

"You...!" Jasmine's eyes widened, as she displayed an expression of rage, "Call me that again, and you shall see-"

Bang!

Just at that moment, the now familiar sound of something breaking rang out, as the spiritual power within him had completely over-flooded his profound system. At the same time, his entire profound system experienced a qualitative change, becoming wider, thicker and even hotter!

All of the spiritual power accumulated within his body began to converge together, concentrating and increasing in density, reaching astonishing high amounts of pureness! A feeling of rapture and pure bliss filled his entire body, and it was akin to shedding his old body, being reborn anew! For a split-second, all of his spiritual power disappeared, but in the following one, it came back, only that this time, it was denser and purer, thousands of time stronger!

"First level of the Nascent Profound Realm!" exclaimed Issei in bliss, his eyes closed as he immersed himself in the euphoric feeling of entering a new realm. It had been more than three years since he had last been in the Nascent Profound Realm, and now that he was back in it, he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of pleasure that was brought along.

However, at that same moment, Issei's eyes suddenly widened, as another change took place within his body. Right within his dantian, in which nine, huge lightning beasts resided, some change took place! One of the huge beasts, the one whose color was golden, suddenly awakened, apparently having sensed something.

It then raised its head upon before emitting an earth-shattering roar, which only Issei could hear, before flying out of Issei's dantian, flowing into his bloodstream. Thereupon, it dissolved its shape, once more entering its raw lightning form, as it began to merge with Issei's blood and profound veins, enveloping them in a deep golden color!

In the following moment, a golden light flashed in Issei's eyes, as countless golden lightning bolts erupted from his skin, dancing around him a few times before receding back into his body, completely fusing with his self!

Following that, another change took place as Issei's cultivation, which had reached the first level of the Nascent profound Realm, reached the second level! This wasn't a result of the Fire Seed, since it had stopped the constant influx of power ever since Issei reached the Nascent Profound Realm! No, it was the power of the golden lightning!

"This… what is happening?!" Issei's eyes widened, and within them, countless golden lightning bolts crisscrossed, constantly squirming around in his pupils and sclera, donning them in a slight, golden hue! Although it was barely noticeable, if one looked at his eyes closely, the would be able to see countless golden lightning bolts dancing around!

Boundless power filled Issei's profound system, and not only was it filled with spiritual power, there were countless strands of golden lightning flowing, completing revolution after revolution within his body, following the same path as the spiritual power. At the same time, within Issei's mind, he suddenly discovered another crucial information.

Issei then concentrated a little, and in the next moment, the golden light faded from his eyes, and the golden lightning within his profound system died down. At the same time, his cultivation base receded back to the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm. Surprised at what had happened, Issei concentrated again, and the golden lightning once more appeared on his profound veins, while his cultivation base was rocketed up to the second level of the Nascent Profound Realm.

"This... I can actually control it!" exclaimed Issei in joy, as he tested his theory a few more times. Just as he thought, through use of the golden lightning, he was able to increase his cultivation base by one realm! Not only that, it could be deactivated whenever he wanted to! "I initially thought that those lightning bolts only served to slow down my cultivation, but it seems like they indeed have some uses!"

At that moment, Jasmine, who had kept quiet the whole time, spoke up, "Of course, the nine lightning beasts within you are a bloodline and not a curse. If all it did was to hamper your cultivation speed, then it wouldn't be considered a bloodline!"

"Wait...," Issei suddenly stopped as he seemed to have realized something. "You knew about that all along...?"

At his question, Jasmine suddenly shook her head, "No. In reality, I only knew that it would possess some power, but I wasn't sure of what it was. However, an increase in cultivation base was certainly within this princess' calculations."

"Well...," began Issei, as he slowly rose up from the ground. "At the very least, I have got another trump card under my sleeve."

Although it may not seem like much, a power that is actually able to increase the cultivation realm by one level was, in fact, an astonishing ability. After all, the difference between levels, although at the moment it doesn't means much, later on, when Issei reaches the higher realms, then it could be a difference between Heaven and Earth! The young man could only hope that this power would remain unaffected later on.

"So, there's only one last thing I need to test," murmured Issei before he concentrated slightly. A flame-like mark suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand, and in the next moment, right in front of him, Ddraig was summoned. Currently, the mighty Emperor Profound Dragon had a lazy expression, as it looked at Issei with disinterest. Apparently, it had already gotten over the fact that it had become a contracted Profound Beast. It's amazing how fast dragons can adapt to the circumstances...

"...Why did you call me so soon?" asked the Flame Dragon, as it realized that it had only been a few minutes since he had been stored away. As such, he couldn't help but to be surprised, and at the same time, slightly annoyed, for his sleep had been interrupted.

While ignoring the tone of annoyance in the Dragon's words, Issei replied calmly, "I need you to try to burn me with your fire."

"...What?" Ddraig's eyes widened, as the almighty dragon gave Issei an incredulous look. "I don't know what happened while I was gone, but fudge! You already want to suicide?!"

"I need to test something out," sighed Issei as he shook his head, "And it requires me to be bathed in fire, so if you would be so kind..."

"But-"

"Do you really want me to order you?" interrupted Issei, as his patience was diminishing. Ever since he had establish the Contracted Profound Seal, he had technically become Ddraig's master, and naturally, he could order him around freely. Sighing, Issei continued, "Just attack me with your fire; you'll soon see what it means."

Issei already knew that he had a resistance to fire; he could clearly feel it. However, he wanted to know if it was indeed to the unbelievable extent that Jasmine had mentioned, in which no matter how fierce the fire was, he would remain completely unharmed. And, what better way to try it out than with the flames of an Emperor Profound Dragon?

After giving Issei an unsure look, Ddraig merely rolled his eyes, and without another word, opened his large maw, exposing his dozens of rows of pointy teeth, some of which were even bigger than Issei's arms. Right in the center of Ddraig's mouth, a small spark of flame condensed, and in the next moment, it erupted.

From Ddraig's mouth, an endless river of flames came out, completely encompassing the entire cave. The Flame Dragon hadn't held back in the least; he actually wanted to kill Issei, since he had been granted such a wonderful opportunity.

Much to its surprise, however, he didn't hear any screams of pain. He had initially thought that Issei had died so fast that he hadn't had the time to scream, but he soon found out that it wasn't the case, for when the fire died out, right in the center of the cave, casually looking at Ddraig while standing up, was Issei, completely unharmed.

His expression was of surprise, and at the same time, excitement. His body, even while under the barrage of Ddraig's flame, wasn't harmed in the least, and even his clothes seemed to have been affected by his protection! It was just as Jasmine had said; he had complete immunity to fire! Not even the flames of an Emperor Profound Dragon could harm him!

 **Read & Review~!**


	21. New Movement Skill

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - New Movement Skill**

* * *

 _ **(This is the second chapter of the day! There was one before it!)**_

A few minutes later...

"Alright, I have already stored Ddraig away," said Issei, as he slightly tapped the palm of his hand. Some moments before, he had briefly explained the situation to Ddraig, and since he wasn't needed any longer, he had once more stored him inside the separate space. After all, he took up way too much space, and the cave got rather cramped with him in there. "So, what should I do now?"

Issei, at the moment, had many options. He had already decided that his secluded cultivation phase had lasted long enough; it was time to head back into civilization. However, he wasn't sure of how he should start, or even where he should start. Go to a sect? Or a school? Join the army?

There were countless options, and he just couldn't bring himself to decide. What was a fact, however, was that he was itching for battles. It had been a long time since he had fought, and he greatly desired to test out his new powers. After all, that would give him a better idea of how advanced his battle prowess was.

As such, he just couldn't decide on where to begin. Facing this situation, he could only rely on his two beautiful tenants to find him a way out of this predicament.

"Issei, how about you join some sect nearby? I think that it's important to make a name for yourself to begin with," suggested Eggy, a thoughtful expression on her face as she continued, "Afterward, you should aim for one of those big sects or something."

"That's not bad," nodded Issei, as he also had such thoughts in mind. However, there was still one person he had yet to ask, "Jasmine? Any ideas?"

"The World Spirit is right," said Jasmine after a moment of silence. "It would be wise to join a sect, but in reality, there's more reasons behind it than just for gaining fame. Now that your bloodline has awakened, you're going to have to change the ways you cultivate."

"What?" Issei's eyes widened slightly. "Change my ways of cultivating? Why?"

Sighing, Jasmine snapped her fingers, leaving the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl and reappearing in front of Issei. On top of her delicate and jade-white hand was a small bead. "Your bloodline awakening will increase your need for cultivation resources, even though you have a decent cultivation skill," as she said so, she slightly waved her arms, and the bead in her hands hovered towards Issei's position. "Try this out and you'll know what I mean."

Without a single word, Issei snatched the small bead from mid-air, and looked at it tentatively. It was one of the cultivation resources he had acquired from the secret storehouse of Heavenly Might School, a True Bead, which was one grade higher than the Nascent Bead.

Issei then placed the True Bead in his mouth, forcefully pushing it down to his stomach, where it dissolved into a haze of spiritual power. This spiritual power was then sent to his profound system, where it did a few revolutions through his profound veins a few times before ending up in the dantian. However, at that moment, something astonishing happened.

The lightning beasts within his dantian began to greedily devour the power of the True Bead, but much to his surprise, instead of keeping it for themselves, they released it afterward, but in a much purer form, which was then absorbed by his profound system! And, the most surprising part was that, much to his disbelief, Issei had completely absorbed the spiritual power of the True Bead.

Normally, when eating a cultivation resource, cultivators were only able to refine twenty to thirty percent of it, while the rest was wasted. At the same time, those peak Geniuses, the cream of the crop, the ones blessed by the Heavens, were able to absorb up to sixty percent, but there had never been any cases of anything higher than that! However, at that moment, Issei had completely absorbed the spiritual power! A full, complete, one hundred percent!

Immediately, Issei opened his eyes, instantly focusing on Jasmine, who was staring at him coldly. Issei then quickly asked, "Jasmine, do you know what happened? I completely absorbed it! How's this possible?"

"Hmph!" Jasmine crossed her arms while adopting an expression of superiority. "This princess will enlighten you, be thankful!" after saying so, she paused slightly before beginning, "As you may have noticed, you're now capable of completely refining the cultivation resource. However, that wasn't the only effect of awakening your bloodline.

"You see, from what this princess has seen, the cultivators in this world avoid using cultivation resources, for it can cause problems in future cultivation. After all, cultivation is only about storing large quantities of spiritual power up to what you would call the peak of the Earth Profound Realm. In order to step into the Sky Profound Realm, it's required to comprehend the esoteric truths pertaining to the following realm. This applies from the Sky Profound Realm onwards, and by each level, the degree of comprehension and enlightenment needs to deepen, or else it won't be possible to progress.

"However, if cultivators continuously use cultivation resources, by the time they reach the threshold of the Sky Profound Realm, their comprehension will be meager, while their foundations will be miserable, since they didn't go through the act of becoming one with Heaven and Earth in order to absorb the spiritual power in the surrounding. Because of that, they will never have the chance of stepping into the Sky Profound Realm."

Jasmine then stopped upon reaching that part and sent Issei a meaningful look, "You, however, are different. Because of your special bloodline, you're not bound by the same rules as others, and aren't required to comprehend the truths. As long as you concentrate absurd amounts of spiritual power within you, you should always be able to make breakthroughs without any side-effects. As such, you're the only person in this entire continent, and even in the continents surrounding it, that is capable of progressing through your cultivation simply by use of cultivation resources.

"At the same time, however, this also comes with a price. Like it had been before you had acquire the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', the amount of spiritual power to breakthrough into the next levels will be much higher than others, which means that you'll have to put in thrice the effort for half the result! As such, there's only one way out of this situation for you... You'll need to practice a hybrid type of cultivation, in which you use both resources and cultivation skill!"

Jasmine's final words were like thunder-claps, completely resonating with Issei's ears again and again, while he adopted a dazed expression, staring blankly ahead, completely shaken, his mind reeling. After a long time, his gaze became focused once more, but contrary to what one would expect, they weren't filled despair, but instead, with an unshakable determination!

Although this meant that Issei would once more need to madly search for cultivation resources again, the situation was completely different. Before, when he was younger, he hadn't awakened his bloodline, and although he was planning on boosting his cultivation solely by resources, he knew that his path would end on the Earth Profound Realm. Now, however, it was completely different, since he had found out that even if he used solely cultivation resources, he would still be able to ascend to the highest Heavens!

Not only that, Issei was a completely different person. He now possessed the mysterious Magic Cube, the wondrous Sky Poison Pearl, an arsenal of heaven-defying weapons and superb cultivation skills! Instead of despairing, he was filled with hope and determination!

So what if he needed resources?! He would simply acquire them, no matter what it took! Be it my stealing, looting or plundering, he would get himself thousands of cultivation resources, boost up his strength, and soar to the skies!

At that moment, Issei's eyes were shimmering with an unbreakable will, as he stared directly towards Jasmine, "From now on, I'll do as you say, and begun accumulating cultivation resources. Now, how should I proceed? Should I already find a sect...?"

If Issei was in a hurry before, he was even more anxious now, for he had just stumbled upon the fact that he required insane amount of cultivation resources. Although there were many ways to get it, to the current him, who didn't have much power, it would be best to get it through a sect, school or clan. In the future, when he strength rose, he had already decided that he would wander around the continent, plundering and looting entire sects! However, he didn't have the power to do so at the moment, so it was postponed until he reached, at the very least, the Sky Profound Realm.

At that moment, Jasmine spoke, "No! Before you do so, you must first increase your strength even further. Knowing you, it wouldn't be a surprise if you got yourself mixed up in some deadly situation as soon as you enter a school, so it would be better to first give you some other life-saving measures.

"And... I have something planned for you," Jasmine suddenly moved from her place, and quickly approached Issei until she was hovering right in front of him. "For the next month, you aren't allowed to leave the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range. From today onwards, you are required to kill at least five Fierce Profound Beasts of the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm or one Desolate Beast of the peak of the Elementary Profound Realm every single day. And, there are also some conditions."

The look in Jasmine's eyes suddenly became stern, only for her to continue, "You aren't allowed to use any other weapon aside from Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. You also aren't to enter the Lightning Incarnation mode during this month, for you'll be using another type of movement technique, which will not fit well with the Lightning Incarnation mode. At least, not now."

"Mmmn? Another type of movement technique? One that doesn't work together with the Lightning Incarnation mode?" asked Issei, clearly surprised, and at the same time, excited, for whatever skill that originated from Jasmine was bound to be some heaven-defying art!

As for Jasmine's other requirements, such as staying there for one month, and killing a certain amount, Issei didn't find it surprising, since he would need time to adjust to his rise in power, and the best way would be through battles.

Jasmine merely narrowed her eyes at his words, apparently angered at being interrupted, but continued nonetheless, "The Moment Skill that I'm going to teach you during this month is called Star God's Broken Shadow. Out of all Movement Skills that I have, it's the only one that you can use with your pitifully small amount of spiritual power.

"This movement skill, however, is one of the best skills in my possession, and also my only Movement Skill. In terms of rank, it should even be above your cultivation skill, 'Chaotic Combat Virtues Meridians'. By using it, your speed will suffer a tremendous increase in velocity, becoming so fast that you'd even leave behind an afterimage.

"If you're able to master the primary stages, gaining some small success, your speed will be unparalleled in your realm, and you should be able to easily fight enemies stronger than you by solely relying on your speed! However, at the same time, you can't use the Lightning Incarnation mode, since if it's added with the 'Star God's Broken Shadow', your body won't be able to sustain the speed, and you may end up killing yourself."

Those final words spoken by Jasmine, although obviously cruel, were said without a change in expression, as she continued calmly and coldly while giving Issei an analyzing look, "Judging by your perception, you should be able to master the primary stages in a couple of months. As long as you manage to master the primary stages, then it should be possible for your to combine 'Star God's Broken Shadow' with your Lightning Incarnation mode, but until then, you should refrain from doing so."

Finally, Jasmine had apparently concluded her explanation, as she spoke the last few words, "After a few minutes, I'll begin to teach you the basics of the 'Star God's Broken Shadow' and explain its main aspects.. after that, it will all be up to you," after saying so, Jasmine closed her eyes and said, "You have three minutes to organize your thoughts."

Immediately, Issei also nodded, and thought back to everything he had learned that day. By this point, Issei was already sure that Jasmine was extremely knowledgeable when it came to bloodlines and such, for she had been able to give him a perfect assessment. Or, it could also be that in reality, the clan that he hailed from was some kind of extremely powerful one, which would explain why Jasmine would know so much about it. In the end, however, since Jasmine didn't show any intentions to tell him anything, he didn't ask, for he knew that he wouldn't get any answers in the end.

During those two and a half years, he had already questioned Jasmine countless times about his origins, but she always refused to reveal it. As such, by now, Issei was already used to it, and no longer possessed any thirst for finding out his past. He believed that he would find out once it was time.

Not only that, at the moment, he had other things to focus on, and couldn't bring himself to worry about his lineage or things like that, which were too far away from his grasp. He needed to focus on the present, which was getting stronger!

Two minutes later, Jasmine called Issei, and began teaching him about her only Movement Skill, Star God's Broken Shadow. This would be Issei's first Movement Skill that he had ever learned, aside from the Four Ways of The Lightning, so he couldn't help but to pay extra attention, not willing to miss any piece of information!

 **Read & Review~! (Review a lot and there may be three chapters tomorrow.)**


	22. Arriving At New Moon City!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 22 - Arriving At New Moon City!**

* * *

 _ **(This is the only chapter today, since it's double the size of a normal ones. If I get enough reviews on this one (40-60), I may release an even bigger chapter tomorrow!)**_

New Moon City.

Some distance away from the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, there was a large and prosperous city, with many sects and clans, New Moon City. This city was one of the main cities of Blue Wind Nation, for it not only possessed a branch of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, the biggest trading center in the Profound Sky Continent, it even had branches of the Xiao Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan, along with the New Moon Profound Palace, which was directly related to the Blue Wind Royal Family.

The city was large, at least much more than the other cities in the vicinity, and was also a place where many powers converged. And, in that very place, walking through the front gates of one of the cities entrances was a cloaked figure, with his face hidden beneath a hood.

This figure walked slowly, and the ground beneath him trembled slightly at his every-step. A few meters after he passed through the main gate, the figure suddenly stopped, and in the next moment, what seemed to be bars of iron fell from his clothes.

"Finally! I can now release them," murmured Issei in pure bliss, as he stored away the iron bars, all of which weighing more than four hundred kilograms in total. He had been walking with those for the past month as means of training. "Phew... I feel so light now!"

After having been bound by those bars for the past month, now that Issei could finally set himself free, he felt as if he could soar to the skies. If it wasn't for the fact that he was surrounded by many pedestrians, he would be jumping around excitedly.

"You wimp, it's only a few hundred kilos, what are you complaining for?!" exclaimed a young girl by his side, who also wore a cloak. If one looked closely, however, they would be able to see some strands of scarlet hair jumping out from beneath the hood. "Hmph! You should be grateful that this princess passed such a training method to you! Can't you see that now you have already grown used to the increase in power?! You should be thanking this princess instead!"

Although Issei was unwilling to admit it, Jasmine was indeed right. Comparing his situation one month ago to the current one, his cultivation base was more stable, and was also more than enough to breakthrough. He had been holding it back, however, per Jasmine's orders, but he could clearly see that his physique was much better adapted to his increase in power.

"Not only that, right now, with your current state, you should already be able to open the first gate of the Evil God, Evil Soul! Now, praise this princess – Wait! That is...?!"

Mid-way through her speech, Jasmine suddenly stopped, as she seemed to have noticed something. Noticing that, Issei turned his gaze to look in the same direction Jasmine was focused in, and realized that she was looking in the direction of the branch of the Black Moon Merchant Guild.

"Jasmine? Something caught your attention?" asked Issei as he curiously looked at the establishment, wondering what had caused the 'almighty' princess to suddenly reveal such a reaction. Issei then shook his head slightly, "Well, never mind that. You mentioned something about opening the first gate? Is that true?"

Jasmine remained quiet for quite some time before answering, "You should be able to sustain it for a couple of seconds. However, I wouldn't recommend on using it before reaching the seventh level of the Nascent Profound Realm, or else it has the chance of causing some permanent damage," explained Jasmine. "However, that isn't important right now...," she then suddenly stopped and pointed towards the Black Moon Merchant Guild Branch. "This princess orders you to enter that store! There is something there that I require!"

Without waiting for Issei, Jasmine marched towards the store, not wasting a single second. Issei quickly followed after her, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to leave her alone. Because of her sharp tongue, it wouldn't be strange if she ended up offending some higher-ups in the guild, which was an outcome Issei wasn't really looking forward to.

"Wait up!" Issei raised his voice, trying to stop her, but it seemed that Jasmine was unwilling to listen to him, as she continued heading towards the store. Upon noticing that, Issei cursed slightly, and upon seeing that there weren't many people surrounding him, he concentrated slightly.

On the next moment, right by Jasmine's side, Issei appeared. And, in the place where he had been, surprisingly, he was still there. Soon, however, that second image faded. It was, in reality, an afterimage!

Previously, during the last month he had spent on the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, he had completely surpassed Jasmine's expectations, and actually mastered the first levels of the 'Star God Broken Shadow'' in a single month. The current him was already able to leave behind an afterimage due to his sheer speed!

Jasmine, however, was already used to that, and didn't even bat an eye when Issei so masterfully made use of her treasured Movement Skill. Not even a second later, they reached the establishment, and after sending a stern look in Jasmine's direction, which clearly told her to keep quiet, Issei pushed open the door.

While the door was opening, Issei's hands slightly passed over his face, and in the next moment, his appearance was no longer the same. The current him was slightly taller, and looked completely like what one would image the rich young master of a sect would be.

Even Jasmine, that was normally unfazed, looked at him with surprise, "You know how to disguise yourself? Since when?"

"Liang Ye included some skills for disguise in his memories," explained Issei in a slightly deeper voice. It could be seen that the current him held no semblance to his true appearance. "I tested some of them while you slumbered. Most of them are nigh-perfect, and it's almost impossible to discover."

After that, Issei no longer said anything, as he pushed down his hood and entered the establishment. Jasmine, however, kept her face cloaked, for her appearance was simply something transcendental; the effect that it could have would most likely be disastrous on people who weren't used to her.

Stepping inside the Black Moon Merchant Guild branch, Issei quickly saw that it was very spacious, and there was the faint smell of rare medicine in the air. There were countless shelves all around the area, all of them holding thousands of different merchandise, such as medical ingredients, armor, weapons, crafting materials, profound cores, and even martial skills. Most of it, however, was extremely expensive, and commoners could never even hope of buying them.

In the middle of the spacious establishment, there was a large counter, and on the other side, there was a thirty-something man, whose eyes had lit-up the moment he caught sight of Issei's appearance, which seemed to scream 'Rich!'. The man immediately straightened his back and asked, "Are your buying or selling?"

"Both," Issei turned to the man in the corner, and merely glanced at the man disdainfully before focusing his attention on Jasmine, "So, what did you want here?"

Since the current Issei was disguised as a spoiled young master, he needed to act the part. In the end, it wouldn't be so difficult, as he had a prime example to base himself on. As for the example herself, her gaze was focused on a dark red exquisite dress, which seemed to be fitting of a young lady. Immediately, Issei understood what had happened.

 _She actually managed to see the dress from that distance? Just what kind of sight does this girl has...?_ thought Issei in bewilderment before sighing. He then turned his attention to the man behind the counter, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly stopped, turning his attention back to the countless shelves.

"Eggy, is there anything you want?" asked Issei through the mental connection. After all, it would be unfair to only buy clothes for Jasmine. Both girls had been wearing some old robes ever since Issei had met them, and it was about time for both of them to change their attire.

"Ah?" Eggy's eyes widened, clearly taken off-guard by Issei's question. She then quickly waved her arms within the World Spirit Space, "No, no need to buy me anything! I'm fine!"

Issei, however, shook his head slightly, "I'm buying you something. It is only fair."

"But-"

"Choose whatever you like," said Issei sternly. Although it pained him to spend money, if it was for his two tenants, then he would gladly do it. However, even after he waited a few minutes, no reply came. Sighing, Issei walked over to the counter, the same expression of disdain and superiority on his face as he looked at the middle-aged clerk on the other side.

"I would like to buy that dress," Issei pointed in the direction of the dress Jasmine had been looking at, and continued, "Along with the best dress of a black-color you have. The price doesn't matter."

"...Ah?" murmured the middle-aged man in shock before his eyes suddenly turned excited. Upon seeing that Issei's demeanor was completely spoiled, he adopted a slightly respectful tone, "Customer, before you say such things, I must warn you that the red dress is actually one of our most expensive merchandise. It's called the 'Smoky Red Fairy Dress', and it's made of heavenly silk chiffon and embroidered with eighty one blood red crystal tassels; not only-"

"Yeah, yeah, I can see that," interrupted Issei, looking at the man disdainfully, "Let me guess, it can also wards off evil spirits, is delicate to the touch and was crafted with the essence of an Earth Profound Core. Not only that, it's also made by a group of skilled artisans, right?"

Instantly, the eyes of the man widened, as he gave Issei an incredulous look, completely shocked. "C-customer, h-how did you know that?"

The clerk's shock was easily justifiable. After all, the Smoky Red Fairy Dress was a one-of-a-kind merchandise, and was actually the only one in the Blue Wind Nation. Not only that, even in the other countries, it was rare, and was considered an extremely high-class item. However, the young man in front of him had clearly complete understanding over it... just what kind of status did he have?

At that moment, the middle-aged clerk understood that Issei was no simple aristocrat. Most likely, he was an extremely wealthy tycoon! Seeing the opportunity to strike a great business deal, the middle-aged man's eyes began to shine with anticipation.

Issei seemed to have noticed the change in the man's expression, but paid it no mind as he continued arrogantly, "I have already seen it before, what of it?" he then humphed proudly, similar to Jasmine, before continuing through half-closed eyes, "Name the price already."

"This...," the middle-aged man suddenly glanced at Jasmine, who was quietly standing by Issei's side. Although her face was hidden, he could see that by her stature, she seemed to be quite young, "Is this dress for that young lady? Well, seeing that you have such a beautiful woman following you, I might as well give you a discount; you can buy it for only five hundred Purple Profound Coins!"

The moment Issei heard those words, although his face remained the same, he actually began cursing inside his mind. _Five hundred_ P _urple_ P _rofound_ C _oins?! Purple Profound Coins?! Purple Profound Coins your sister! You damnable swindler! I can buy a freaking house with that!_

With the exception of the Country Of The Nine Provinces, all of the other countries of the Profound Sky Continent used a single kind of currency, called the Profound Currency. In layman's terms, one Purple Profound Coin was equivalent to a hundred Cyan Profound Coins, while this was equivalent to 10000 Yellow Profound Coins!

At the same time, the annual income of average households of the Profound Sky Continent was around 30000 Yellow Profound Coins, which is around 3 Purple Profound Coins. And yet, this single dress, cost over 500 Purple Profound Coin! It would take around 170 years for an average household to buy this single dress!

From the very start, Issei was already aware that it would be expensive, since with a single look, he was able to determine which materials it was made from, solely judging by the memories Liang Ye had granted him. However, he never would have expected it to be _this_ expensive!

Issei then quickly glanced at Jasmine, and upon seeing her impatient look, he could only sigh as he once more turned around to face the middle-aged man, "What is your name?"

"Li Zhang, sir," said the middle-aged man as he smiled politely.

"Alright, Li Zhang, do you have any dresses other than the 'Smoky Red Fairy Dress' in here? Preferably something of a dark color, such as black, or dark purple?"

"Another dress...?" Li Zhang thought over for a while before nodding, "Just yesterday, we received the 'Purple Night Dress'. In terms of value, it's even slightly higher than the 'Smoky Red Fairy Dress', at 530 Purple Profound Coins."

Upon hearing those words, Issei's eyebrows twitched slightly before he took in a deep breath. After stabilizing his thoughts, he once more resumed his proud and haughty look, although it appeared quite forced this time, "Alright, please bring me that dress. I would like to have a look at it."

"Immediately," Li Zhang quickly nodded and walked away. A few seconds later, he came back, and on his hands was a long, beautiful dress, of a dark-purple color with golden and dark-colored embroilment. "Here it is, sir."

This time, Li Zhang didn't bother with stating the materials, as he already expected Issei to know then. Not surprisingly, the moment Issei caught sight of it, he immediately said, "Dark-Wood Silk, King's Gold and the skin of a Sky Profound Beast...," he then nodded slightly, "Very well! I would like to buy this, along with the 'Smoky Red Fairy Dress'."

"Wait! Issei, what are you doing?!" Eggy's eyes widened, as she realized what was happening. "I told you that you don't have to buy anything for me!"

"I'm buying it because I want to," said Issei through the mental connection before turning his attention back to Li Zhang. "Can this be done right now?"

"But of course!" Li Zhang revealed a large, ingratiating smile as he nodded. "In total, that will be one thousand and thirty Purple Profound Coins. Would you like for anything else?"

Those final words were actually said per routine, and normally, customers would always say no, but much to his surprise, Issei nodded.

"Yes, do you sell soil here?"

"...Soil?" Li Zhang's eyes widened, as if he couldn't understand that word. "Customer, you want...soil? As in dirt?"

"Yes," Issei nodded slightly before explaining, "There are some plants I'm planning on planting, and for it, I require a high-quality soil... do you have some of it here?"

"High-quality soil...?" murmured Li Zhang as he adopted a thoughtful expression. He then grabbed a book from the counter, and flipped through a few pages, before finally stopping on a particular one. He then read it a few times before looking at Issei again. "Because soil isn't really required by customers, we normally don't have it in our stock, but recently, a customer used Phoenix Treasured Soil in exchange for some materials. Would this fit your needs?"

 _Phoenix Treasured Soil?,_ thought Issei, slightly surprised to hear that name. After all, Phoenix Treasured Soil couldn't be found on Blue Wind Nation, and only existed within the Divine Phoenix Empire. This soil was yang-attributed, and it was perfect for fire-attributed plants, which meant that it would actually be the best option possible for his Fire Spirit Grass!

Without a second thought, Issei nodded and said, "I want all of it!"

"All of it...?" Li Zhang revealed a surprised expression before saying, "Sir, we have over twenty cubic meters of it in our stock... are you sure?"

"Yes," Issei's answer didn't change in the slightest as he continued, "Bring me all of it."

In reality, if it was only for planting his Fire Spirit Grass, three cubic meters would have been more than enough, but with twenty cubic meters, Issei would actually be able to refine the soil! If he were to take out the impurities out of it through the Sky Poison Pearl, then all that would remain would be around four or five cubic meters. As such, this amount was simply perfect!

"Then, adding the Phoenix Treasure Soil to the other two dresses, the total price adds up to t-two thousand and forty P-Purple Profound Coins... Is there anything else you require?"

By this point, the poor Li Zhang almost couldn't recite the total price. After all, two thousand and forty Purple Profound Coins, even to a large sect, would be no trifling amount! If Issei could really pay this all up, then his bonus that month would simply be colossal! He was practically sweating just from thinking about it.

However, little did Li Zhang know that it was far from ending. Issei still had much, much more materials that he required.

"I would also like to buy some Inscription Paper, along with this list of materials," said Issei as he handed Li Zhang a long list. As for the price, he no longer cared for it. He was already determined that even if ended up broke, he would still buy everything that he required! Not only that, he had some precious treasures that could be used for bartering.

As for the Inscription Paper, it was something required in order to draw up inscriptions symbols, which were small formations that could boost a weapon's attacking strength and an armor's durability. Apparently, the owner of the soul he had acquired from the Magic Cube was actually an Inscription Master, and an extremely good one at that!

Not only that, there were various inscriptions symbols recorded in the memories, and if they were sold, Issei would be able to acquire accumulate a huge amount of wealth! As such, how could he let this opportunity go? And, this was also a great opportunity to ingratiate himself to the Black Moon Merchant Guild, something that he was really looking forward to doing.

After all, Jasmine, all those years ago, had ordered him to find various materials, all of which were extremely precious. Issei believed that with the help of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, then he would be able to find most of them! However, if he didn't have their help... Issei believed that even he wouldn't be able to find those materials on his own.

As for Li Zhang, he read the list Issei had handed him a few times, and his eyes constantly widened by each name he read. When he looked back at Issei, his gaze was one of astonishment and shock, "Sir... for this matter, would it mind if I called the boss...?"

"Call whoever you like," nodded Issei, and in the next moment, without another word, Li Zhang ran out of the corner, and seemed to have gone to the second floor of the building. When he came back, he was followed by an old man.

"Is this the one you told me about?" asked the old man as he glanced at Issei, his ancient and wizened eyes seemingly piercing into his soul. He then approached Issei, and merely glanced at the list before saying in a tone full of contempt, clearly annoyed, "Young lad, do you think this is a joke? Most of the materials here can't even be found on our main branch, never mind here! Not only that, there are many things here not I even I recognize!"

"Really...?" Issei's eyes widened in surprise. In reality, it wasn't be that much of shock, since most of the materials stated in the list there were actually written in the names used in the place where the elder who he had acquired the memories from lived in, which was called the Realm of Gods. Obviously, since Issei lived in a completely different place, the names were bound to be different. Sighing, Issei said, "Then get me whatever you have here."

The old-man, upon listening to Issei's words, seemed to have become more annoyed, as he crossed his arms contemptuously.

"Counting the two dresses and the Phoenix Treasured Soil, along with the materials we have, the total price will be of over 4000 Purple Profound Coins. Are you sure of this? Can you even pay it?" asked the old man sternly, obviously thinking that Issei was simply wasting his time.

"Oh? What's this? You don't believe me?" Issei smiled smugly before waving his hands. In the next moment, on top of the counter, over sixty small pellets appeared. All of them were of a deep red color, and instantly, the air of medicines filled the entire area.

After doing so, Issei merely crossed his arms, and awaited for the reactions that would follow. It was finally time to show who was the boss!

As for the old man, the moment he caught sight of those pills, his eyes widened greatly, as if he had seen a ghost. He immediately grabbed one, and brought it close to his eyes. His entire face paled as his skin adopted an ashen color, while he started trembling all over, "T-this.. This.. Fire Spirit Pill!"

Immediately, the old man grabbed another one, and upon seeing that it was the same as the other one, his jaw hit the floor and his eyes widened even further. "These... all of these are Fire Spirit Pills?!"

Fire Spirit Pills were refined from Fire Spirit Grass, which was already exceedingly rare. Not only that, it was extremely difficult to refine one, since the rate of success was extremely low. And yet, right in front of him, there were over sixty of them! And, the most surprising part was the quality of them. All of them were extremely high-quality, which meant that they were perfectly refined!

Someone who was capable of refining such medicine, and even more so, able to refine it into such a high-graded pellets, couldn't be found in any of the sects in Blue Wind Nation, not even the four great sects! Even in the Divine Phoenix Empire, it would almost be impossible to find someone capable of such feat! Just who... just who was this young man?!

While the old-man was completely engrossed in his analizys of the pill, Issei's arrogant voice suddenly rang out, snapping the old-man out of his thoughts.

"Now, do you still dare say that I can't buy it?" humphed Issei as he glared at the old man disdainfully, his eyes half-closed while his mouth was curved in a haughty smile.

"Ah!" the old man lifted his head once more, and when he glanced at Issei again, his eyes were filled with respect, reverence and even fear, "E-Esteemed customer, please excuse this old man's actions! I had eyes, but I couldn't see!" the old man then stopped slightly and upon seeing that Issei had no intentions of saying anything, he continued, "Esteemed Customer, as I said before, the total price will be over 4000 Purple Profound Coins... however, each of these pills is worth 160 Purple Profound Coins... would Esteemed Customer be willing to spend twenty five of these in exchange for the materials?"

As of this moment, every doubt that the old man had was long since gone. To be able to produce so many high-quality medicine effortlessly, he was sure that Issei was definitely some kind of young master of a huge sect, or even some expert who had disguised himself as someone else. Either way, he couldn't afford to offend neither of them!

…

…

…

Ten minutes later, Issei walked out of the Black Merchant Guild branch center, a cosmos sack, which was granted by the old man for free, hanging by his waist. Within it, there were the two dresses, the best inscription paper that the store had, along with Phoenix Treasured Soil and a lot of the materials that Issei required! Obviously, the business had been a success!

Immediately after leaving the vicinity of the Black Merchant Guild, Issei's appearance changed was once again, reverting back to his normal look. The haughty expression on his eyes also disappeared, which was replaced by a sharp and cold look.

At the same time, the cosmos sack by his waist disappeared, having been sent to the Sky Poison Pearl. Jasmine also went back to the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, excited to get off of her dirty robes and change into her new dress.

...

"That went better than expected," murmured Issei as he thought over the previous events. Although he had wasted a great portion of his Fire Spirit Pills, it wasn't really that much of a deal, as he would be able to have his own garden of Fire Spirit Grass in the future. Not only that, the Fire Spirit Pill didn't have any use to him now that he had acquired the Fire Seed of the Evil God, so their only use was to be traded.

Not only that, with the materials Issei had bought, he would be able to start creating some inscriptions symbols, which could then be sold for even more money! Even though he hadn't be able to acquire various of the materials he desired for, it would still be possible to draw up quite a few with what he currently had.

At the moment, however, he didn't have time to think about such matters, for he had come to the New Moon City for another reason aside from the Black Moon Merchant Guild. Within the city, there were many sects and clans, including a Profound Palace, which was a sect directly related to the Blue Wind Imperial Family. This Profound Palace was known as the New Moon Profound Palace, and was considered as a high-level school for cultivators!

Currently, Issei had three different sects in mind. He could either join the branch of the Xiao Sect, the branch sect of the Burning Heaven Clan or the New Moon Profound Palace. Out out all of those, the biggest and most prosperous was the Xiao Sect, so he was actually leaning towards it. However, he didn't know whether or not any of them would be accepting disciples, so he first needed to find out their locations and check the situation.

After inquiring around for the locations, Issei discovered that the Xiao Sect was situated in the far end of the New Moon City, and covered the area of the an entire mountain range. The Burning Heaven Sect was actually quite close to his current position, while the New Moon profound Palace was the closest one, and if Issei wanted to head towards the branch sect of the Xiao Sect, he would have to go through the New Moon Profound Palace.

As such, Issei decided that it would be for the best to head over to the Burning Heaven Sect, and then go to the New Moon Profound Palace, and the Xiao Sect in that order, since it would be the most time-efficient way.

However, upon arriving at the Burning Heaven Sect, he was immediately rejected, as the guarding elders had said that his cultivation base was too low. Not only that, they refused to let him show them his abilities, so his only options were the two other great sects in the area.

...

"Those damnable bastards, they didn't even give me the chance to show my power!" cursed Issei while walking towards the New Moon Palace, an unsightly expression on his face. After all, his battle prowess exceeded his cultivation base by far, but those members from the Burning Heaven Sect were too narrow-minded to acknowledge that. "Well, it's their loss! They simply threw away the best fire-related cultivator that they could ever hope to find!"

After saying so, Issei sighed once more, as he began to think that maybe it wouldn't be as easy to enter a sect as he had thought. After all, his cultivation base was of the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, and even with the golden lightning, it would only be the second level. That kind of power wasn't anything amazing, and if they didn't give him the chance to prove himself, then Issei would most likely have to make do with some of the smaller sects.

"Let's just hope that at either the New Moon Profound Palace or the Xiao Sect will accept me...," murmured Issei darkly as he continued walking. At the same time, Eggy, who had sensed his distress, suddenly spoke.

"Issei, I wouldn't think too much into it. If you can't join one of the high ranked sects, then just join one of the lower ranked ones! After that, once you display your powers, all of those high-ranked sects will start crowding around you, wanting you to join them!" said Eggy with a cheerful tone, as she tried to lighten up Issei's mood.

Although she refused at first, she actually had liked the 'Purple Night Dress', and she immediately wore it after Issei brought it over for her. Surprisingly, it was even possible to bring objects from the real world into the World Spirit Space! Because of that, Eggy felt even more indebted to Issei than usual, and was trying even harder to cheer him up.

Issei slightly nodded to Eggy's words, and just as he was about to reply, he suddenly stopped, as he caught sight of someone walking in the streets. His current location was near the entrance of the New Moon Profound Palace, and there were countless disciples from the New Moon Profound Palace going to and fro in the area. However, one of those had specially caught his attention.

This person was actually a woman, around seventeen years of age, and more than anything, she was extremely beautiful. Her hair was long and black, while her eyes were of a deep onyx color. She wore the usual robes of the New Moon Profound Palace, and her expression was one of deep thought, which seemed to even contain hints of sadness. However, the most surprising thing about her was the aura around her, which had some kind of deterrence to it, along with the boundless power of a tyrant.

That face... that aura... Issei only knew one person who possessed those characteristics. His lips parted slightly as he murmured softly, "...Senior Sister...Mei...?"

As if on cue, the young woman also noticed him at the same time, and she suddenly stopped in place, her eyes widening. For some reason, the handsome young man in front of her reminded her of someone she had had met over three years ago. Although they looked completely different, the moment she looked at him, somehow, she knew how it was.

"Junior Brother... Issei?"

There was no doubt about it. Although his face was no longer girly and delicate, the look in his eyes was the same, and even his bearing remained unchanged! This young man was actually the boy she had been searching for a long time, and who she thought was dead... Her treasured Junior Brother!

"Mei?! How come you're here?!" Issei's eyes were widened as he looked with disbelief at the beauty in front of him. This heavenly beauty with tyrannical aura could only be his Senior Sister from a long time ago! However, how did he actually end up meeting her in this place? Wasn't this too much of a coincidence!?

"Issei! You... You... are alive!" exclaimed Xia Mei excitedly, as she ran over in the young man's direction, completely disregarding the looks other people were sending in her direction. In the next moment, she opened her arms wide and enveloped Issei in tight embrace.

In the next moment, however, Issei's eyes widened, as he felt the aura around his neck growing wet. Slightly moving his eyes to the side, he actually found out that Xia Mei was crying, "Senior Sister?! Are you alright?!"

Xia Mei didn't seem to hear him as she sobbed, her expression one of happiness and joy, "I-I searched... all over for you... I thought... that you... had died...! For those three years, I...!"

Hearing her words, Issei's eyes suddenly widened as he realized what had happened. After the destruction of Heavenly Might School, Xia Mei had most likely heard about it, and since she couldn't find him, deduced that he had died in the process! This meant that for these last three years... she thought that he was dead!

At the same time, a conceited voice rang in Issei's heads.

"Aren't you a talented male? She only saw you for a few seconds, and she's already crying!" exclaimed Jasmine with sarcasm and disdain. Her expression then suddenly grew slightly serious as she murmured, "However, this girl... how come she has...?"

"Issei!" Eggy suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Jasmine's musings. Her expression was one of displeasure, and the look she was giving Xia Mei was nothing short of deadly. "Don't tell me that you have yet another girl! What's the meaning of this?!"

"Ah...," murmured Issei in shock, as he didn't know how he should begin. There were too many things happening around him, and the only thing he knew for certain was that he was screwed. Oh, so badly.

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	23. Perfect Opportunity!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - Perfect Opportunity!**

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 _ **(This is the only chapter today, since I screwed up in my schedule. As such, there will be more chapters tomorrow then usual in order to make up for today. By the way, there was a chapter yesterday, in which Issei takes part in some trading with a Merchant Guild of sorts. If you haven't read it, please do read and review it! By the way, tomorrow, there will be no announcements when the chapter is uploaded, and it will appear as though the story hasn't been updated, although new chapters are going to be uploaded. At most, there will only an e-mail message for the followers, so for the guests and those who aren't following, I suggest you check on this story around 19 hours from now, as there will surely be new chapters tomorrow!)**_

Within New Moon City, near the New Moon Profound Palace, was a young man, along with a girl, who were currently catching up on what had happened ever since they had parted with each other. After Issei had managed to appease the furious Eggy, promising to explain the situation to her in the near future, and get the crying Xia Mei to calm down, they were once again to talk normally.

"So, Junior Brother Issei, you're telling me that you were actually away from the school when it had been destroyed?" Xia Mei's slightly reddened eyes widened in surprise slightly, as she immediately understood how Issei had been able to preserve his life.

"That's about it," said Issei with a casual nod. Obviously, he wasn't about to tell Xia Mei the truth, since more than anything, it was an ugly one. Not only that, he didn't know how he was supposed to convince her that he had actually been the cause of all the deaths. "As such, I really don't know what happened there."

"So that's what happened," nodded Xia Mei slowly. In the next moment, however, she seemed to have noticed something, as she couldn't help but to ask, "Junior Brother, is it just me or is your cultivation...?"

When they were back in Heavenly Might School, Xia Mei clearly remembered how his cultivation base base had been at the sixth level of the Nascent Profound Realm. Currently, however, it was obvious that it was only in the first level, and she couldn't help but to be surprised.

Issei, upon hearing her question, revealed an awkward smile, "About that... All I can say is that I have been through a lot of things during these past few years...," said Issei, as he knew that it wouldn't be wise to explain all that happened. At the same time, he also seemed to have noticed something, "Forgetting about _my_ cultivation, Senior Sister, it also seems you have been facing some troubles. How come you're still in the in the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm?"

"Ah?!" Xia Mei's eyes widened in surprise slightly, only for her to sigh. "I truly don't know what happened..., ever since I made a breakthrough into the Nascent Profound Realm, it has been getting harder and harder to increase my cultivation... Although I have been cultivating every day, I still can't seem to breakthrough into the fourth level..."

Upon hearing her words, Issei's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything, as there was nothing he could say. However, there was another thing that could be done. "Senior Sister, before we continue, could you do me a favor?"

"Ah? Of course, what is it?" asked Xia Mei, an expectant expression on her face. She was clearly eager to help out her treasured Junior Brother in any way possible.

"I'll need to touch your shoulder slightly," said Issei as he took a step closer, a hesitant expression on his face. "Would you mind?"

Obviously, Issei wasn't sure on how the beautiful seventeen years old girl would react. After all, the body was something that all females treasured, and upon facing such an abrupt request, it wouldn't be strange for Xia Mei to reveal unwillingness. Much to Issei's surprise, however, Xia Mei simply looked at him strangely.

"That's it?" she said plainly as she slightly tapped her shoulders, clearing out the strands of hair on top of them. "Feel free to, but can I ask why?"

"...Ah?" murmured Issei, a little taken-aback before he quickly organized his thoughts. Taking a step closer, he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder as he said, "You see, I just want to try out something. It should only take a few seconds."

After saying so, Issei closed his eyes and sent his consciousness inside Xia Mei's body, in order to search for any abnormalities. After all, no matter how crappy a person's talent was, being stuck for more than three years in the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm was something unheard of. As such, Issei suspected that there was something wrong with his Senior Sister.

At first, Issei didn't really came across anything strange, but in the moment his consciousness reached Xia Mei's profound veins and dantian, his expression suddenly morphed into one of surprise, as he discovered that astonishingly, her profound veins were twice, if not thrice, as thick as a normal person's. The width of the profound veins was something Issei had never seen before, and not only that, Xia Mei's dantian was also unusually large!

 _This... just what kind of profound veins and dantian are these? Could it be some kind of strange profound system...? No, that shouldn't be the case. Although there are some profound systems with different characteristics, this is still too much...,_ though Issei with a serious expression. Following that, he circulated his consciousness within Xia Mei's body a few times before sending it back.

Taking his hand off Xia Mei's shoulder, Issei took a step back as he forced himself to maintain a calm expression. Upon noticing that whatever Issei was done had ended, Xia Mei couldn't help but to ask, "Ehm... Junior Brother...? Just what was it that you were intending on doing...?"

"It's nothing," Issei shook his head slightly before changing subject. "Anyhow, given by your robes, have you entered the New Moon Profound Palace?"

"Oh?" Xia Mei mouthed in surprise before noticing the clothes she wore. She then smiled lightly as she nodded, "I entered it six months ago. Before, I had been spending some time with Father, as he had been rather lonely these past two years, since my little sister has headed into her sect for secluded cultivation..."

"Little sister?" asked Issei in surprise before he remembered how Xia Mei had mentioned that she had a sibling back when they were in Heavenly Might School. "...I remember that you told me that she was quite a genius... I wonder, which sect has she joined?"

After Issei said such words, surprisingly, Xia Mei revealed a rather troubled expression before she sighed, "Actually, this is a secret, but since it's Junior Brother, I think there will be no harm in telling you. My little sister is actually a disciple of Blue Wind's Nation second best sect, Frozen Cloud Asgard!"

"Frozen Cloud Asgard...?" murmured Issei before nodding. "Then your little sister must certainly be very amazing-"

Suddenly, however, Issei stopped his speech mid-way, his eyes widening as he seemed to have realized something. Immediately, he looked at Xia Mei seriously and asked, "Senior Sister, by any chance, do the cultivators in Frozen Cloud Asgard practice strictly ice-related cultivation skills?"

"Yes," nodded Xia Mei. "...Why?"

Not answering her, Issei continued as his expression grew even more complicated, "Then... could it be that the only cultivators there are woman...? They aren't allowed to come into contact with men...?"

"Again, yes," said Xia Mei, confirming Issei's doubts.

At that point, Issei's eyes were completely widened, as he slowly placed the pieced everything together. Frozen Cloud Asgard... Ice-related Cultivation Skills... Xia Mei... Surname Xia... Genius little sister... It can't be! There's no way... right?!

Immediately, Issei's gaze turned serious as he asked with unprecedented graveness, "Senior Sister, could the name of your little sister actually be Xia Qingyue...?"

"Fue?!" Xia Mei looked at Issei incredulously. "How did you know..?! Did I tell you before?"

"This...," upon hearing Xia Mei's obvious confirmation, Issei knew that there was no longer any doubt. Xia Qingyue, the girl who he had healed, and also shared his first kiss, was actually... Xia Mei's, his Senior Sister, little sister!

"I... just happened to have heard that name before," sighed Issei, realizing that somehow, he had gotten himself in a really strange situation. Two sisters... he actually held feelings towards a pair of sisters... he couldn't even believe what was happening. Shaking his head slightly, Issei once more changed the subject, "Anyways, Senior Sister, moving on... So you entered New Moon Profound Palace six months ago?"

"...Yes," said Xia Mei with a strange expression, feeling that there was something that Issei wasn't telling her. In the end, however, she couldn't do anything about it as she continued, "In fact, I'm actually part of class one!"

"Class one?" asked Issei, trying to make sure that they wouldn't touch upon Xia Qingyue's subject again. Just thinking about it brought him a headache, so he tried to keep Xia Mei engaged in another topic. At the same time, this was also of his interest, so he couldn't help but to ask, "Is Class One something special...?"

"En," Xia Mei nodded and smiled proudly, "Class One is actually the best class in the entire New Moon Profound Palace! Not only that, it's taught by the Profound Department's Great Elder, one of the most powerful elders in the school! It's extremely rare to enter, and it can only be done so if you have exceptional talent or...," reaching that point, Xia Mei suddenly blushed slightly, slightly ashamed, "You need to have good connections..."

"...Does this mean that your family also has some relationship with the New Moon Profound Palace?" asked Issei, as the meaning behind Xia Mei's words was clear. Obviously, with her talent, she would be unable to enter, so she must have somehow made use of her father's connections. If Issei remembered correctly, her father must have been some kind of merchant, so although rare, it wouldn't be strange for him to have connections with someone from such a place.

Xia Mei merely blushed a little further, as she grew slightly more ashamed. After all, it wasn't something praiseworthy to enter a high-level class merely through connections. If anything, it was an extremely shameless act. "Actually, my grandfather had visited New Moon City in his younger days, and made some good friends here. One of them actually became one of the Vice-Chiefs of New Moon Profound Palace, and because of that, I was able to s-skip the entrance test and directly go to class 1."

By nature, as a lady that had grown up in a wealthy environment, Xia Mei was supposed to always have an exemplary behavior, and to her, such shameless acts were something that she was deeply embarrassed of. In the end, however, she could do nothing about it, as her father had insisted.

In the end, Xia Mei merely shook her head and said, "Well, never mind that... Junior Brother, do you have somewhere to stay at? Have you already joined one of the sects or clans? What are you planning on doing now?"

"Actually, about that...," Issei briefly glanced in the New Moon Profound Palace's direction before saying, "I was actually planning on taking the entrance test for the New Moon Profound Palace..."

Previously, his true objective had actually been the Xiao Sect, but he figured that since the Burning Heaven Clan hadn't accepted him, the Xiao Sect, that was even greater, most likely also wouldn't even bat an eye. Not only that, Xia Mei was actually at New Moon Profound Palace, and since they had been away for so long, he actually wanted to spend some time with her.

Xia Mei's eyes immediately brightened up upon hearing Issei's words, and she adopted an expression of joy. Quickly, however, it was replaced by a troubled expression. "...Actually, Junior Brother, I think that you might have to wait before you can do that. That's because there will be a grand event, and because of that, I believe that the New Moon Profound Palace is not taking in any disciples at the moment."

"...Great event? What's happening?"

"Today is actually the new Palace Chief's appointment day," explained Xia Mei. "As such, there's going to be a congratulatory feast this evening. According to tradition, all of the well-known sect and clans of New Moon city will be part of that, and there will be many spars between the younger generation of the sects and clans as means of entertainment."

"...All well-known sects? Spars?" Issei's eyes widened, as he realized that this was the opportunity he was waiting for all along! Not only would this allow him to fight, he would also be able to attract attention to himself, and maybe even be able to join the Xiao Sect or the Burning Heaven Clan... It was as if someone up there had heard his prayers, as this was exactly what he had been waiting for!

 **Read & Review~! (REVIEW~! REVIEW~!)**


	24. Elder Sikong Han

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 24 - Elder Sikong Han**

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 **(Next chapter should be uploaded in about 1 hour and thirty minutes)**

At the moment, Issei was faced with the best opportunity possible. Not only would this little 'tournament' allow him to fight other people, he would also be able to make a name for himself! How could he possibly let this pass him by?! This was simply a perfect chance!

Immediately, Issei's gaze locked onto Xia Mei's eyes, and within his dark-brown eyes, shone unprecedented eagerness, and more than anything, anticipation. "Senior Sister, quickly tell me... is there some way for me to participate in this tournament?"

"...Ah?" Xia Mei looked at him blankly for a while before her eyes widened in shock, looking at her treasured Junior Brother with disbelief. "Junior Brother, what are you talking about? You aren't even part of the New Moon Profound Palace and yet, and the participants have already been selected... how could you possibly enter?"

Issei, however, wasn't unwilling to let this matter go as he pressed on further, "Then, Senior Sister, do you know the person who is responsible for the participants of the New Moon Profound Palace? Do you know where he is?"

"The one responsible... that would be Elder Sikong Han," said Xia Mei after some thinking. She then looked at Issei strangely, "Junior Brother, you can't possibly be thinking about..."

"Can you bring me to meet him?" interrupted Issei, his expression serious. He had already decided; no matter what it took, he would participate in this tournament.

However, fate didn't seem to be on his side, as Xia Mei shook her head. "Junior Brother, actually, even if it was a normal day, Elder Sikong is a busy person. Even more so today that he has to make preparations for the banquet..."

"Do you at least know where he is?" continued Issei, not dispirited in the least. After all, he had some cards up his sleeve. As long as he could meet with this person, then he was sure that he would be able to catch his attention.

"...Where he is?" murmured Xia Mei before nodding. "He should probably be on the Elder's Hall... normal disciples can't go there, but as part of Class 1, I know where it is."

"Alright then, take me there," Issei looked at Xia Mei with a little bit of impatience. He knew that the sooner he got to meet this Sikong person, the better.

"Take you there? But that wouldn't change anything-"

"Believe me, I know what I'm doing," assured Issei as he looked at Xia Mei in the eyes, looking at her with confidence. Initially, Xia Mei planned on refusing, but upon seeing the look in his eyes, she sighed and nodded.

"Alright, follow me," she merely said before walking away, leading Issei in the direction of the New Moon Profound Palace. She didn't know what he was planning on doing, but since he seemed so sure about it, she decided to trust him on this. After all, she remembered that her Junior Brother would never do something that he wasn't sure of.

While Issei and Xia Mei walked towards the palace, Jasmine voice rang in Issei's mind. "Issei, this girl..., you friend... how old is she?"

"Hmm? She should be around seventeen, why?" said Isse through the mental connection, slightly surprised by Jasmine's question.

"Seventeen...," murmured Jasmine as she seemed to be pondering over something. After a couple of seconds, she said, "There's no doubt about it. This girl actually possess the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins!"

"...What? Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, but the change was so minimal that Xia Mei failed to notice. Issei then frowned slightly and asked, "Is that some kind of power?"

"Indeed," Jasmine nodded as she explained, "This girl seems to be the sister of the other girl, Xia Qingyue, if I recall, correct? Most likely, she probably inherited this from her mother, just as the other girl was born with the 'Heart of Snow Glazed Glass' and 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'. The 'Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins', however, are even slightly stronger than those two powers. As you most likely have noticed before, her profound veins are much thicker than that of a normal person, right?"

"Yes..."

"Well, that's a characteristic of the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins," explained Jasmine. "Those veins, even in the Higher Realm are extremely rare, and more so than anything, domineering. Whoever could possess it would be able to rule over an entire realm, and yet... in a place such as this, there's no difference from these veins to crippled ones. With these veins, while it's not apparent in the Elementary Profound Realm, upon reaching the Nascent Profound Realm, it would be tens of thousand of times more difficult to progress. At the same time, it would be impossible to breakthrough to the True Profound Realm even in an entire lifetime!"

"What?! Then how...-"

Before Issei could continue, he suddenly stopped, as a person suddenly appeared, blocking their path. He stood in front of the New Moon Profound Palace's main entrance, and wore the same robes as Xia Mei. He merely glanced at Xia Mei, revealed a lascivious look, before looking at Issei's direction, thereupon frowning.

"Non-disciples aren't allowed to enter," he said plainly.

"Senior Brother Zhan, he is my friend, could you..." Xia Mei tried to argue with the young gatekeeper, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"I won't repeat myself twice. Non-disciples may not enter," said 'Senior Brother Zhan' with a stern look on his face.

 _Hmm? The way he looks at Xia Mei..._ , thought Issei, as he noticed the lewd glanced that the gatekeeper kept sending in Xia Mei's direction. Issei's expression then turned into a slight frown, _I see... this may be more troublesome than I thought. Maybe I should stay in New Moon Profound Palace in the end... However, that doesn't change the fact that I must still fight in the tournament. I need to try out my powers._

After thinking that, Issei took a step forward, standing directly in front of Xia Mei. He then looked back at his Senior Sister and smiled lightly, "Let me handle this." Turning his attention back to the gatekeeper, Issei took another step forward, decreasing the distance between them, and said, "Senior Brother Zhan, is it? Would you be so kind as to let us pass?"

"I already said-"

Before he could even continue, Issei's index finger shot out, precisely landing in a spot of the young man's neck. In the next moment, the eyes of the gatekeeper rolled over, as he fell to the ground, unconscious.

As if nothing had happened, Issei took another step forward, dodging Senior Brother Zhan's body, and looked back at Xia Mei, who was looking at him in bewilderment. Issei then pointed in the direction of the palace and said, "Senior Sister? Let's get going."

"...Ah?" Xia Mei's eyes widened. She then briefly glanced at the unconscious gatekeeper on the ground and without a single word, jumped over the body and after a few awkward seconds, said, "A-alright, Junior Brother, follow me."

Nodding, Issei followed after her, and soon after, both of them entered the large palace. After walking for a while, Xia Mei pulled Issei, taking him to the front of the Elder's Hall. She then approached the large doors and said, "I'll go see if Elder Sikong is here. Wait for me a little, Junior Brother."

Xia Mei then extended her hand, and just as she was about to knock, the door abruptly opened, and from the other side, a middle-aged man clad in a robed walked out. Immediately upon seeing who it was, Xia Mei's eyes lit up as she approached him, "Elder Sikong, you're here! That's perfect."

This middle-aged looking man was none other than Sikong Han, the man Issei required to meet. His expression, that had been a thoughtful one, suddenly changed into a surprised one as he noticed Xia Mei. He then smiled gently, "Mei? Is there anything you need?"

"Ah, about that...," Xia Mei was about to begin, but Issei was faster as he took a step forward. "You're Elder Sikong, correct? Would you be willing to give me a little of your time?"

"Oh?" Elder Sikong glanced at Issei briefly, and upon not recognizing him, shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm too busy right now. Could we leave this for another time?"

Issei, however, smiled as he produced something from his Cosmos Sack. He then lightly opened his hands, letting Elder Sikong see the small red-colored pellet that he held. "I wonder... if Elder Sikong could make some time for me now?"

"This...," the middle-aged man's eyes widened, as although he couldn't discern what the pill in Issei's hands was, it was clear that it was a high-graded one. Not only that, the smell of medicine was incomparably dense, and more than anything possible. Without a doubt, this was extremely special. Seeing Issei's intention, he revealed a slightly troubled expression before coughing slightly, "...Now that I think about it, I actually have some time to spare. Young man, follow me."

After saying so, Elder Sikong glanced one last time at the pill in Issei's hands, before walking in another direction. Xia Mei, who hadn't noticed what had happened, revealed a surprised expression. She had only sensed a strange smell, but she didn't know what it was.

"Senior Sister, wait here for a few minutes. I'll be right back," said Issei before following after Elder Sikong. Xia Mei nodded slightly, and although she only had a brief idea of what was happening, she found herself a place to sit while she waited for her Junior Brother.

A few minutes later, Issei was now standing in front of a large office. Elder Sikong then brought him inside, and gestured for him to seat in one of the chairs with, while he sat on the chair opposite to it. "Alright, Young man, what do you wish to discuss with me?"

"I would like to enter the New Moon Profound Palace and participate in the banquet," said Issei plainly, cutting right to the chase. His gaze was serious, and he looked at Elder Sikong earnestly, clearly unfazed by the latter's aura of power.

"You?" Elder Sikong looked at him slightly before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but your cultivation base is just too low. I believe that is..."

Sikong Han suddenly stopped speaking, as Issei placed the small pellet that was on his hands on the table near them and said, "This is a Fire Spirit Pill of the highest quality. Take me into the banquet, and it's yours."

"...About this," Sikong Han revealed a troubled expression, as he kept glancing at the pill, a look full of desire on his face. "I'm still sorry, but-"

Issei produced two more pills and placed them on the table. Without a single word, he looked back at Sikong Han, the hints of a playful smile on the corner of his lips.

"..." Sikong looked at the three pills silently for a long time before sighing. "...You said they were Fire Spirit Pills?"

"Indeed," nodded Issei as his smile grew wider, aware that he had managed to finally catch his Sikong Han's attention. Just as they say, cultivation resources could get you anywhere if in the right amount.

 **Read & Review~!**


	25. Quick Beating

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 25 - Quick Beating**

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 **(Last chapter today. More tomorrow. Review!)**

After explaining about the Fire Spirit Pills and their properties to Sikong Han, Issei clearly noticed how the middle-aged man's eyes were completely brightened up. It was obvious that his interest in the pill wasn't small.

Finally, Issei then crossed his arms and said, "So, how about it? Will it be possible for me to enter the banquet?"

Sikong Han didn't say anything in response, glancing at the three pills one last time before looking at Issei seriously, "Young man, your offer certainly entices me, but I must ask you something. What makes you believe that I won't simply grab your pills here and now? Your cultivation is only in the early Nascent Profound Realm... you wouldn't be able to do nothing about it."

However, contrary to Sikong's expectations, not only did Issei not reveal an expression of surprise, he merely shrugged his shoulders. "Firstly, you are an esteemed elder... how could you possibly do something to someone of the younger generation like me...? It definitely would go against the path of martial arts of someone as respectful as you."

Issei then stopped, and upon seeing the ugly expression on Sikong Han's face, he continued, "Not only that, what makes you think that I'm alone? I'm not foolish... I would never dare to take out these pills without a proper backup plan," reaching that part, Issei merely glanced at the direction of the pills, "If you don't believe me, then feel free to try to rob them."

Just as he had said, Issei was certainly not afraid. After all, with a single command, he would be able to bring out Ddraig, an Emperor Profound Dragon. Sikong Han's cultivation, at most, was at the peak of the Earth Profound Realm. If Issei wanted to, he could trash the entire city. As such, even if Sikong Han dared to rob the pills, it would be the same as digging his own grave.

"You...," Sikong Han's eyes widened, and upon seeing the expression of utmost confidence on Issei's face, he could only sigh. Obviously, there was the chance that he could be bluffing, but for some reason, Sikong Han didn't believe that to be the case. Not only that, just as Issei had said, it would be beneath him to rob someone from the younger generation. The words he had said before were only a test. In the end, the middle-aged man said, "Look, it's not that I don't want to make you enter the banquet, but with your cultivation, I'm afraid that you would only embarrass yourself."

The banquet would be attended by the peak geniuses of all the well-known sects in the area. Even the weakest person there would be in the middle stages of the Nascent Profound Realm, so how could Issei, who was only in the first level, possibly do something? In Sikong Han's view, he would only shame himself.

Issei, however, merely smiled, and with a single thought, he activated his golden lightning. His cultivation base suddenly shot up to the second level of the Nascent Profound Realm, making Sikong Han's eyes widen.

"Y-you... how did you...?" murmured Sikong in shock, as he started at Issei with widened eye, an expression of astonishment on his face. After all, what Issei had just done, in his eyes, proved that he had been suppressing his cultivation. This, however, should have been impossible, since with the difference in their levels, Issei should not be able of such feat!

"As I told you, I know that I'm doing," said Issei with a small smile while he deactivated the golden lightning, his cultivation base once more retreating to the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, as if nothing had happened. He then smiled mysteriously as he continued, "What I showed you was a mere fraction of my power... I'm only restricting my cultivation base as to not call attention to myself. I can assure you that I'm much, much stronger than you could possibly imagine."

"..." Sikong Han didn't say anything as he looked at Issei deeply, searching for any flaws in his expression; proofs that he was lying. Alas, Issei was just too good of an actor, and no matter how much Sikong Han searched, he couldn't find any deceit on the young man's voice. Finally, the middle aged man sighed and said, "The participants for the tournament have already been decided, and it won't be possible to enter you inside so suddenly. However, if you managed to somehow defeat one of the participants before the start of the banquet, then... no one would be able to find any fault in it."

As a man of morals, what Sikong Han was doing was something that he never would have dreamed of doing, but the allure of the Fire Spirit Pills were just too great to ignore. As Issei had guessed, he was indeed a fire-attributed cultivator, and those pills would greatly enhance his cultivation base. As such, he could only make some exceptions and temporarily disregard his morals and beliefs.

…

…

…

Five minutes later, Issei walked out of the room along with Sikong Han, a happy expression on his face. Although he was three spirits pills lighter, he didn't really mourn over his loss, as the benefits that it brought along far exceeded their value. Not only that, soon enough, Issei would be able to have his own garden of Fire Spirit Grass, so he didn't really care for three measly Fire Spirit Pills.

Issei then followed Sikong Han back to the entrance of the Elders Hall, where Xia Mei awaited for him with an anxious expression. However, upon seeing the happy and calm expression on Issei's face, she suddenly realized that everything had gone as planned. Approaching her Junior Brother, she whispered, "How was it?"

"We're going to pay a visit to one of the weakest participants of the tournament. As long as I can defeat him, I'll be able to take his place," Issei whispered back to her as he continued following Sikong Han. Soon after, they exited the palace and headed towards the residential area.

"Junior Brother...," Xia Mei couldn't help but to reveal a look of surprise and admiration as she looked at the boy two years younger than her. She then sighed, "Could you tell me how you did it?"

"...I have my secrets," whispered Issei back while he winked at her. Xia Mei blushed slightly, and after that, didn't say anything more, as they continued to walk through the New Moon Profound Palace in a pleasant silence. Soon after, they came across a funny-looking youth, who had a rather large nose.

"Elder Sikong," the youth immediately bowed politely upon seeing Sikong Han. Obviously, just as Xia Mei had said, Sikong Han's standing in the New Moon Profound Palace was quite high.

"Cheng...," Sikong Han looked at the young man pitifully before sighing. This young man, Cheng Xue, was actually one of the disciples chosen to participate in the banquet, and also one of the weakest, his strength being only in the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm. "Cheng, would you mind to have a little spar with this disciple?"

Sikong Han then pointed in Issei's direction as he explained, "He has only joined recently, and he wants to see where he stands compared other disciples. As such, could you please share some pointers with him?"

"Oh?" Cheng Xue's eyes widened slightly, and he immediately glanced in Issei's direction. The moment he noticed that Issei was only in the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, the corner of his lips curled upwards as he quickly nodded. "Of course! I would be glad to."

He then took a step forward, and with what seemed to be an amiable smile, he greeted Issei politely, "Junior brother, what's your name?"

"I'm called Issei," Issei introduced himself plainly, clearly seeing through Cheng Xue's facade. Ever since Issei had arrived at the scene, Cheng Xue had glanced at Xia Mei more than a handful of times, and it was obvious that he wanted to glorify himself in front of her by beating Issei down. If his intentions had truly been kind, Issei would have treated him politely, but since that was not the case... Cheng Xue was up for a beating.

Issei then ignored Cheng Xue as he turned his head to look at Sikong Han. "Elder Sikong, where can we spar?"

"Follow me," said Sikong after walking away. Soon after, they arrived at what seemed to a small arena. Surprisingly enough, the arenas were near the residential area. Issei quickly assumed that such arrangement had been made so disciples could quickly settle any conflicts between them through spars.

After arriving, one of the elders in charge was about to walk forth, but upon noticing Sikong Han, he stepped back, an ingratiating smile on his face, "Elder Sikong! It's a pleasure to meet you here! Would you like one of the arenas right now?"

"Yes," Sikong Han nodded before looking in Issei's and Xue's direction. "You may enter the arena. Start in one minute. The rules are simple; the match ends when one opponent give up or can no longer move. No crippling is allowed."

Issei and Xue quickly nodded, and soon after, they entered the arena. While they waited for the time to begin, Sikong Han took out some papers for his cosmos sack, deciding that it would be wise to deal with some of the more urgent matters during the battle. After all, his time was indeed short, and he assumed that the battle would last a few minutes, so he didn't want to waste any time.

However, Sikong Han would soon be proven incorrect, as the match wouldn't last any longer than a single incense stick worth of time.

The moment the one minutes passed, Cheng Xue immediately flicked his sleeves, producing a long saber from his cosmos sack. He then looked at Issei disdainfully, his expression of kindness and friendless long since gone. "Draw your weapon, kid."

"Weapon?" Issei revealed a small smile at Cheng Xue's words. He then shook his head and said, "You're not worthy."

"You...!" Cheng Xue's eyes widened in rage, for he realized that Issei was actually looking down on him! He immediately screamed out, "Bastard! I, your father, shall teach you some manner!"

After saying so, he dashed forward in Issei's direction, his saber pulled back, ready to maim Issei. Cheng Xue's fuse was short, and with that single sentence on Issei's part, he had been completely enraged. As such, he no longer cared for Sikong's words! He was determined to make Issei pay for looking down on him!

In the next moment, he swiped with his saber downwards, clearly piercing through Issei's body. Seeing that, Cheng Xue's eyes narrowed as he thought, _That's right kid, that's the price you pay for looking down on me!_

At the same time, Xia Mei, who had been looking at the battle, had her eyes widen in horror as she saw her treasured Junior Brother being pierced by Xue's weapon. "Junior Brother!"

Sikong also looked at the scene with surprise, but for a completely different reason. For, even though Issei had been clearly pierced, no blood had flowed out! "This... could it be?!"

Just as Cheng Xue was about to brag about his actions, the Issei in front of him suddenly disappeared, vanishing into thin-air. With widened eyes, Cheng Xue realized that something was wrong, but alas, it was already too late.

 _Bang!_

Issei, who had suddenly appeared behind Cheng Xue, kicked out with his feet towards Cheng Xue torso. The clear sound of something cracking then rang out, as in the next moment, Cheng Xue's body was thrown far away, flying off the stage and falling face-down into the ground around it. Three of his ribs had been fractured, and his nose had been broken by the fall.

Up on the stage, Issei merely glanced at Cheng Xue without a change in his expression. He then simply dusted off his clothes before walking off the stage, going to Xia Mei's side. As for Cheng Xue, he had lost consciousness in the moment of the impact, and was being checked by the elder in charge of the arena for any lasting damage.

After a while, the elder turned around to glance at Issei in surprise, before looking at Sikong Han, who had his eyes widened. "Elder Sikong, I'm going to take disciple Cheng Xue to the infirmary. Three of his ribs, along with his nose, are broken. I'm afraid he won't be able to participate in the banquet anymore."

"..Go," said Sikong Han after some silence. He then sighed, "I'll take care of the matter involving the banquet. Just make sure Cheng Xue doesn't lose his life."

"It shall be done," the elder nodded, and while carrying Cheng Xue, rushed into the infirmary. Although the injuries weren't too serious for a cultivator, it would be wise to get them treated as soon as possible.

Once the elder was gone, Sikong Han looked at Issei deeply before saying, "You may take Cheng Xue's place in the banquet," he then lightly tapped his cosmos sack, producing a small jade tablet. "This is the key to your room... the location is inscribed there. Mei should be able to take you there. I have also arranged for you to enter Class One."

Previously, Sikong Han was already sure that Issei would be able to win, so not only did he deal with some matters regarding the banquet, he had also made some arrangements for Issei to enter Class One. As for Issei's room, Sikong Han carried with him the keys to the unoccupied rooms, as he was also the one responsible for that.

Nodding, Issei took the jade tablet. He then was about to leave, but seemed to remember something as he stopped, "Would it be possible for Xia Mei to enter the banquet...?"

"Mei...?" Sikong Han looked at Mei before nodding, "Actually, I was already going to invite her to the banquet, as one of the vice-chiefs of the New Moon Profound Palace asked me to secure a position for her, so she could gain some insights from the battles."

"Oh?" Issei looked surprised at that, and after glancing at Xia Mei briefly and seeing her equally astonished expression, he merely nodded. "Alright, thank you, Elder Sikong."

"..." Sikong Han didn't say anything, and only gave Issei one more deep look before walking away. Obviously, he wanted nothing else to do with this strange and mysterious young man.

After Sikong Han left, Xia Mei quickly asked, "Junior Brother, before, what happened? I clearly saw you being cut... but, looking at you now, there's not even a scratch on your body! Was it a martial skill or a movement skill of sorts?"

"Something like that," nodded Issei as he begun to walk away. Previously, just as Xia Mei had guessed, he had indeed used a movement skill. Only that what he had used was a movement skill of a rank far above what could be seen on the higher realm, the almighty 'Star God's Broken Shadow.'

Afterward, Xia Mei looked at the directions inscribed within the jade tablet and began to lead Issei away into his room. On the way, however, what seemed to be a couple appeared on their path. One of them was a young man, with clearly handsome features, while the other one was a beautiful girl, and although not as much of a beauty as Xia Mei, she could still be considered to be a true, elegant beauty, capable of making one's heart tremble.

Issei merely glanced at them, and although his gaze lingered slightly on the girl, he didn't say anything as he continued moving. After all, he truly didn't have any interest on the girl. He was already used to beauties such as the Xia sisters, Eggy and Jasmine, so he wasn't the type to be easily swayed by beauty. Not only that, he was already having enough troubles when it came to girls, so he tried to keep his distance from any new ones.

Alas, destiny didn't seem to be on Issei's side that day, as even though Issei had clearly tried to pass by them unnoticed, it seemed as if the girl had taken notice of them, and more specifically, Xia Mei. Her eyes immediately lit-up as she called out, "Junior Sister Mei!"

"Ah?" At that moment, Xia Mei was also startled as she smiled, "Senior Sister Xueruo, Senior Brother Murong..."

Following that, the girl who had been refereed to as 'Senior Sister Xueruo' walked over, smiled, and initiated a conversation, "Junior Sister Xia, are you going back to rest? And... who is this?" she then looked at Issei and smiled, "Is he your friend?"

Not saying anything, Issei cursed mentally, as he realized that somehow, no matter where he went, he wouldn't be able to have a single moment of peace. Although he had clearly wanted to avoid talking with this girl, by some act of faith, she had actually taken the initiative to talk to them! If this wasn't bad luck, then what was? Issei could only hope that Eggy wouldn't grow more jealous, since she was already quite sensible after the matter with Xia Mei.

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	26. Lan Xueruo

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 26 - Lan Xueruo**

* * *

 **A/N: Xia Mei is actually seventeen, and not sixteen. All previous references to her age have already been corrected.**

A few minutes before Senior Sister Xueruo encountered Issei and Xia Mei, she had been walking through the New Moon Profound Palace, followed by Murong Ye, the person who had been refereed to as 'Senior Brother Murong' by Xia Mei.

Both Lan Xueruo and Murong Ye were known as the biggest geniuses of the New Moon Profound Palace. They were also part of Class One, and their cultivation bases were shocking. Both of them were at the eighth level of the Nascent Profound Realm, and were also younger than twenty. While Lan Xueruo was eighteen, Murong Ye was already nineteen years of age. Since their age was similar, and they were both geniuses, they were regarded as the most perfect couple of the New Moon Profound Palace.

However, such statement was far from the truth. While Murong Ye was indeed infatuated with Lan Xueruo, the same couldn't be said about the young, eighteen years old girl. At the same time, however, since her personality was too kind, she simply couldn't bring herself to reject Murong Ye. As such, even though he followed her around, she rarely spoke to him. Most of the time, only he did the talking.

Because of that, the moment Lan Xueruo caught sight of Xia Mei, she couldn't help but to feel joy. After all, Xia Mei, like her, was subjected to the lascivious gazes of the male disciples, and because of that, they tended to walk together. And, with her, Lan Xueruo would be able to distract herself from Murong Ye, so she immediately engaged in conversation.

However, Lan Xueruo soon noticed the handsome, sixteen-years-old-looking young man by Xia Mei's side, and couldn't help but to be surprised, since she had never seen her friend walking around with any male. Not only that, Xia Mei seemed to actually enjoy the young man's company, and that certainly ignited Lan Xueruo's curiosity, much to Issei's chagrin.

"Could you be... Issei?" asked Lan Xueruo as she looked at Issei, a strange look on her face. Issei's eyes widened, looking at the beautiful girl in front of him strangely.

"I'm called Issei, but... how did you know that?" Issei immediately assumed a cautious expression. A girl who he had never met before actually knew his name? As far as he was concerned, that didn't mean something good.

"Oh, so it's really you!" Lan Xueruo's eyes widened in realization. "Xia Mei talks about you all the time, and the things you did...," immediately after Lan Xueruo said that, Xia Mei's face flushed, blushing slightly. Not noticing that, Lan Xueruo continued, "However, I thought that you had gone missing?"

"Ah...?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, surprised at Lan Xueruo's statement. He then briefly glanced at the blushing Xia Mei before saying, "I had been traveling around, and had forgotten to warn Senior Sister Mei. Because of that, she thought that I had been missing."

Upon hearing Issei's words, Lan Xueruo nodded slightly. However, she seemed to have remembered something, as she asked, "Alright, but... how come you suddenly appeared in the New Moon Profound Palace? Were you aware that Xia Mei was a disciple from here?"

"Actually...," begun Issei awkwardly. "I came to New Moon City by chance. After knowing that Senior Sister Mei was actually a disciple from the new New Moon Profound Palace, I decided to enter it too."

Xia Mei then nodded as she revealed a proud expression, "Not only that, Junior Brother Issei, even though he only entered today, is going to be attending Class One with us! He'll also participate in the banquet!"

"...He will?" Lan Xueruo's eyes widened in surprise, as she knew that the participants had already been decided. However, before she could ask what had happened, Murong Ye, who had kept quiet the entire time, suddenly entered the conversation.

"...You will participate?" Murong Ye looked at Issei disdainfully, obviously looking down on his cultivation of the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm. To begin with, he already didn't have a good impression of Issei, since ever since they had met, he had been hogging the attention of Lan Xueruo, the girl he was after, all to himself. "Kid, aren't you on the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm? You'll only embarrass yourself."

"..." Saying nothing, Issei turned his attention towards Murong Ye. Although his expression hadn't wavered in the slightest, he was already cursing in his heart. This fellow... what the hell was his problem?! He hadn't even done anything to even slightly anger the guy, but somehow, he was already finding trouble with him?! "...Senior Brother Murong, is it? As someone with high cultivation such as yourself, I believe that you should already know that cultivation base doesn't mean everything. I can assure you that my combat prowess far surpasses those of my own level."

At that point, Issei no longer wanted to create trouble with anyone. Although to him it was clear that Murong Ye's character wasn't a decent one, and that his relationship with Lan Xueruo most likely was one-sided, it wasn't his role to interfere. Issei already had too much trouble to deal with, and adding yet another enemy was something that he wasn't looking forward to.

Alas, fate wasn't so kind, and Issei's words, somehow, had managed to offend Murong Ye, in ways that not even Issei could fathom. Murong Ye then narrowed his eyes at Issei and crossed his arms, looking at him coldly. He then let out a sneer and said, "Well, seems like we have a rather smart little junior now, huh? Anyways, I'm afraid that our conversation must come to an end, as we required go to the Medicine department right now and prepare some pills for the banquet. We shall meet later on."

After saying so, he glanced at Lan Xueruo, who after some moments of unwillingness, nodded and said her goodbye, "Brother Murong Ye is right; we must be on our way. Goodbye, Junior Sister Mei and Junior Brother Issei."

After saying so, she winked at Issei playfully with her left eye, a faint and playful smile on her face, as she continued walking. She had found her newest junior brother to be rather interesting, and couldn't help but to tease him a little. This action, however, was caught by Murong Ye, whose eyes narrowed.

The moment Murong Ye passed by Issei's side, he whispered in a voice that only Issei could hear, "Alright brat, here's the deal. Now that you're in Class One, you'll have to keep yourself in check. However, I must give you some warnings. Stay away from Lan Xueruo; she's mine. If you dare to speak to her again, heh... I have numerous ways to end your puny life without anyone noticing."

"..." Immediately upon hearing such words, Issei didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In what moment did he ever approach Lan Xueruo?! In what moment did he show interest towards her?! It was clear that she was the one who had taken the initiative, so Issei couldn't understand how Murong Ye could actually blame him for that! However, before he could state his intentions, Murong Ye said another sentence. A sentence that shouldn't have been said.

"Also, I'll tell you this. Your friend, Xia Mei, also belong to me. Although I haven't made any moves now, I'll certainly make some later. As such, I suggest you cut her ties with her as soon as possible, or else I can't promise that you'll be able to keep your life."

After saying such words, Murong Ye continued walking, which caused him to miss the streak of coldness that suddenly flashed in Issei's eyes. Previously, he had already promised himself that he wouldn't get himself involved with Murong Ye. This, however, was no longer the case. The corner of Issei's lips suddenly curled upwards in a cold and murderous smile, as intense killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"She's yours...?" murmured Issei coldly. "It appears as if... someone has a death-wish. Murong Ye... I have remembered you."

Immediately after saying such words, however, all of the coldness in Issei's eyes was suddenly repressed, as he quickly stabilized his thoughts. He then looked at Xia Mei, who had been waiting by the side, and said, "Senior Sister Mei? Should we get going?"

"Mnn," nodded Xia Mei as she continued to lead the way, and a few minutes later, they arrived at Issei's room. Surprisingly, Issei discovered that male and female disciples lived in the same dorm, and coincidentally, his own room was adjacent to Xia Mei's. He didn't know if it was on purpose or not, but he wasn't about to complain.

After Issei settled in, Xia Mei then brought him to the Medicine Department, where both of them received some medicinal pills. Those pellets, however, were all of the lowest level, and their medicinal strength was only around forty or fifty percent. In Issei's eyes, those were worse thrash. However, since all he had were Fire Spirit Pills at the moment, he had to make do with them.

Afterward, Issei headed back into his room for some rest, while Mei did the same. After all, there would be many battles later on that day, and for that, Issei wanted to be at his peak condition. Although he didn't really put those geniuses from the famous sects in his eyes, he couldn't help but to be careful. There was always the chance of some black horse appearing.

However, it seemed as he wouldn't be getting any rest, as soon as he laid down in his bed, he was immediately forcefully summoned into his World Spirit Space. Upon arriving, the first thing he saw was an angered Eggy, with her arms crossed.

 _Oh... I forgot that I still have to deal with her...,_ thought Issei, his eyes widening slightly, as judging from Eggy's expression, he could feel a headache coming his way. This was exactly the reason why he found woman to be troublesome.

"Well?" said Eggy, giving Issei a scrutinizing look. "Just who is this Xia Mei girl? What's the history between you two?"

"..." Issei didn't say anything at first, but after a while, he sighed. He then explained how they had met, and gave a brief summary of all that they had been through. By the end of his explanation, however, the cold look in Eggy's eyes didn't lessen.

"I see...," began Eggy, who then shook her head. "However, you still need to give me a reason to not kill her right at this moment. I can tolerate the other girl, Xia Qingyue, since being with her will bring you benefits, but as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing with Xia Mei."

"...Because I like her?" tried Issei.

"You'll need a better reason than that," Eggy's eyes narrowed. More than anything, she was unwilling to share Issei with anyone else. She had already made an exception for Xia Qingyue, and it would take an incredibly solid argument to convince her to tolerate Xia Mei's presence.

However, it was also at this moment that a flash of light appeared within the World Spirit Space. The flash of light suddenly condensed into the form of a thirteen years old girl, with long, scarlet hair. Jasmine had arrived.

The scarlet haired girl then looked at Eggy coolly and said, "World Spirit, I have been listening to your conversation, and although it pains me to stand on _his_ side, this princess must point out that you have made a mistake."

"...A mistake?" Eggy's eyes widened, looking at Jasmine uncertainly. She already knew how powerful this girl was, and although she was rather unwilling to admit it, she had to accept that in terms of power and knowledge, Jasmine was far above her. "What are you talking about?"

"This princess heard you mention that staying with Xia Mei would not bring Issei any benefits, but that is incorrect," stated Jasmine plainly. "In reality, if he manages to obtain her Primordial Yin energy, which, in your words would be 'her first time', Issei would experience a large boost in power."

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	27. Before The Banquet

****Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.****

 ** **Info:****

 ** **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.****

 ** **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.****

 ** **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.****

 ** **Beta-read by: KryoKon****

* * *

 ** **Chapter 27 - Before The Banquet****

* * *

 ** **(This is the second chapter today. There was one before it.)****

After hearing Jasmine's words, never mind Eggy, even Issei was surprised! After all, although he already knew that Xia Mei possessed some special kind of physique, he didn't expect that it would benefit him in any way!

"...She has some power that would aid Issei's cultivation?" Eggy's eyes widened, only to quickly narrow. "Is it her Tyrannical Emperor Divine Profound Veins? Could it be that they are similar to the 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'?"

Previously, when Jasmine had been explaining about Xia Mei's special physique to Issei through their mental connection, Eggy had been able to hear it. However, just like Issei, she didn't expect that it could actually benefit him.

Jasmine simply nodded as she explained, "In normal situations, this wouldn't be the case. The Tyrannical Emperor Divine Profound Veins are incomparably rare, and for a woman to possess them is something that may have happened at most ten times in history. The Tyrannical Emperor Divine Profound Veins, in most situations, manifests themselves in men. However, when they actually appear in women... they possess a completely different power."

"Completely different power?" asked Issei, surprised. "What does it do, then?"

"While, for males, they grant the cultivator a colossal boost in their cultivation, with women, it's a different case. Not only is the boosted granted dozens of times higher, it also increases their affinity to all elements, and possess an effect similar to the 'Heart of Snow Glazed Glass'. However, the most important part is that they are able to share part of their power with their first partner."

"...Then, what you are saying is that...," murmured Eggy while her eyes widened greatly. Issei also revealed a surprised expression, his eyes widening.

"If Issei obtains her Primordial Yin energy, the boost in his cultivation... would simply be tremendous," explained Jasmine, her eyes staring at Issei coldly. "However, for that to happen, she must first awaken her Tyrannical Emperor Divine Veins. And, truth be told, this princess believes that she won't ever be able to awaken them. At least not in this life-time."

Upon hearing Jasmine's words, Issei's eyes widened in surprise, clearly astonished. After all, Jasmine had just told him all that, only to, in the end, say that none of that was possible?! Unable to contain his curiosity, Issei quickly asked, "Not in this life-time? Why is that?"

Eggy was also interested in knowing why as she quickly nodded, urging Jasmine to continue.

"It's because, in order to awaken one's Tyrannical Emperor Divine Profound Veins, the person must desire for power," explained Jasmine, her expression cold. "They must thirst for power, and live for power. Or else, their inherent power won't be able to awaken. Now, tell me, can you imagine that girl as someone power-hungry? Even from the short time that I have had to access her personality, it's obvious to me that she doesn't fit that criteria."

"Not only that, even if you told her that, it wouldn't change anything, as the desire must come from the heart. As such, unless some life-changing event takes place, which causes her to strive for power, she will never be able to awaken her Tyrannical Emperor Divine Profound Veins."

After saying that, Jasmine merely gazed upon Issei and Eggy's surprised expression with cold eyes before retreating back to the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. She had only appeared there on a whim, and she no longer felt interested on their conversation.

As for Issei and Eggy, they only stared at each other blankly for a long time. Eggy then sighed and said, "...Although I still don't approve of it, for now, you can still keep your ties with Xia Mei."

Even though Jasmine had said that it was unlikely, there was still the chance of Xia Mei's Tyrannical Emperor Profound Veins awakening, and Eggy couldn't disregard that possibility. After all, if it could give Issei strength, than she would be able to make exceptions.

Issei looked at Eggy deeply before nodding, "Thank you, Eggy."

After that, they talked for a little longer, but it didn't last long, since Issei called his consciousness back, as he wanted to at least be able to rest a few minute. However, right in the moment he tried get some rest, he heard some knocking on his door, which was then followed by Xia Mei's voice.

"Junior Brother, are you awake? The banquet is about to start, we have to go!"

Since Xia Mei knew how much Issei was looking forward to the banquet, she had taken it upon herself to make sure that he wouldn't sleep on it. After all, although she didn't know what had happened between Issei and Sikong Han, she was sure that Issei had to pay some price in order to get Elder Sikong to let him in.

"..." Issei's eyes widened slightly upon hearing Xia Mei's voice, as he believed that he would still be able to rest some more. In the end, however, he sighed, as he decided that he would be able to meditate a little during the banquet. Getting up from the bed, he straightened his robes before opening the door.

"Alright, let's go."

…

…

…

Soon after, Issei and Xia Mei left the dorms area, and started heading towards the area where the banquet would be held. On the way, Issei couldn't help but to want to acquire some more information regarding the situation.

"Senior Sister Mei," said Issei while they walked. "Could you tell me more about this banquet? All that I know is that it's for the appointment of the new Palace Chief, and that various well-known sects will participate. Is there something else that I should keep in mind?"

After hearing Issei's question, Xia Mei thought for a few seconds before saying, "Well, Junior Brother, I should probably tell you about what happened on the last banquet, which was when the last generation's Palace Chief was appointed. Many invitations were sent out, and various sects attended it. However, during the banquet, the invited disciples from the other sects decided to spar with the disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace under the pretext of exchanging pointers. In total, there were ten matches, and... we, the New Moon Profound Palace, lost all of them. Because of that, the old Palace Chief suffered humiliation, and the new one became a laughingstock for a long time."

"...Mnn?" Issei's eyes widened upon hearing Xia Mei';s words, but they suddenly narrowed, as he quickly realized what had happened. "Then... this was probably planned by the other clans, wasn't it? They most likely wanted to establish their superiority, isn't that right?"

"Exactly," nodded Xia Mei. "From what I have heard, the same thing also happened in the previous generations... and it seems that in this one, it will be the same. As such, during the banquet, there is a good chance that we'll be challenged by them."

Reaching that part, Xia Mei suddenly stopped and looked at Issei seriously. "Junior Brother, losing isn't really a problem, but... in previous occasions, the disciples from the other sects displayed malicious intents, and they didn't hold back. Last time, many disciples from the New Moon Profound Palace were crippled and maimed. As such... if in battle, you encounter a stronger enemy, then make sure to forfeit."

Even though Xia Mei believed that Issei was strong, and had also seen him in action, she didn't believe that he would be able to keep up with the geniuses from the well-known sects, such as the Xiao sect and the Burning Heaven Clan. At the same time, however, she knew that Issei wasn't one to give up easily, so she couldn't help but to worry for his safety. She had already almost lost him once... and as such, wasn't about to let him put his life in danger.

Issei, upon seeing the expression of worry and concern upon Xia Mei's face, couldn't help but to smile, "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I know my limits. I treasure my live, and I wouldn't dare to lose it so fast. If I find myself in a situation in which I can't win, then I'll definitely forfeit."

"Do you promise...?"

"I do," reassured Issei. "No matter what, I promise you that I won't injure myself in this tournament."

"Alright then," Xia Mei nodded, as she could finally be at peace, knowing that Issei wasn't one to go back on his words. "Then, let's continue. It's about to start."

Soon after, both of them walked into the biggest and most grandiose building in the entire area occupied by the New Moon Profound Palace. It was a grand castle, and also were the banquet would be held, the 'Main Palace'. Most of the important matter of the New Moon Profound Palace were handled there, so it was a given that the banquet would also be conducted there.

Upon entering the palace, however, they discovered that although not even ten minutes remained until the official start of the banquet, not even a fifth of the seats were filled. And, not only that, most of the people who arrived were from the New Moon Profound Palace. It was obvious that the other clans and sects hadn't arrived in purpose; they simply didn't give any face to the New Moon Profound Palace.

Soon after they arrived, they were quickly greeted by an annoyed Murong Ye, who had probably wanted to cause some trouble, but before he could even come close, Issei simply looked in Murong Ye's direction coldly, releasing a little of his restrained killing intent.

Immediately, Murong Ye, who had been approaching them, stopped in place as his eyes widened, suddenly overwhelmed by a dense and boundless pressure. Although the killing intent released by Issei was only a mere fraction of what he was capable of, it was already enough to leave Murong Ye, who was of a higher cultivation, panting.

In the end, Murong Ye glanced at Issei one more time, and upon seeing his completely cold eyes, he immediately took a step back, and went back to his seat, clearly overwhelmed by the events that had just happened. Even though he believed that Issei wouldn't be able to pressure him to this extent, he could do nothing about it. Since the banquet was about to start, he decided that he would only deal with Issei later on.

As for Issei, after dealing with Murong Ye, he looked around the palace, before catching sight of Sikong Han, who was waving at them. After walking over to it, Sikong Han showed Issei and Mei to their seats. It may have been intentional on Sikong Han's part, but for some reason, both of their seats were on the far back, completely out of sight and in the most inconspicuous space possible. The meaning was clear; Sikong Han wanted they to avoid being challenged.

Xia Mei seemed rather pleased at the arrangements, but the same couldn't be said about Issei, whose gaze lingered on the front-row seats for a long time before sighing, making his way to the back. Even though he could probably get himself a front-row seat with a few Fire Spirit Pills, he decided to give Sikong Han some face, and go to his arranged seat. After all, in the end, he could always find some ways to draw attention to himself.

After Issei and Xia Mei accommodated themselves in their seats, which were next to one another, Sikong Han walked over to them, "Mei, Issei, I want you two to pay attention to the upcoming duels. Try to get some insights on these fights, as it's not always that you'll get the opportunity of seeing geniuses from well-known sects fighting. Also, if anyone challenges you two..."

Sikong Han then looked at Issei deeply before saying, "Just make sure that you don't take on more than you can handle."

"Of course, Elder Sikong," Xia Mei nodded respectfully, while Issei simply nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he stared at the center of the palace, which was most likely the place where the matches would be held.

After determining that the size was good enough, and wouldn't inconvenience his abilities in any way, he could finally put his mind at rest. If something unexpected happened, Issei could always bring out Ddraig and kill everyone, but he didn't believe that that would be needed. After all, he was confident on his skills.

More than anything, Issei was looking forward to fighting. It had been too long since he had last fought, and he wanted to see where he stood compared to the geniuses from the so-called powerful sects and clans.

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	28. Exchange of Pointers

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 28 - Exchanging Pointers**

* * *

 **(Only one chapter today, sorry. This one is rather lengthy, though.)**

A few minutes after Issei and Xia Mei had accommodated themselves in their seats, a group of disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace entered the Main Palace, making their way to the sitting area designated to them. Right in front of Issei, a young girl in a fiery-red attire sat down, followed by another girl wearing a purple robe, who sat by her side.

"...Oh? Are you a new disciple?" suddenly asked the girl in fiery-red attire, who had been quick to notice Issei, whose seat was behind hers. "I don't recall seeing you around here before..."

By her side, the other girl also turned around to look, wondering who had caught her friend's attention, and upon seeing Issei's handsome face, she revealed a surprised, yet excited expression. She then smiled at Issei, "What's your name, Junior Brother? Senior Sister here is called Shun Ling, hehe."

"..." Issei, upon becoming the center of attention of two other girls, didn't say anything, his eyes narrowing in disbelief and even annoyance. He couldn't understand what kind of evil sins he had committed in his previous lives to deserve... how come every single girl who he came across just had to take an interest in him?! He hadn't done anything, and yet, girls were already beginning to flock around him!

Right next to Issei, Xia Mei also revealed a slightly annoyed expression, clearly not pleased with what was happening right by her side. However, she knew better than anyone that there was no official relationship between her and Issei, so she didn't take action, and only observed what was happening from the corner of her eyes.

After some moments, Issei sighed, and was about to think of something that he could say to take the girl's attention away from him, but that didn't seem to be needed, as before he could even open his mouth, a person walked through the doors of the Main Palace, making everyone's head turn in their direction. This person who had just walked in was none other than the newly appointed Palace Chief of the New Moon Profound Palace, Qin Wuyou!

The New Palace Chief, Qin Wuyou, although seeming to look around in sixty in age, had a gentle and calm aura to him, and within his clear eyes, deep wisdom could be seen, something that would only come with age. His aura and bearing were completely extraordinary, and he was also immeasurably powerful. Originally, he had been an elder of the Imperial Capital's Profound Palace, and had only been assigned to New Moon Profound Palace a few months ago. As such, since he came from such a large and prominent Profound Palace, his level of strength was most truly unfathomable.

Right after Qin Wuyou walked in, the representatives of the various sects and clans made their appearance, including great sects, such as the Xiao Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan. Without exception, everyone paid their respects to Qin Wuyou, although it was obvious that some were not clearly placing the newly appointed Palace Chief in their eyes, such as Xiao Luocheng, a member of the Xiao Sect.

Xiao Luocheng, however, had the capabilities to be arrogant, for he was actually the acclaimed number one genius of New Moon City, being at the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm, while only being sixteen years old! This type of attainments in the way of cultivation was something that could only be seen on the main clans, and such a disciple hailing from a branch sect was something clearly astonishing.

Aside from Xiao Luocheng, one by one, the various geniuses and gifted disciples from the various sects and clans entered through the large entrance, and Issei made sure to pay attention to every one of them. However, by the end, the only person who had actually been able to catch his attention was actually Xiao Luocheng, who was a cut above the rest.

"Xiao Luocheng...," murmured Issei, a deep and thoughtful expression on his handsome features. Issei had to admit, that even if it was him, it would be hard to deal with someone at the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm. Not only that, Xiao Luocheng was from a prosperous sect, so his foundations were obvious stable, and his combat prowess could most likely rival someone from the early True Profound Realm.

In the end, however, Issei didn't think too much about it. After all, Issei had simply an absurd number of cards up his sleeve, and if the situation called for it, not only would he be able to bring out Ddraig, he could always take out his longsword, Heaven's Piercer, which was also his strongest Divine Weapon.

However, that didn't mean that Issei would underestimate the other geniuses. Even though their cultivation bases were rather miserable compared to Xiao Luocheng, there could always be someone like him, with hidden cards up their sleeves. As such, with his sharp and cold gaze, Issei made sure to pay attention to each and every possible opponent of his.

Slowly, all of the guests that remained arrived, and the banquet officially begun. After returning to his seat, which was in the most eye-catching area of the Main Palace, close to the guests of the Xiao Sect's Branch Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan's Outer Sect, Qin Wuyou raised a cup of wine up in the air, and announced humbly, "I, Qin Wuyou, must thanks all of the esteemed guests who have graced this old man with their presence today. Since I'm knew to New Moon City, I hope that all of you will be able to provide me with your assistance. This wine of cup shall be my first toast to all of you!"

Upon finishing his speech, Qin Wuyou brought his wine cup to his mouth and downed it in a single gulp.

Following his actions, most of the guests present also raised their cups to toast as well. Various blessing s said, and praises were sang left and right. The atmosphere of the banquet then turned into a pleasurable one, and many guests and elders walked over to Qin Wuyou with ingratiating smiles, trying to curry favor with him. Obviously, there were exceptions, such as the Xiao Sect Bran Sect's and Burning Heaven Clan's Out Sect representatives, who sat in their seats with aloof expression.

At the same time the senior generation celebrated, those in the younger generation held much more serious expressions, as they all gazed at each other, sizing up their potential opponents. The disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace, in particular, harbored rather grim expressions, and although some of them tried to keep their heads up high, under the gaze of the various geniuses from the major sects and clans, they were simply unable to.

In their hearts, all of the disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace had already resigned themselves to the fact that these banquet would be akin to the previous ones. After all, even when compared to the previous generation, the disciples from the great sect and clans were even stronger, and although the New Moon Profound Palace possessed Murong Ye and Lan Xueruo, they would simply be unable to hold their grounds under the might of geniuses such as Xia Luocheng. It didn't matter if it was in terms of resources, disciples or Martial Skills, the New Moon Profound Palace was simply inferior to the other great sects.

However, in the side of the New Moon Profound Disciples, there was a person who, differently from those around him, who displayed grim and forlorn expression, was full of excitement. Issei, more than anything, couldn't wait for the moment the small 'tournament' would began. It had been way too long since he had last fought with a cultivator, and he couldn't help but to be extremely excited. He was also specially looking forward to fighting with Xiao Luocheng, who would most probably be able to put up quite a fight.

Suddenly, Xiao Luocheng, who had been standing in his seat with a lofty expression, turned his head towards the area where the disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace were at, gazing directly at Issei, having noticed the latter's gaze on him. However, much to Xiao Luocheng's surprise, even while under his gaze, not only didn't Issei not reveal a fearful expression, he smiled lightly before turning away.

Xiao Luocheng then gazed in Issei's direction for a few more moments before also turning his gaze away, having lost his interest. After all, someone in the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, in his eyes, could never pose a threat to him.

After the small occurrence with Xiao Luocheng, Issei looked around some more before closing his eyes, already having observed more than enough. After a few minutes, he couldn't help but to ask, "Jasmine, between me and Xiao Luocheng, who do you think would win?"

"Between you at that stupid-looking youth...?" murmured Jasmine with disdain before humphing. "Do you think this princess is your personal clairvoyant?! How should I know?"

"Oh?" The corner of Issei's lips curled upwards in a mischievous smile as he said, "I'm sorry, it's just that I thought that your observing abilities were superb... It's my fault for thinking to highly of you."

"You...!" Jasmine's eyes widened, while her small, jade-white hands clenched into fists. Although she was aware that Issei was only doing this to rile her up, because of her pride, she definitely wouldn't let this go. "Hmph! Since you doubt this princess's abilities, then this princess shall prove you otherwise! Between you at that monkey-faced youth? It won't be an easy match, but as long as that funny-faced youth doesn't have any hidden cards, then you should you be able to win!"

After saying so, Jasmine humphed once more, crossed her arms and cut the mental connection, no longer willing to talk with Issei, who simply smiled at her words. He already knew all about what she had said, and what he had actually found funny was the way Jasmine refereed to Xiao Luocheng, who was clearly handsome.

Stupid-looking, Monkey-faced... Issei believed that Xiao Luocheng, who was haughty and proud by nature, heard that, then it wouldn't be surprising if he coughed up blood in anger. In the end, Issei only looked in Xiao Luocheng's direction one last time, revealed a smirk, and closed his eyes once more.

…

After a few more minutes of constant drinking and talking, Qin Wuyou, who had been entertaining his guests, suddenly stopped, apparently having decided that it would be time to proceed to the main event. With his wine cup in hand, he coughed a little, gaining everyone's attention, before announcing in a loud voice, "Now that the banquet has come this far, I believe that it would be for the best to spark some excitement onto the atmosphere with a few demonstrations from the younger generation. As such, I believe that the members of the younger generation should exchange some pointers, which would give me some understanding on the current level of the disciples of New Moon City. Does everyone agree with that?"

Immediately after Qin Wuyou finished speaking, all of the various clan heads, guests and elders voiced their approval, most of them having come only for this single moment. After a few more moments of talking, Qin Wuyou then said, "Since it seems that all of the esteemed guests agree, then does anyone have any suggestions on how the pointers shoulder exchanged?"

At that moment, an elder from a powerful sect, the Profound Heart Sect, got up from his seat, a wine cup at hand, and smiled brightly, "This old one would like to make a suggestion, if Palace Chief Quin doesn't mind. Our little juniors are different from us, and the difference in their cultivation greatly varies from cultivator to another. Because of that, I, Xuan Ao, believe that it would be for the best to use the age as a factor in these exchanging of pointers, and juniors should challenge others of similar ages. Of course, if someone younger wants to challenge someone older, there would also be no problems!"

Xuan Ao then looked at a disciple by his side and said, "As such, I would like to let my little disciple be the first to begin... Xuan Qing, go to the middle! Remember to say your age!"

A young girl who sat next to Xuan Ao, Xuan Qing, immediately bowed, "Yes, Elder!" After saying so, she leaped from her seat, landing directly on the center of the hall. She was young, one of the youngest from the representatives of the Profound Heart Sect, and had a thin, yet curvaceous body. She then clasped her hands and looked straight into the seated New Moon Profound Palace disciples, "This sister's name is Xuan Qing, and I'm sixteen years of age. Who of you can come up and advise me?"

However, even a few moments after saying such words, no one stood up from their seats, or even showed willingness to participate. After all, Xuan Qing was actually in the second level of the Nascent Profound Realm, and could be considered quite powerful, with a battle prowess comparable to the third or fourth level. Not many disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace could defeat her, and those who could were saving their strength for stronger opponents.

Issei, upon seeing the situation, was about to stand up. He had been waiting to see if anyone would take the initiative, but obviously, that wouldn't be the case, so he had taken it upon himself. However, before he could even get up from his seat, Sikong Han, who had been standing next to the New Moon Profound Palace disciples, said strictly, "Li Hao, go up there!"

In the next moment, a skinny-looking youth who had been hiding at his seat, trying to make his presence remain unnoticed, suddenly trembled. He then gazed at Sikong Han unwillingly, but in the end, sighed as he got up from his seat, also leaping into the center of the of the hall. Although he wasn't confident against Xuan Qing, there was nothing that could be done about it.

Li Hao then cupped his hands in salute towards Xuan Qing and said, "This disciple's name is Li Hao, and I'm from New Moon Profound Palace Class One. Sister Xuan, please advice me!"

"Hehe, I'll be sure to advise you... thoroughly," smiled Xuan Qing mockingly as she narrowed her eyes, looking at Li Hao derisively and with contempt. Towards someone from the New Moon Profound Palace, she felt a deep sense of superiority, and completely didn't put him in her eyes.

"...You!" Li Hao's eyes, which had been fearful, flashed with a streak of coldness, clearly angered by the mocking and sneering tone in Xuan Qing's voice. He still had his own pride, and he couldn't allow himself to lose face like this. Li Hao then pulled his arms back, and punched out, a stream of spiritual power erupting from his fist and condensing into an illusionary tiger, which roared, striking towards Xuan Qing.

"Too weak," Xuan Qing, upon facing the illusory tiger, simply brought up her right hand, which flashed with a layer of purple light. She then clenched her hand into a fist and punched towards the illusory white tiger, which immediately shattered. Not losing any momentum, the fist continued forward, directly colliding against Li Hao's own fist.

 _Crack!_

The terrifying sound of something breaking rang out, as a few bones of Li Hao's fist were broken, while many others were dislocated. Immediately, Li Hao displayed a painful expression, and was about to back down, but alas, Xuan Qing didn't intend on letting that happen. Smiling coldly, Xuan Qing other hand formed into a palm before striking forth, encompassed in the same layer of purple spiritual power, and ruthlessly smashing against Li Hao's abdomen. This time, however, the strength behind her attack was even greater, as she had employed her most powerful Martial Skill.

"Purple Cloud Palm," murmured Xuan Qing darkly, a cold smile gracing her rather plain features.

 _Bang!_

Li Hao's body, under the impact of Xuan Qing's most powerful martial skill, was sent flying, flipping in the air several times and crashing onto the hard floor with a dull sound. There was a large wound on his chest, from which blood flowed out, and his complexion was incomparably pale, devoid of blood. He laid on the ground motionlessly, incapable of standing up.

Immediately, two disciples from the New Moon Profound Palace ran out, and checked on Li Hao's condition, thereupon placing a couple of medicinal pills in his mouth. They then glanced at Xuan Qing with vehemence, as if they wanted to kill her a thousand times over, before bringing Li Hao's injured body to one of the corners of the Main Palace in order to be treated.

"Brother Li Hao, you let me win," smiled Xuan Qing mischievously in Li Hao's direction before turning her attention towards the people of the New Moon Profound Palace once more, smiling coldly. She then opened her mouth and said, "I, Xuan Qing, am eagerly awaiting for exchanging pointers once more. Are there any friends of the New Moon Profound Palace willing to?"

Silence followed Xuan Qing's words, as no one dared to say anything. After all, Li Hao was already one of the best sixteen years old of the younger generation of the New Moon Profound Palace, and he had been utterly and ruthlessly crushed under Xuan Qing's attack. How could anyone dare to go up?

Upon seeing the situation, Xuan Qing then smiled once more and said, "Ah? It seems that no friend from the New Moon Profound Palace wants to come up? Don't be shy, Big Sister here will be lenient..."

After hearing such words, the disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace revealed ugly expression, but no one dared to speak. Once more, Issei was about to stand up, but was stopped, as Xuan Qing once more opened her mouth to speak.

"Oh? It seems that the friends from the New Moon Palace really are shy... then, I, Xuan Qing, will have to be bold and pick someone to challenge. If I win, it can be attributed to my good luck, but if I lose, I swear that I'll leave this stage without another word..."

She then stopped speaking and looked directly at Xia Mei's direction, "That Beautiful Sister over there... would you be willing to exchange some pointers with me?"

From the very start, Xuan Qing had already caught sight of Xia Mei, and couldn't help but to feel deep envy towards the consummately beautiful young woman. After all, Xuan Qing, although having a rather curvaceous body, was born with a rather plain face, and couldn't help but to loath Xia Mei for having such a heavenly semblance.

As such, she felt the need to somehow ruin Xia Mei's beauty, or else she wouldn't be able to feel pleased with herself. In reality, it could be said that from the very start, her true target was actually Xia Mei!

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	29. Overwhelming

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 29 - Overwhelming**

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 **(This chapter is worth 2 chapters. Why? 4.5k words long, that's why.)**

Xuan Qing's words resounded in the entire Main Palace, and immediately, everyone's heads turned towards the direction she was pointing at, seeing Xia Mei, who sat there with widened eyes. At that moment, many young masters and male disciples from various sects and clans felt their hearts skip a beat, and entered into a trance-like state.

Because of Xia Mei's position, that was secluded and far from other people, not many people had taken notice of her, but now, under Xuan Qing's guidance, everyone in the Main Palace was able to catch sight of the peerless beauty. Not even a few second later, on the faces of many male disciples from various sects and clans, the hints of a lascivious smile appeared. Their eyes turned hungry, and the look they gave her was one of pure desire.

Issei, who sat by Xia Mei's side, made sure to take notice of each and every one of the male disciples that had shown lewd expressions, already making plans to deal with them. However, he specially paid attention to Xiao Luocheng, who was also the one who had the most evident expression.

Not only did Xiao Luocheng reveal a nasty smile, his eyes shimmering with pleasant surprise, he immediately beckoned for someone to come to his side, and after briefly saying a few words, he sat back on his seat, his gaze fixated on Xia Mei.

"Courting...Death!" murmured Issei darkly as a streak of coldness flashed in his eyes. Although he couldn't clearly hear what had been said, he had a faint guess of what it was, and he definitely didn't like it. However, for the moment, he had to contain his emotions, for he knew that it wasn't the time to act...yet.

...

"...Me?" asked Xia Mei in bafflement, feeling uncomfortable under the gazes of so many people. At the moment, she was incredibly inclined to hide behind Issei, but knew that that wasn't an option. Xia Mei then glanced towards Sikong Han. "Elder Sikong..."

"Go," said Sikong Han after some thought. After all, Xia Mei was older than Xuan Qing by one year, and she didn't have the right to refuse. In the end, Sikong Han added, "Don't push yourself too hard. Give up the moment you find yourself unable to continue."

"En," nodded Xia Mei, who although didn't have any faith in herself, still leaped off her seat, falling directly in the middle of the stage, in front of Xuan Qing. She then clasped her hand, and while forcing herself not to tremble, said, "This young one's name is Xia Mei, from New Moon Profound Palace Class One, age seventeen. Junior Sister, Xuan, may we have a good exchange of pointers!"

"..." Xuan Qing didn't say anything, only smirking lightly. Then, without any prior warning, she pulled her fist back, aiming directly at Xia Mei's face. Purple spiritual power coated her fist, and the strength behind it wasn't a weak one.

"Purple Profound Arts – Heart Piercer!"

Xuan Qing's fist struck forth, and with overwhelming pressure, neared onto Xia Mei's beautiful visage. On the last second, however, Xia Mei, with her enhanced senses, pulled her head back, barely dodging the strike. Following that, Xia Mei lift up her right leg, and while using her left leg as pivot, struck towards Xuan Qing's rib-cage, that had been left wide open by the attack.

"Good...but not enough," Xuan Qing's eye narrowed, and without any loss in momentum, threw her body back, doing a back-lip and thus increasing the distance between her and Xia Mei. During that simple exchange, although it seemed that Xia Mei had the upper hand, that wasn't the case.

"Ah!" cried out Xia Mei, as from the side of her body, a large wound opened. She immediately took a few steps back and looked at Xuan Qing with widened eyes, realizing that her left hand was tainted with blood. Xia Mei's blood.

"During that attack, you...," Xia Mei's eyes widened, realization dawning upon her. While she had been distracted with dodging Xuan Qing's fist, she had somehow pierced her sides!

"Hehe, this is only the beginning," said Xuan Qing, smiling darkly. She then took in a deep breath and entered her battle stance. Her right fist raised up, while her left hand was straightened into a palm, and pulled back towards her sides. She then moved her left leg back, and stabilized her position on the ground. "I shall show you... the true power of the Secret Profound Heart Arts!"

"..." Xia Mei didn't say anything, and while ignoring the pain, she also managed to somehow stabilize her position, knowing that this battle wouldn't be an easy one. Slapping the cosmos sack by her waist, she produced a longsword with a bone-white blade. This was her most treasured sword, a high-grade Nascent Profound Weapon, Ivory Jaded Blade!

"Nascent Profound Weapon?" murmured Xuan Qing, slightly surprised, before sneering. In the exchange of pointers, weapons were clearly allowed. However, she didn't expect that Xia Mei would actually take the initiative to bring out hers. "Well, if that's how you want to play..."

Xuan Qing's battle stance suddenly changed, and a saber appeared at her hands. The saber was short, and more than anything sharp! It was actually a True Profound Weapon!

"Purple Art Saber Styles – Purple Death!"

Purple Spiritual power rippled in the air, and a purple-colored aura rose from her saber, increasing its length. Xuan Qing's eyes then narrowed, and without a warning, her feet struck against the ground, sending her forward towards Xia Mei.

Immediately, Xia Mei took a step back, raising her sword up-high, planning to take Xuan Qing's attack head one. However, just as she struck her blade forward, Xuan Qing pulled her sword back, kicking her left leg against the ground, and throwing her body to the right side. While mid-air, she spun her blade around, aiming directly towards Xia Mei's head. If that attack hit, it would be akin to death!

However, before her attack could complete, Xuan Qing's eyes widened, and she instantly fell to the ground. At that split-sect, a dense and tremendous killing intent locked onto her. This killing intent was akin to a deep and profound darkness, taking over her mind. Xuan Qing's mind reeled, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood, tainting the ground in red.

Her surroundings had grown dark, and a deep and omnious force had inundated her mind, overwhelming all her senses. She couldn't breath, and her entire body was trembling. The killing intent was simply too deep and overbearing, completely surpassing all common sense!

Slowly, however, Xuan Qing managed to lift her head up, only to come face to face with a dark brown haired youth, who smiled coldly at her. This smile, however, was full of coldness, and within his eyes, shone deep and boundless killing intent. At that moment, in front of her, there wasn't a handsome fifteen years old... all she saw was a demon, which had crawled from the bottom of hell!

"..."

Silence filled the entire Main Palace, and everyone looked at Xuan Qing with bewilderment. The couldn't understand what was happening; one moment she was there, attacking Xia Mei, but in the next one, out of the blue, she had fallen to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood! Their brains simply couldn't keep up with these strange events!

There was a reason for that. Although Issei's killing intent was deep and boundless, it was completely refined and direction towards Xuan Qing. No one else was able to even sense it, never mind understand the profoundness behind it. Even Qin Wuyou was clueless about the entire situation.

Just at that time, while everyone was astonished, Issei slowly got up from his seat, and walked towards the center of the hall, directly towards Xia Mei. He then placed a hand on her shoulder, making her turn around to look at him, surprised.

"..Junior Brother?"

Issei smiled at Xia Mei lightly and said with a calm and caring tone, "You have done enough. Let me take your place."

"...En," Xia Mei nodded and took a step back, and although she couldn't comprehend the situation, she still complied. At the same time, she couldn't help but to look at Xuan Qing with bewilderment, wondering what had happened to the downed girl.

Now standing in the center of the hall, directly in front of the downed Xuan Qing and under the watchful eyes of everyone else, not only was Issei unflustered, his previous warm and calm expression which he had used with Xia Mei was gone, replaced by an icy cold one, that could freeze over the entire world.

"Due to some circumstances, Senior Sister Mei needs to withdraw, and I shall take her place," announced Issei coolly. "This junior's name is Issei, and I'm from New Moon Profound Palace Class One. Fifteen Years Old."

After saying so, Issei looked towards Xuan Qing, who was looking at him widened eyes. He then narrowed his eyes and said with coldness, "Get up. I'm your opponent."

"...You!" Xuan Qing's eyes widened, and she immediately lift up her head from the ground. Her trembling body then, with much effort, managed to lift itself up, making her glare pierce into Issei's deep and cold eyes. "I don't know what sort of demonic arts you used, but...you shall pay!"

Although Xuan Qing was scared of Issei, she didn't believe that he had true power. From what she knew, what he had used before was some sort of mental attack, and it was known that cultivators who focused on mental attacks lacked physical power! As such, she was confident that she would be able to deal with Issei!

Xuan Qing then raised up her saber, and spit a mouthful of blood on top of it, which upon contact with the cold and metallic surface of the blade, ignited into purple-colored flames, that completely enveloped the entirety of the saber. Xuan Qing's eyes were opened wide, and there was hints of a maniacal light within them.

"Purple Arts Forbidden Saber – Profound Heart Sacrifice!"

Immediately after saying such words, many people in the audience took in a deep breath, surprise and even fear evident on their faces. 'Profound Heart Sacrifice' was a forbidden skill from the Profound Heart Sect, and also the most powerful one. By sacrificing their own life-force, cultivators would be able to increase their attack power by dozens of time! This was also the most famous skill of the Profound Heart Sect, and as such, many people knew of it.

Issei, however, didn't suffer a change in his expression, as he stood there calmly, his gaze locked onto the burning saber. He didn't move at all, and only observed it calmly, a streak of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"...Take my saber!" cried out Xuan Qing as she dashed forward, her saber pulled back behind her head, ready to strike out at any moment. Just as she was in front of Issei, she brought it down with her entire force, aiming to bisect him in half!

 _Bang!_

At that moment, the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air, and much to the surprise of everyone present, Issei's right hand directly grasped the blade of the saber. His fingers were tightly pressing against the saber, and his expression remained unchanged, as he blocked an attack that could threaten even cultivators of the late stages of the Nascent Profound Realm with his bare hands!

"What?!" Xuan Qing's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could do anything, Issei merely clenched his right hand, which held onto the blade of the saber. From his hand, 5,000 strands of vibrating spiritual power filaments were released, piercing into the saber.

"Too weak," said Issei plainly, and with that, he further clenched his hands, making a cracking sound filled the air. The saber suddenly began to tremble, and soon after, it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, which fell onto the ground.

"...WHAT?!" Everyone's eyes widened greatly, as if they couldn't believe what was happening. That saber was a True Profound Weapon, but Issei had actually broken it with his bare hands! Not only that, it was also fueled by the 'Profound Heart Sacrifice!'! How could someone, who was in the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, be capable of such a feat?!

The most surprised person, however, was Xuan Qing herself, as she was the one who understood the

might behind her attack better than anyone else. Her eyes were widened, and deep within, fear sprouted, only to slowly take over her entire body. The aura around Issei suddenly grew stronger, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.

"I-Impossible! Y-You... what are you?!" roared out Xuan Qing, but she suddenly stopped, as Issei took a step forward. The pressure that surrounded Xuan Qing increased by threefold, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Issei then took another step forward, the pressure increased even further, and Xuan Qing fell to her knees. Her mind reeled, and her eyes stared blankly ahead. Issei merely smiled, and took yet another step, causing Xuan Qing's body to completely fall to the ground, trembling.

By this point, Issei was already right in front of her. He didn't say anything, and only crouched down, looking at Xuan Qing coldly, "You never... should have tried to hurt her."

He then brought his hand forward, and grabbed onto Xuan Qing's hair. Noticing that, a look of horror flashed on Xuan Qing's face, as she realized what Issei was planning. She immediately opened her mouth and screamed out, "You... I'm a woman! You wouldn't dare to-"

"Woman...?" interrupted Issei as he looked at her coldly. "Someone who uses a heavy-hand on someone she doesn't even know, breaking his bones, only to try to kill a girl only because of her appearance... you don't deserve to call yourself a woman! No, you're a disgrace to the name of cultivators!"

Issei's eyes then grew even cold and said, "Let me tell you this, I don't discriminate between man, woman or animal, and you're below them all...You're simply trash. Even if you were the Son of God, if you try to hurt my precious ones, you shall pay the price." Smiling coldly, Issei brought his head close to her ear and whispered, "Pray to God, you so-called woman. Pray for mercy, for I shall won't show you it!"

Without another word, Issei grabbed her head and slammed it into the cold, hard floor, web-like cracks forming on the ground beneath. The sound of something breaking filled the air, and many people in the audience, who were flabbergasted, flinched.

At that point, a young man from the Profound Heart Sect stood up from his seat, angered, "You bastard! The match has already ended, how dare you do this! Stop this right now! Or else, don't blame me if you get hurt!"

"..." Issei didn't say anything, and while completely ignoring the youth's words, he lifted up Xuan Qing's head, only to slam it onto the ground once more, this time even harder. He then looked coldly and the young man from the Profound Heart Sect, who upon seeing his cold gaze, flinched. Turning his attention back to the half-dead Xuan Qing, Issei said, "You can have this trash."

After saying such words, Issei stood up from the ground and ruthlessly kicked Xuan Qing's body directly towards the young man who had stood up, sending her flying towards him. The young man's eyes widened in surprise, and he was thrown back by Xuan Qing's body, which collided against his.

Issei then swept his cold eyes all over the speechless audience, and coolly said, "I don't care what your age is or from where you come from. Whoever thinks they can defeat me, feel free to walk onto the stage." He then looked directly towards the young man from the Profound Heart Sect, who glared back at him hatefully. "As for you, if you want to avenge that trash, feel free to come up."

At this moment, Issei was like an overbearing Immortal, who looked down on all living beings. His eyes were cold, and the entire aura around his body was ruthless and filled with killing intent. The pressure Issei emanated even caused some Elders from various sects to flinch in shock, completely overwhelmed by Issei's cold and cruel aura.

"Elder Xuan, please let me teach that kid a lesson!" pleaded the young man from the Profound Heart Sect, who after having checked that his fellow disciple was still alive and handing her a few pills, wanted to exact revenge on his behalf. This youth was already nineteen years old that year, and was on the sixth level of the Nascent Profound Realm. He was one of the best disciples of the Profound Heart Sect.

"You may go, Chen'er," said Xuan Ao coldly, also staring at Issei with vehemence. If it wasn't for the presence of the various elders in, he would have personally gone up to the center of the hall to kill Issei with his own hands. "Be sure to discipline that brat! He must pay for harming Qing'er!"

"Thank you, Elder!"

Xuan Chen the leaped from his seat, directly landing on the middle of the stages, glaring daggers at Issei, who in turn, looked at him coldly. Gritting his teeth, Xuan Chen announced, "Since you dared to challenge me, then you shall pay the price. I'm Xuan Chen, age nineteen!"

After saying that, he immediately waved his hands, bringing out a sword from his cosmos sack. Just like Xuan Qing's saber, it was a True Profound Weapon. The difference, however, was that Xuan Chen's sword was of an even higher quality than Xuan Qing's saber.

"Draw your weapon," ordered Xuan Chen coolly. "Or else, this won't be a fair fight."

"...Weapon?" Issei looked at Xuan Chen coldly, without a change on his handsome expressions. He then merely sneered and said, "My weapon is only drawn for worthy opponents. You are not enough!"

"..You!" murmured Xuan Chen in shock. He had previously been merciful, giving Issei a chance to draw his blade, but not only did he not take it, he even dared to look down on him. Anger filled Xuan Chen's eyes as he roared, "Courting Death!"

Xuan Chen then closed his eyes, and when they opened again, they were filled with a deep purple color. He then looked at Issei grimly and said, "Purple Heart Arts – Purple Soul!"

A dense, overbearing aura was emitted from Xuan Chen's body, and the sword on his hands was suddenly lit with purple colored flames. Although the art used by Xuan Qing, 'Profound Heart Sacrifice' was more well known than 'Purple Soul', it had to be said that 'Purple Soul' was even more difficult to master, and even deadlier! Not only that, it brought forth much less side-effects when compared to 'Profound Heart Sacrifice'!

After activating 'Purple Soul', Xuan Chen waved his sword down, and long, purple-colored sword beam in the shape of a half-moon flew in Issei's direction, cutting through the air!

"Profound Heart Slash!'

The sword beam pierced through the air, and in a split-second, was directly in front of Issei, who had kept immobile the entire time. However, just as the sword was about to pierce through him, he finally moved. He didn't dodge, as that would harm Xia Mei and the rest of the New Moon Profound Disciples who were behind him. Instead, he slashed his hand down, and while using it as a sword, activated a martial skill he hadn't used in a long time.

"Heavenly Strike."

From Issei's right hand, which had been coated in spiritual power, an even denser wave of spiritual power erupted, which similarly condensed into a half-moon shape, striking towards Xuan Chen's Profound Heart Slash!

The moment those two attacks collided, Xuan Chen's attack was completely shattered, and Issei's attack, although having lost some of its momentum, continued forward, towards Xuan Che.

"Impossible!" Xuan Chen's eyes widened in surprise, but he knew better than to keep still. He immediately raised up his arm, and a white-colored barrier appeared in front of him, which directly intercepted Issei's strike. The moment they collided, although the barrier trembled slightly, and showed signs of cracking, it had managed to completely block Issei's attack!

"...White-colored Spirit Formation?" murmured Issei, looking at the barrier in front of him coolly. He then looked back at Xuan Chen and asked plainly, "So you're a White-cloak World Spiritist?"

"Humph!" Xuan Chen crossed his arms, adopting a complacent expression. His Spirit Power was his pride, as in the entire New Moon City, only he had been graced with Spirit Power by the heavens. After all, Spirit Power was something exceedingly rare, and not even Xiao Luocheng had it. As such, in the entire New Moon City, he was the only World Spiritist! It was exactly because of that that although his cultivation base was not high for his age, he was still one of the top talents of the Profound Heart Sect!

"That's right, brat! I have Spirit Power!" said Xuan Chen boastfully, an expression of pride and contempt on his face. He then humphed and continued, "I'll have you know that I am a full-fledged White-cloak World Spiritist, having taken part of the exam in the World Spiritist association! My master was also a peak White-cloak World Spiritist, half-step into a Gray-cloak!"

However, much to his surprise, not only did Issei not cower under his words, or reveal a look of amazement, he actually smiled. And, it was a smile full of contempt. This left Xuan Chen, who had been so proud and mighty completely astonished.

"Is that so...? Then...," Issei's eyes were cold as he waved his hands. Around him, the air twisted, and countless barriers illusory sword-shaped Spirit Formations barriers appeared around him. They were of a white-color, but at the same time, there were even hints of gray on them! "I was actually been wanting to test out my Spirit Power abilities with someone... I'll have to ask you to advise me."

"What?!" Xuan Chen's eyes, along with the eyes of everyone else, including Xiao Luocheng's and Qin Wuyou's widened greatly. After all, they could clearly see that was Issei a World Spiritists, to be able to freely form Spirit Formations of different shapes, his level of mastery was not a small one! Not only that, the faint gray-like color of his Spirit Formations was clearly noticed by everyone in the Main Hall!

"You...You... half-step Grey-cloak World Spiritists!" cried out Xuan Chen in shock, not daring to believe his eyes. His own master was a half-step Grey-cloak World Spiritist, and yet, this fifteen years old... was on the same level as his master?! How could he possibly believe this impossibility?! "Impossible! You-"

Before he could even continue, Issei's eyes shimmered with coldness and he brought his hand down, the dozens of Spirit Formations behind him coming crashing upon Xuan Chen, whose words had been stuck at his throat. In the faces of so many Spirit Formations, an impending sense of deadly crisis overwhelmed him.

"Stop! I'll forfeit!" Xuan Chen cried out as he jumped back, knowing full well that he would lose his life if he took this attack head-on. Upon hearing such words, Issei immediately clenched his hands, all of the Spirit Formations that were heading towards Xuan Chen stopping in mid-air, some of them only a few centimeters away from reaching Xuan Chen's body, which trembled.

Issei then waved his arms, and the dozens of Spirit Formations dispersed in the air. Although he was ruthless, he had already caused enough trouble with the Profound Heart Sect by almost killing Xuan Qing. As such, he wanted to avoid further offenses towards them, since he didn't plan on making any new enemies.

However, at the exact moment that he called off his Spirit Formations, a streak of coldness flashed in Xuan Chen's eyes, the corner of his lips curling up into a dark smile. Taking advantage of the fact that Issei was distracted, he launched out with his sword.

"Heart Piercer!"

A maniacal sheen was present in Xuan Chen's eyes, as he powered up all of his power into this attack. This time, he was going for the kill. After all, with Issei there, he would no longer be able to maintain his position of only World Spiritist, so he wanted to make use of this opportunity to end Issei's life, even if it meant breaking the rules of the tournament.

"...This kid!" Qin Wuyou, who had been observing the fight, suddenly got up from his seat, a dark look in his eyes. He could clearly see the unfiltered killing intent behind that attack, and knew that he was going for the kill. Not only was he disregarding the rules by attacking after forfeiting, he was also trying to kill a disciple from the New Moon Profound Palace, which was now the sect Qin Wuyou belonged to! As such, he had every right to interfere!

Just at that moment, however, Qin Wuyou suddenly stopped, as he caught sight of the faint smile on Issei's mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, as he understood the situation. At the same time, Issei, who was apparently taken by surprise, suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Ah?!" Xuan Chen's eyes widened upon seeing his target disappear right before his eyes, but before he could do anything about it, he felt a sense of danger overwhelm him, as Issei appeared on the air above him, punching down towards his torso!

 _Bang!_

Xuan Chen's body slammed into the ground, creating a huge crater, right next to the blood-stained web-like cracks which were the result of smashing Xuan Qing's face onto the ground. This crater, however, was wider and much deeper, and had caused a screen of smoke to rise up in the air.

Suddenly from the smoke, a battered and roughed-up body was kicked out in the direction of the Profound Heart Sect sitting area. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the person who had been kicked out was actually Xuan Chen! His entire body was bloodied and in a mess, while on his back, there was a large gash, which had been caused by the rupturing from his skin. Countless of bones in his body had been broken, and he was barely alive.

At the same time, the smoke screen dissipated, revealing a dark-brown haired youth standing in the middle of the crater, a calm and cold expression on his face as he gazed at the entire audience, completely unfazed.

His right hand was bloodied, but it was clearly not his own blood. His bearing was collected, and not only was he calm, his expression was even colder and more ruthless than before. Under the gazes of the speechless masters, guests and elders from various clans, Issei said coolly, in an apathetic and emotionless tone, "Next one."

 **Read & _Review!~!_**


	30. Are You Done Yet?

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 30 - Are You Done Yet?**

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 **(The only chapter today, sorry. You see, I have been thinking that quality is better than quantity, and as such, the releases from now on will be one 3k words chapter every day, only that it will be better written. Some days, if I find time, I might also release two or even three chapters.)**

 **(New pool in my profile, by the way, which has to do with the near future of DTH. Go there and vote. Don't forget to check it, since it's actually important. The pool will be closed tomorrow morning (07/14/2016), so vote as soon as you can!)**

 **(There was a chapter yesterday, by the way. 4.5k words long. Give it a read if you haven't.)**

In the center of the hall, stood Issei with his arms crossed, his cold eyes staring at all of the guests, elders, and disciples, present. Around him was a huge crater, tainted with blood, and his aura was domineering and tyrannical to the extreme. His two words 'next one' were packed with utter coldness, and sent shivers down everyone's spines.

No one could actually believe that this kid, who was not even sixteen, would actually possess such strength, and even talent, when it came to World Spiritist techniques. However, what was even more surprising was how he had simply beaten down two of the Profound Heart Sect disciples! The two disciples he had beaten, Xuan Qing and Xuan Chen, were much older than, and not only that, possessed higher cultivation bases. However, in front of Issei, they were simply squashed like insects.

Even Xiao Luocheng, that was normally lofty, and was considered to be the best of the younger generation, couldn't help but to look at Issei carefully, as if accessing him. Murong Ye was also giving Issei a cautious look, wondering if he had done the right choice by angering him, and strangest of all was Lan Xueruo, who gazed at Issei with a strange look in her eyes.

After a few minutes, however, the elder of the Profound Heart Sect, the one who had suggested the way in which the battles should be held, suddenly extended his trembling finger towards Issei, his face red with madness. "You! You bastard! How dare you harm Chen'er?!"

Xuan Chen was the pride of the Profound Heart Sect because of his Spirit Power, and as such, was treated with utmost care, being constantly spoiled. As such, how could Xuan Ao, Xuan Chen's personal teacher, tolerate what had happened?! Not only had Issei almost killed their best disciple, this was the same as not giving any face to the Profound Heart Sect!

However, even while under the killing intent of Xuan Ao, an elder with much higher cultivation than him, not only did Issei not feel pressured, he even locked his cold eyes onto Xuan Ao, "Elder Xuan, is it?" begun Issei coolly. Although his words were respectful, his tone was completely stoic and full of coldness. "I'm sorry, but could you please tell me what I have done wrong?"

"What you have done wrong?!" Xuan Ao's eyes widened with anger, his face becoming even redder. His body began to tremble, and it seemed as if he would explode at any moment. "What you have done wrong?! I'll tell you what you did, little bastard! You almost killed two of my disciples! How will you possibly compensate us?!"

"...Compensate?" Issei merely humphed at Xuan Ao's words, his brown-colored eyes narrowing. "It seems that there is a misunderstanding here, Elder Xuan. After all, as far as I'm concerned, as long as no killing is involved, there shouldn't be any problems, right? Not only that, in the very end, it's clear that the one who tried to 'kill' me was actually your precious Xuan Chen. I was merely using self-defense... How could you blame me for protecting myself? If anything, you should compensate me, for your disciple almost tried to take my life."

Each of Issei's words were cold, and his arguments were solid, making Xuan Ao's face turn grim. In the very end, no matter what he said, Issei's words were correct. Everyone had clearly seen how Xuan Chen had broken the rules of the tournament, and had even tried to take Issei's life. This fact was irrefutable, and not even Xuan Ao would be able to find a way to change it.

"You...," murmured Xuan Ao, his hands clenching into fists. However, his eyes suddenly widened, apparently having remembered something, and he turned his attention towards Qin Wuyou. "Brother Qin, I must ask you to discipline this disciple of yours! He actually dares to use the heavy hand in a duel, and even talks back to someone from the senior generation! Is this how you're bringing up your disciples?! I don't need compensation. As long as this brat goes through the according punishment, then all should be fine."

Since it was clear that Xuan Ao wouldn't be able to win against Issei when it came to arguments, his only choice would be to resort to Qin Wuyou, the newly appointed Palace Chief. After all, it was only obvious that since he had only arrived at New Moon City, he wouldn't dare to make an enemy out of the Profound Heart Sect, one of the strongest sects, so his only option would be to concede to Xuan Ao's wishes.

Alas, it appeared that Xuan Ao had misjudged Qin Wuyou's character, for not only did he not punish Issei at the spot, the usually kind Elder merely looked at Xuan Ao coldly, "Elder Xuan, I can obviously give my disciple an appropriate judgment, but if that's the case, then your own disciples will also require punishment. After all, your first disciple, Xuan Qing, attacked my disciple, Xia Mei, with killing intent on her last attack. If junior Issei had not interfered, then she would have lost her life. Not only that, your other disciple, Xuan Chen, actually dared to break the rules of the tournament by attacking his opponent after forfeiting, and even held malicious intents on his last attack."

Once he reached that point, Qin Wuyou's gaze turned even colder, looking deeply at Xuan Ao, "As such, Elder Xuan, if you want me to administer punishment to my disciple, the same should happen to your own disciples."

The moment Qin Wuyou finished speaking, silence filled the entire room. Everyone looked at Qin Wuyou with surprise, their eyes widened to the extreme. After all, all of the previous generations of Palace Chiefs were all subservient, and would comply to the wishes of the elders from other sects in order to avoid trouble. However, it appeared that Qin Wuyou would be the one to actually break that paradigm! In this situation, it was clear that he was standing on his disciples' side!

At the same time, in the area where the Xiao Sect Branch Sect members were sat, Xia Luocheng's eyes suddenly narrowed, clearly interested in what was happening. He then turned his head towards Issei, and back to Qin Wuyou, only for the corner of his lips to curl up into a smile. "How interesting... it appears that in this banquet, some of the old traditions may be broken..."

While Xiao Luocheng thought of such matters, Xuan Ao's face, that had already been red with anger, turned into an even deeper scarlet color, looking at Qin Wuyou incredulously. He could no longer bring himself to speak, afraid of shaming himself even further. In the end, he sent a hateful stare in Issei's direction before settling back in his seat. His actions were clear; he wouldn't pursue that matter any further.

Since that was the case, Qin Wuyou nodded slightly and turned his head towards all of the guests present, "I'm sorry for the inconveniences. Now, we should resume our little exchange of pointers...," Qin Wuyou then turned his head towards Issei, "Little Junior Issei, would you like to switch places or continue in your position?"

"Continue. I'm enough to handle everyone else," said Issei simply, although his tone was a little softer than before. After he had seen how Qin Wuyou had handled the situation, he decided that with him, he wouldn't be so hard, for he deserved his respect. Qin Wuyou looked a little surprised at Issei's confidence, but in the end nodded towards Issei and went back to his seat, letting the banquet carry on.

Soon after that happened, in the area where the guests from the Cloudy Sun Sect were seated, one of the disciples suddenly stood up, looking at Issei scornfully. He then walked over to the center of the hall while laughing, "Hahaha! Brat, who are you trying to fool? Do you truly think of yourself to be powerful? Don't make me laugh! Just because you defeated those two weakling from the Profound Heart Sect, you think you can beat everyone else? Heh, I'll show you what it means to be powerful!"

By the moment he finished saying, he was already standing directly opposite of Issei, "The name is Yan Ming, sixteen years old. Although I'm older than you by one year, you clearly said that age didn't matter, right?"

"Indeed," said Issei while giving Yan Ming an assessing look. From what he could see, he didn't seem to be anything worth mentioning. "Are you my next opponent?"

"Heh, you could say that," Yan Ming sneered at Issei, looking at him condescendingly, "This father shall teach you a lesson!"

"...A lesson? Aren't you thinking to highly of yourself?" asked Issei, looking at Yan Ming strangely. He didn't seem to be that powerful... where was his confidence coming from?

However, right at that moment, Lan Xueruo, who had been looking at the scene strangely, suddenly said, "Junior Brother Issei, that youth, Yan Ming, is actually in the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm, and is a fire-attributed cultivator!"

Lan Xueruo wasn't the only one worried for Issei. Even Sikong Han, Qin Wuyou and Xia Mei didn't put much faith in Issei winning. After all, although he had won against Xuan Qing, in their eyes, it appeared that she was under a strange condition, and even though he also won against Xuan Cheng, who was on the fifth level of the Nascent Profound Realm, it could be said that his mind was clouded by anger, and he had only lost due to to the fact that Issei had caught him off-guard. As such, in their eyes, they believed that in terms of power, Issei strength was only equal to the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm.

Yan Ming, on the other hand, although he was in the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm, because of his rather solid foundations and his attainments in the Cloudy Sun Arts, it could be said that even someone of the fourth level of the Nascent Profound Realm would find it hard to defeat him. Due to all that, unless Issei had a trump card up his sleeve, or had not shown his true powers, then it would be rather difficult for him to achieve victory.

Issei, however, upon hearing such words, couldn't hold back the smile that appeared on his face. Fire-attributed cultivator... In his eyes, such an existence was simply ridiculous, because from the moment he had gotten his hands on the Fire Seed of the Evil God, even the fire from a Divine Beast, such as a True Dragon or Three-legged Golden Crown, would be unable to even burn his clothes!

With the hints of a playful smile on his face, Issei looked at Yan Ming again, "Then, I'll have to ask Senior Yan to advise me... let us as have a good fight."

"Humph!" Yan Ming sneered at Issei, jumping back a few meters. He then threw his arms forward and smiled cruelly, "This father will teach you what it means to be truly powerful... I want to see you keep that look on your face after I smack the ground with you! Cloudy Sun Chains!"

In the next moment, spiritual power churned around Yan Ming, heading directly towards his hands, where it suddenly exploded in a haze of fire, and from his hands, two chains made of fire erupted, striking towards Issei!

Within the audience, Sikong Han's eyes widened, "That...Cloudy Sun Chains! Isn't that one of the most difficult arts of the Cloudy Sun Sect..?! How could that kid actually be able to use it at his cultivation base?!"

In terms of prestige and power, the Cloudy Sun Sect was above the Profound Heart Sect. As such, all of the techniques of the Cloudy Sun Sect, the Cloudy Sun Arts, were leagues above the skills from the Profound Heat Sect, the Profound Heart Arts and the Purple Profound Arts! And, the Cloudy Sun Chains was much above martial skills such as the Profound Heart Sacrifice and Purple Soul!

"Junior Brother!" Xia Mei's eyes widened, clearly feeling the power behind those chains. Even if it was Issei, she didn't believe that he would be able to take that attack head on. "Dodge!"

Alas, Issei didn't seem to have such plans. Even while facing that attack, he smiled coldly and threw forth his hands in the direction of the two burning chains, intending to catch them bare-handed! Cloudy Sun Chains? Those kind of things wouldn't be to harm Issei, no matter how strong they were! As long as it came to fire, Issei would be virtually unbeatable!

However, that action of his made many people in the audience to widen their eyes, looking at him as if he was crazy. He actually planned to take those chains head-on?! They would have already deemed him stupid if he had tried to block them with a weapon, but to actually use his hands...?!

"That crazy idiot! Does he not want his hands anymore?!" Murong Ye's eyes widened, and even though he said such words, he was actually feeling jubilant inside. From what he had seen of Issei's talent, in two or so years, it would be no surprise if he caught up to him. And, since there was already some ill intent between them, he would naturally wish to see him suffer!

Not only Murong Ye, many in the audience held similar thoughts when it came to Yan Ming's attack. After all, they believed that not even someone in the sixth level of the Nascent Profound Realm would actually be daring enough to try and catch those scorching-hot chains bare-handed! This was akin to throwing one's own hands away!

"Junior Brother, no!" cried out Xia Mei, her face twisting in horror. She had stayed in New Moon City for a long time already, and was aware of the power behind the Cloudy Sun Arts. She was sure that if Issei really did try to catch them, then he would be sealing his fate!

Yan Ming, however, smiled crazily upon seeing Issei's actions, and took that opportunity to pump up even more spiritual power into his Cloudy Sun Chains. Previously, Issei had clearly stolen the lime-light all to himself, and how could he, a proud children of the heavens accept such a fact?! He wanted to make Issei pay for that!

In the end, however, Issei turned a deaf ear towards all of the screams and shouts, and when the chains were about to reach him, his hands reached out, grabbing onto them. Not surprisingly, his hands didn't feel damaged in the least, and in reality, only had a warm, cozy feeling to them. It was even an enjoyable, pleasuring feeling!

The moment this happened, the entire Main Hall grew silent, staring at what had happened in front of them with pure and unfiltered disbelief. Did he just...really grab onto them?! No one could believe that! Someone in the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm was actually able to do such a thing?! The most surprised of all, however, was Yan Ming, for he knew just how much strength he had used on that attack. His eyes were widened, and his mouth was agape, his entire semblance pale.

"I-Impossible! How could this be-"

Before Yan Ming could continue, his eyes widened even further. The sound of something shattering rang out in the Main Palace, resounding over and over again. At that moment, Issei had actually clenched his hands, completely breaking the chains!

He didn't actually use any strength; Issei had only slightly clenched his hands, and the chains shattered like glass, becoming wisps that dispersed in the air! However, the most surprising part had yet to come. After Issei had done that, he merely raised his left hand to his mouth and... Yawned!

"That's all you have...?" asked Issei, looking at Yan Ming with clear disappointment, as if he had been expecting something more... challenging. Upon noticing that the stunned Yan Ming wouldn't answer any time soon, Issei merely said, "So much for the 'lesson', huh?"

"This...This! You!" Yan Ming's eyes widened, and anger flared on his face. Although he couldn't understand what had happened, he knew that it wasn't time to be dazed! He needed to somehow strike again and succeed, or else he wouldn't have the face to return home after this! He, one of the top five geniuses of New Moon's younger generation, couldn't accept this!

Immediately, he narrowed his eyes and threw his arms forward, "I made a mistake last time, and it was only because of that you managed to break them! Now, I shall show you the real Cloudy Sun Chains! Last time was only a fluke!"

Once more, from his hands, two flaming hot chains erupted, and this time, they were even bigger and wider than before, of a much more fiery color. Yan Ming's face suddenly turned pale, and it was obvious that he had wasted a not-so-small amount of spiritual power in this attack! In fact, he had completely emptied his reserves. This was, without a doubt, his strongest attack possible.

Like huge snakes, the two chains lunged towards Issei, flying at breakneck speeds! In the blink of an eye, they were about to encircle around him! At this moment, however, Issei raised his two arms forward, and... actually flicked his fingers at the two incoming chains!

Just like glass, the two flaming hot chains were completely shattered by Issei's casual actions. Throughout the entire time, Issei's expression remained the same, and he merely glanced at Yan Ming as if looking at someone stupid, "Are you done yet?"

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	31. Against All Expectations

****Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.****

 ** **Info:****

 ** **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.****

 ** **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.****

 ** **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.****

 ** **Beta-read by: KryoKon****

* * *

 ** **Chapter 31 - Against All Expectations****

* * *

 ** **(The winner of the poll was to skip the filler battles. You can check it in my profile, if you want.)****

After blocking Yan Ming's Cloudy Sun Chains, Yan Ming's most powerful attack, Issei merely knocked the proud member of the Cloudy Sun Sect out, officially ending the battle. By that point, no one doubted Issei's abilities, as it was obvious that Yan Ming had not underestimated him in the least, proven by the fact he had started with his strongest attack. As such, in everyone's eyes, Issei possessed the might equivalent to someone in the fourth level of the Nascent Profound Realm.

Once Yan Ming had suffered a defeat, genius after genius of various sects tried to challenged the brown-haired youth, only to be miserably crushed. The battles usually ended in seconds, while some of them lasted even a few minutes, but the result was always the same; Issei's victory.

No matter how much geniuses came his way, no matter how powerful they were, in front of Issei, they weren't worth anything. Although his cultivation base may indeed be low, his foundations were tougher and more resistant than everyone else's… never mind the Profound Sky Continent, in the millions upon millions of planets of the entire middle realm, Issei most likely had the best foundation possible.

As such, even after facing countless geniuses, such as the young masters of the Burning Heaven Clan and even Tie Hegjun, an amazing spear-wielder, not only had Issei not unleashed his swords, he didn't even bother using the 'Star God's Broken Shadow'. His Dao of vibrations alone was powerful enough to nullify all attacks thrown at him so far

By this point, no one thought of Issei as a genius anymore. In their eyes, he was already a monster. A cruel, evil monster who had long since surpassed the limits of what was possible for humans. He was only in the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, but so far, no one had seen him even sweat during the battles!

However, there had been one moment where people felt like they were going crazy, and couldn't believe their eyes. In the last battle that Issei had had so far, he had actually defeated Lu Zhannan, someone on the seventh level of the Nascent Profound Realm! Not only that, Lu Zhannan was incomparably strong in his level, and even cultivators of the eighth and ninth level wouldn't dare to challenge him.

In this battle, Issei had to admit that victory hadn't been easily achieved, and he almost drew his swords. In the end, however, by activating the Start God's Broken Shadow and taking the eighteen year old by surprise, Issei was once more able to achieve victory.

Seventh level of the Nascent Profound Realm against someone in the first… by common sense, no matter how much of a genius the one in the first was, it should have been impossible for someone of the first level to win against someone of the seventh level. In the end, however, Issei had completely crushed common sense, once more achieving victory!

Alas, Issei still wasn't content with stopping at that point. His lust for battle hadn't burned down yet… in fact, it was even higher than before! So far, he hadn't been forced to unleash any of his trump cards, and Issei wouldn't stop until he found an opponent truly worthy of his blade.

And, the only logical conclusion would be to challenge the number one person in the banquet, Xiao Luocheng himself! However, before he could even issue his challenge, the person himself decided to make his presence known.

While smiling brightly, Xiao Luocheng got up from his seat, looking at Issei with clear, unfiltered interest. "This is amazing! Who would have thought that I would actually find someone so strong in the younger generation… fifteen years old, and yet, powerful enough to beat even someone of the seventh level of the Nascent Profound Realm! Even when I was his age, I wouldn't be able to pull that off…"

As he said such words, Xiao Luocheng, under the astonished gazes of the audience, walked to the center of the hall, directly in front of Issei. His eyes weren't full of arrogance, like they had been before. Instead, they even possessed a thread of respect! Someone who is strong is bound to respect others of similar strength.

Although it may not seem like it, unlike the other cultivators his age, Xiao Luocheng didn't feel threatened when facing the rise of a monster such as Issei. Instead, he felt excited, for he would finally have someone to compete with! This was an auspicious moment, so how could Xiao Luocheng possibly miss it?!

"Little Brother Issei, although you are clearly one year younger than me, would you care to exchange some pointers with me?" asked Xiao Luocheng warmly, looking at Issei excitedly while hoping his challenge would be accepted.

"Oh…?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, surprised that Xiao Luocheng had actually taken the initiative to commence a battle. However, his surprise was ephemeral, and was quickly replaced by delight. "Of course, Brother Xiao! I hope we can have a good fight!"

"Hehe, I hope the same," Xiao Luocheng nodded, and got himself in a battle condition. He didn't cultivate for fame or riches, like everyone else. He cultivated because he sought to increase his attainments in martial arts! "Are you ready, Little Brother Issei?"

"En!" nodded Issei excitedly, and he also straightened up his position. Although he didn't take out his two swords, he was already prepared to. After all, Xiao Luocheng was clearly a cut above the rest, and his cultivation base was almost an entire realm over his… He needed be prepared for anything.

The audience, at that moment, had grown silent, and only the excited heartbeats of everyone present could be heard. After all, this would be the battle between the acclaimed number one genius of New Moon City and the ultimate monster that had surfaced during the tournament!

Although there were many people that thought that Issei had no chance of winning against Xiao Luocheng, there were many others who believed that Issei had yet to show his true power. In this battle, everything was possible! Nothing was definite, and victory and defeat would only depend on fate!

…

"Then, let's begin," Xiao Luocheng took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. When they opened again, they were fully concentrated, and within, shined an inextinguishable desire for battle. The handsome member of the Xiao Sect then slowly crouched down on the ground, pulling his fist back. Without a word of warning, his eyes suddenly widened and he rushed forward, directly towards Issei.

His fist was coated with spiritual power, and the power behind it could only be imagined. As soon as he arrived in front of Issei, he sent his fist forward, directly towards the younger boy's chest. However, much to his surprise, instead of hitting something solid, his body simply passed through Issei's, as if it was made of mist.

"Afterimage?!" Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened, and a deep feeling of danger overwhelmed him. Immediately, his instincts kicked in, and he spun his body around, his two arms directly protecting his torso.

 _Bang!_

Issei's left fist heavily smashed against Xiao Luocheng's body, which was lifted from the ground, flying a few meters. Mid-air, however, Xiao Luocheng twisted his body around, and managed to swiftly fall to the ground. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he looked at Issei with excitement.

"Good fist!" commended Xiao Luocheng, being clearly able to feel the might behind it. In reality, it wasn't much weaker than his own! However, it wasn't nearly enough to knock someone like Xiao Luocheng out. Instead, it only made him more excited, his desire for battle burning even hotter. He then pushed his hands forward, trails of green spiritual power appearing in the air.

"Evergreen Blades!"

Around Xiao Luocheng, countless green-colored blades formed out of spiritual power appeared in the air, only to be sent flying towards Issei at breakneck speeds! Each of those blades, in terms of power, could equal an attack of someone in the seventh level of the Nascent Profound Realm!

Upon seeing those blades, Issei immediately waved his hands, and countless Spirit Formations appeared around him, some of them changing into swords, while other maintaining their barrier-like shape. All of them were sent forward, directly towards Xiao Luocheng's Evergreen Blades!

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Countless shattering noises rang in the air, as one after another, Xiao Luocheng's Evergreen Blades collapsed, along with Issei's Spirit Formations. In the very end, no vestige of either attack remained! They had been completely of the same level of power.

"Evenly matched?" murmured Issei in surprise, clearly taken aback by the power behind Xiao Luocheng's Evergreen Blades. They truly couldn't be underestimated. At that moment, Issei came to the conclusion that he would have to take the Xiao Sect's genius seriously. Waving his arms down, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye appeared on his hands.

The moment he did that, all around the audience, many people widened their eyes. After all, so far, Issei had yet to take out a weapon, and they had always thought that he simply didn't have mastery over anything, and used his fists as his sole weapon. Not only that, the shape of Issei's swords were clearly unusual, something they had never seen before.

"What kind of swords are that…?" Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened, only to quickly narrow. He then slapped the cosmos sack by his waist, bringing out his own weapon, which was a green-colored longsword. A peak True Profound Weapon, in fact. "Hahaha, Brother Issei, since you have drawn your blade, it appears that I must also get serious with you!"

After saying such words, Xiao Luocheng shifted his weight to his right feet, which was in front of him, while bringing his left one back, grabbing his sword with both hands. He then smiled lightly and said, "Brother Issei, I must warn you that my blade is quite ruthless, and you may end up injured. If you ever find yourself in a troublesome situation, make sure to forfeit."

Issei, however, smiled lightly, bringing Gan Jiang and Mo Ye in front of him, entering what appeared to be a rather sloppy and clumsy sword-stance. "I should be saying that same about you, Brother Xiao..."

"Hahaha! That's the spirit!" Xiao Luocheng smiled widely, concentrating his spiritual power into his longsword. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his aura was just like of a sword that had been unsheathed… deadly and cold. "Then, Brother Issei, I'll have the first move!"

Suddenly, Xiao Luocheng's image flickered, and his feet were enveloped in a bright green light, which rose up to his calf. Wind began to build up around him, and the ground beneath his feet shattered. "Stride of the Wind Dragon!"

In a way akin to a majestic dragon, Xiao Luocheng rushed towards Issei, his movements fast, and at the same time, graceful. Each step he took sent him forward by a few meters, and in the blink of an eye, he was directly in front of Issei, his sword slashing down towards the brown-haired boy.

Immediately, Issei brought Gan Jiang up, blocking the attack, while sending Mo Ye towards Xiao Luocheng's sides, slashing side-ways. However, Xiao Luocheng's sword that had been blocked by Issei suddenly pushed back, and at the same time, intercepted Issei's other attacks. Taking advantage of the situation, Xiao Luocheng struck his feet against the ground, his left leg being sent up in the air, and while using his right one as pivot, struck towards Issei's head.

Just at that moment, however, Issei raised up Gan Jiang, and while using the flat side of the blade, blocked Xiao Luocheng's attack. Following that, Issei threw his body forward in a body-bash, bypassing the Xiao Sect's member defenses and elbowing him in the gut.

"Argh!" Xiao Luocheng grit his teeth and jumped back, increasing the distance between him and Issei. In that short and brief exchange, he realized that Issei was definitely not as simple as he seemed when it came to swordsmanship. However, not only did Xiao Luocheng not grow mad, he even got more excited as he smiled, "Good swords!"

After saying so, surprisingly enough, he slapped his cosmos sack with his other hand, taking out another sword. This one, in contrast to the first one, was of a pure-black color, and it was of an even higher quality than the first sword, although it was also a True Profound Weapon. The moment he took out that sword, his aura grew sharper by several fold, and Issei, for the first time, felt an ominous feeling coming from his opponent.

"Dual-wielder…?" murmured Issei in shock upon seeing Xiao Luocheng use his other hand to grasp the black sword, holding it with trained efficiency. Dual-wielders were rare, as it was immensely more difficult to master when compared to choosing a single sword. He already thought that Xiao Luocheng was quite formidable with a single sword, but it appeared that in reality, he normally wielded two-swords! How could Issei not be surprised?

"That's right, Brother Issei, I'm actually a dual-wielder…," said Xiao Luocheng while he brandished his swords, changing his battle-stance into a more fitting one. "And, I must admit, in the younger generation, you're most likely the only one capable of making me take out these two swords… I praise you for that! I can only hope that now, you'll still be able to keep up with me!"

"Green Lotus – First Strike!"

Spiritual power rippled in the air around Xiao Luocheng, and his green sword was suddenly enveloped in a dark-green glow. On the very tip of the sword, a small green-colored lotus bloomed, with sword-shaped petals! At the same time, behind Xiao Luocheng, the faint image of a giant Green Lotus appeared, hovering behind him.

It also had sword-shaped petals, and nine of them in total!

After the Green Lotus appeared behind Xiao Luocheng, one of its nine petals detached from the main body, flying straight towards Xiao Luocheng's green sword. The phantom image of the petal overlapped with the sword, and it suddenly increased in size! The green lotus in the tip of the sword suddenly lost one petal, mirroring the bigger lotus, which then flew into the sword. The power of the sword suddenly increased by ten-fold!

"What?!" Issei's eyes widened, but he had no time to think about what was happening, since Xiao Luocheng had suddenly dashed forward, striking forth with his green sword! Immediately, Issei waved Gan Jiang and Mo Ye in the air, and countless White-colored Spirit Formations barriers appeared around Issei, directly in front of the incoming Xiao Luocheng.

"Shatter!" roared out Xiao Luocheng, his green sword easily piercing through the countless barriers of swords, without loss in momentum. The green lotus behind him trembled slightly, and grew bigger in size! In a single moment, the green sword's tip, in which a smaller green lotus was at, was directly in front of Issei, a few centimeters away from his head! However, at that time, Issei's figure vanished, appearing directly behind Xiao Luocheng.

Astonishingly, much to his surprise, the moment Issei did so, a smile appeared on Xiao Luocheng's face, and the gigantic phantom lotus behind him sprung into action, flying towards Issei, who had just employed the 'Star God's Broken Shadow'. Seeing this attack, Issei could only curse lightly, revolving all of the spiritual power in his body into a stream of vibrating spiritual power, which directly clashed against the colossal Green Lotus.

 _Creee!_

Cracking sounds filled the air, while fissure after fissure appeared in the gigantic lotus, being subjected to Issei's tyrannical stream of vibrating spiritual power. However, just as the lotus was about to break apart, Xiao Luocheng waved his hands, calling it back. While dodging Issei's attack, the Green Lotus once more settled itself behind Xiao Luocheng, where it began to regenerate at a mind-blowing speed. In less than ten seconds, all of the damage that Issei had done was completely regenerated.

"Your power is truly astonishing…," murmured Xiao Luocheng in shock, a profound and deep look in his eyes. Although it had only been a few minutes since they had begun fighting, he was already able to determine that Issei, in terms of power, was actually not inferior to him! Not only that, he was younger than him by one year, and his cultivation base was lower than his by nine levels. As such, by this point, Xiao Luocheng felt deep respect for Issei's power, something that he had never felt for someone in the younger generation. "However… I feel as if that's not the true extent of your powers..."

After saying such words, one by one, the petals on the gigantic lotus behind Xiao Luocheng faded away, until there was nothing left. At the same time, the green sword in his hands began to pulsate with immeasurably deep energy.

"Normally, the Green Lotus would include nine attacks, each one more powerful than the last, but… In reality, it can all be used in a single, tyrannical attack that can shatter any defense," said Xiao Luocheng as he raised his sword forward, parallel to his body. "Junior Brother, even I can't control this attack well… so, if you're not sure if you'll manage, you should forfeit right now."

Xiao Luocheng was about to continue, but at that moment, Issei suddenly raised his hand up, an embarrassed expression on his face, "Actually, you should probably cancel that attack. I… forfeit."

The moment Issei said such words, it was as if time had stopped, and if that was even possible, everyone's eyes widened even further, completely astonished at his words. The one who had actually been defeating geniuses one after another, in the final moment of the final battle, the part where the strongest clash should have been, had actually… forfeited?!

No one, not even Jasmine and Eggy, who knew Issei better than anyone, had been expecting this. They had all thought that Issei would fight until the very end, using all he had, but this… was simply outrageous! Even if he knew he would lose, he should have put up some token struggle for appearances or anything, but this was simply unbelievable!

The most surprised of all was Xiao Luocheng. Even though he had said such words, telling Issei to forfeit, he never would have expected that he would actually take him up on that! After a some moments, Xiao Luocheng broke out from his daze and asked, "Brother Issei… are you sure about this? Is there any reason…?"

Upon hearing his words, Issei nodded lightly, a calm expression on his face.

"To be truthful," begun Issei while walking back to his seat. "I believe that I would be able to handle that attack of yours, even if I had to pay some price…," Issei then turned his gaze towards the black sword, "However, even after I do that, I believe that it would be far from the end. Your other sword is clearly more powerful, and you haven't used it yet. As such, even if I block this attack of yours, in the end, I would suffer a defeat because of your other sword. I know my own limits, and I believe that instead of harming myself, it would be better to forfeit while I'm still in prime condition. In the end, the end result, which is your victory, won't change."

By the time Issei finished his speech, he was already in front of his seat, which was at the far back, right next to Xia Mei's. He then bowed in Xiao Luocheng's direction and smiled, "Brother Xiao, I must admit that in terms of power, I'm still beneath you. It truly is your victory."

After saying so, Issei sat back on his seat, a calm expression on his face, while a small, content smile graced his lips. Initially, he didn't have a good impression of Xiao Luocheng, mostly because of his arrogance, and the way he reacted upon seeing Xia Mei, but throughout the battle, he realized that he judged him wrongly.

It's said that men understand each other better by locking swords, and that was what had happened with Issei on this situation. He discovered, through fighting with Xiao Luocheng, that he was actually someone who wholeheartedly pursued the path of martial arts, just like him

Soon after that, much to everyone's surprise, Xiao Luocheng suddenly started laughing. Surprisingly, the look of respect in his eyes grew even deeper, looking at Issei in amazement. "Now that's what I call a good cultivator! Powerful, but not haughty! Smart, but not overbearing! Someone who knows his limits, and at the same time, has the self-control to ignore fickle things such as pride… Brother Issei, from now on, you have a friend in me! I, Xiao Luocheng, respect you! Not only are you as powerful as me while being younger, you're also of impressive character!"

Xiao Luocheng then clasped his hands and bowed towards Issei and went back to his seat, the same content smile on his face. After that, Qin Wuyou immediately snapped from his amazement, and although sudden, and anti-climatic, declared that the exchange of pointers had officially ended, and continued the banquet. Although many people were still surprised about what had happened, after countless drinks, many had already decided to ignore it for the time being.

As for Issei, he simply stayed in his seat throughout the entire banquet, looking at everything that happened around him calmly. After talking with Xia Mei for a while, the two of them, along with the disciples from the various clans and sects, were dismissed by their elders. On the way back to his dormitory, a voice rang in Issei's head.

"Issei, that battle from before, why did you…?" asked Eggy, curiousness in her tone. After all, she knew that Issei still had many trump cards up his sleeve, and although the black sword was dangerous, he would still be able to overcome it. As such, she couldn't help but to be curious.

"I have already created many troubles with the various clans and sects there," sighed Issei, a complex expression on his face. "and, because of that, I would like to avoid making an enemy of a sect as big as the Xiao Sect. Because of that, the best choice would obviously be to forfeit. Not only that, although I have some ways to win against Xiao Luocheng, most of them are actually by using my other Divine Weapons, which isn't my real power.

"Of course, I could also make use of the Evil God's first Gate, Evil Soul, since Jasmine had mentioned that I can already unlock it. However, if I used it, there is bound to be some side-effects, and since I have no grudge against the Xiao Sect, I would rather not. Finally, the last option I had would be to resign. In the end, I managed to battle as much as I would want to, so I think that I didn't miss out on anything."

Upon hearing Issei's words, Eggy revealed an enlightened expression, "Oh, so that's how it was… Issei, you truly think things through, don't you?"

"Since I have a brain, I'm most likely supposed to use it, am I not?" smiled Issei, reaching the door of his room. After bidding the still stunned Xia Mei goodbye, he entered his room, prepared for a night of good sleep. Immediately after laying down on his bed, his consciousness faded away, entering the realm of dreams.

…

…

…

In the morning of the next day, Issei heard some knocking on his door. The fifteen years old, chose to ignore it, covering his head with the pillow, too tired to care. For the past two years, he had been sleeping in the wild, and now that he could actually sleep in a bed, he was unwilling to get up.

However, a voice suddenly rang from outside his room, "Junior Brother Issei? Are you awake? There's a g-guest for you here!"

It was Xia Mei's sweet and warm voice that could send ripples in the heart of whoever hears it. Immediately after hearing it, Issei's eyes widened, getting up from his bed. After all, Xia Mei had just mentioned a guest, and given by the way she said it, it must be someone important. Even though Issei was absolutely loving his bed, he knew what had to be done.

After straightening up his robes, he opened the door, only to be greeted by Xia Mei's slightly awkward expression, with a youth standing by her side. This youth was tall and handsome, and appeared to be around sixteen. He didn't wear the robes of the New Moon Profound Palace, but instead, of the Xiao Sect!

This handsome youth was none other than Xiao Luocheng, who he had fought the day before.

"Brother Issei, it's good to see you!" smiled Xiao Luocheng brightly, an ingratiating smile on his face, while he warmly greeted Issei. He then raised his head up and said, "Since I know it's early, and you probably want to rest, I'll be direct. I would like to invite you to join the Xiao Sect!"

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	32. Issei's Choice

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 32 - Issei's Choice**

* * *

Xiao Luocheng's words were like thunder, resounding in Issei's ears over and over again. Xiao Sect… Join the Xiao Sect?! Issei's mind reeled, clearly taken aback by that sudden, and more than anything, surprising invitation. The shock, however, was ephemeral, as Issei quickly regained his senses.

"Join the Xiao Sect…?" repeated Issei slowly, his gaze penetrating into Xiao Luocheng's eyes, searching for any hint of deceit, but finding none.

"Exactly," Xiao Luocheng nodded with enthusiasm, an unusually joyful expression on his face. "After I told Father about you, he immediately told me to invite you. Talents like you are more than rare, and we would be thrilled to have you in our sect. Not only that, the moment you enter, you'll automatically be the number one core disciple, with a status similar to mine!"

After saying so, Xiao Luocheng smiled even further and said, "Brother Issei, although I know that you're not already part of the New Moon Profound Palace, from what I have seen, you're only new in the New Moon Profound Palace. As such, I believe that it wouldn't be wrong to invite you to our Xiao Sect."

Upon listening to Xiao Luocheng's words, Issei couldn't help but to nod. After all, he had only been in the New Moon Profound Palace for one day, and had bribed his way into it on top of that. He didn't really owe them anything. If he had already been a disciple of the New Moon Profound Palace for a long time, he would immediately refuse Xiao Luocheng's offer, but that was not the case. At the moment, Issei was seriously considering it.

The Xiao Sect, be it in terms of prestige, powers, resources or martial skills, was completely superior to the New Moon Profound Palace. In fact, the Main Sect of the Xiao Sect was above the Blue Wind Royal Family, and was only inferior to the Heavenly Sword Villa and Frozen Cloud Asgard. As for the Burning Heaven Clan, they were equal in power.

It could be said that joining the Xiao Sect would bring forth countless benefits. He would already be a Core Disciple of the Branch Sect, would be likely to enter the Main Sect, and would even have Xiao Luocheng as his ally. He would benefit greatly from it.

However, at the same time, there was still the matter about Xia Mei. She was part of the New Moon Profound Palace, and Issei's hesitation was because of her. Soon after, Issei's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Xiao Luocheng seriously.

"Brother Xiao, could you give me a moment alone with Senior Sister Mei?"

"Ah?" Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened at Issei's question. He then glanced at Xia Mei from the corner of his eyes, and upon noticing the way she looked at Issei, it seemed as if something ticked in his head. Xiao Luocheng then revealed a knowing smile, patted Issei on the shoulder and simply gave him a thumbs-up before walking away.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. I eagerly await your reply," Xiao Luocheng walked away while waving his hands. At the same time, within his heart, his respect for Issei was kicked up a notch. So young, and yet he already had a _connection_ to such a beauty… How could Xiao Luocheng not respect such a guy?!

After Xiao Luocheng reached a certain distance, Issei pulled Xia Mei into his room and closed the door. Looking at her seriously, he asked, "Senior Sister Mei, what do you think about his suggestion?"

"...Eh?" Xia Mei's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that Issei would ask her opinion about it. Soon after, she organized her thoughts and said, "Junior Brother Issei… I believe that you should go. Even though it may be lonely here without you, I think-"

"I want to take you with me," interrupted Issei, a serious look on his face. He had already decided that leaving Xia Mei alone wasn't an option, since her beauty simply attracted too much unwanted attention. Her cultivation base was also insufficient to ward off bad people, and Issei had taken it upon himself to protect her. As a Junior Brother, it was his job to ensure the safety of his Senior Sister.

"Fue?! Me going with you?" Xia Mei's eyes widened considerably, and she looked at Issei incredulously. She then sighed and said, "Junior Brother, you already know of my talent. Even thought I would love to follow you, I don't think I would be able to…"

"It doesn't matter," Issei shook his head earnestly, taking a step closer and looking at Xia Mei in the eye. "No matter what your talent is, where I go, you go. I won't be leaving you alone after so long. I'm also sure that I would be able to make you enter the Xiao Sect. I only want to know if you're willing to go with me."

"…" For a long time, Xia Mei didn't say a single word. Her emotions were in a mess, her heart-beating rate chaotic. That simple sentence from Issei's part, along with the look in his eyes, was enough to set her heart racing. After a while, Xia Mei closed her eyes. When they opened again, they were filled with resoluteness. "Junior Brother, I'll follow you to the Xiao Sect. My father will also not have any problems with that."

"Then that's settled," Issei smiled upon hearing Xia Mei's words. He then looked at her one last time, winked playfully and opened the door, only to find out that Xiao Luocheng had already returned, and was waiting for her.

"So? What have you decided?" asked Xiao Luocheng, who didn't fail to notice the faint blush on Xia Mei's cheek. Immediately, he started to make assumptions to what had happened within the room. He wondered if they even discussed at all.

"I'll join the Xiao Sect," said Issei seriously, "However, I have one condition. I must bring Senior Sister Mei with me."

Surprisingly, not only did Xiao Luocheng not seem surprised at Issei's demand, he even smiled brightly. "But of course, Brother Issei! I was already expecting you to say such things!"

"..." Issei looked plainly at Xiao Luocheng before sighing. "So, when can we go?"

"In this immediate moment," Xiao Luocheng said happily. "I'll inform Father right now so he can begin the transferring procedures for both of you. Meanwhile, you can already pack your things. There's already a carriage waiting for us outside."

Issei nodded, and locked his eyes with Xia Mei's for a brief moment and nodded once more. He then went back to his room while Xia Mei entered hers, both preparing to pack up their belongings. Thankfully, because of a thing such as 'Cosmos Sacks', they were done in a few breaths of time.

"Alright, I'm done," said Issei, walking out of his room and closing the door. Coincidentally, Xia Mei walked out of hers at the same time. While she packed her things, she had already explained the situation to her father through a sound transmission talisman. Not only did Xia Hongyi, her father, agree to it, he was even excited about it, telling her to go for it.

"Perfect," Xiao Luocheng smiled while he clasped his hands. "Then let's be on our way."

…

…

…

"So this is the Xiao Sect…?" asked Issei, his gaze wandering out of the window of his carriage, and onto the large entrance in front of him, which was in the form of a large, jaded staircase, which lead up high into the mountains.

"Yes," nodded Xiao Luocheng, who was sitting opposite of Issei, a proud look in his eyes while he looked at his Sect's entrance. "The territory belonging to our Xiao Sect Branch Sect is almost the same size as New Moon City, and covers the entire mountain range. The place where you two will be staying at is in the best place in the entire sect, the Auburn Lights Mountain. It's the location reserved for the most outstanding disciples, and aside from me, only two others live there. They are Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wei, the two other Core Disciples aside from you and me."

"Mn," nodded Issei, slightly surprised about Xiao Luocheng's words. Although he had heard that the Xiao Sect was big, he hadn't imagined that it would be actually the same size as New Moon City. This only proved that the Xiao Sect was an extraordinary existence.

The carriage that they were in suddenly stopped upon reaching the stairs. Issei thought that they would have to climb the staircase by foot, but surprisingly, that wasn't the case. Beneath the carriage, a small symbol appeared, and the entire carriage begun to hover on top of the ground, floating the way up the stairs.

Issei's eyes widened at that, never having heard of such a thing. Noticing the expression on Issei's face, Xiao Luocheng smiled and explained, "Brother Issei, beneath this carriage, there is a small floating array formation. This carriage actually belongs to Father, and is made of precious materials."

"So it's like that," Issei nodded, enlightened. After that, he, along with Xia Mei, kept their gazes fixed on the window, watching the various scenarios that they went through. They saw rivers, bamboo forests, countless houses, storehouses, even small villas, with shops and stores and many different kind of structures.

It had to be said that the Xiao Sect Branch Sect was an extremely beautiful place. The entire area was full of different kind of trees, and the sun shone softly through the breaches of the dense foliage above them, illuminating their path.

In total, there were over seven mountains in the Xiao Sect Branch Sect territory, with countless valleys and rivers. There were over fifty thousand outer court disciples, who did miscellaneous tasks, such as farming, bringing up animals, preparing the food and whatnot. As for inner court disciples, there was a little over two thousand, who focused on cultivation and martial arts. When it came to Core Disciples, however, there were only three, Xiao Luocheng, Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wei. Issei would be the fourth, while Xia Mei would be registered as his follower. Her treatment would be above that of an inner disciple, but beneath that of a Core Disciple.

...

In a little less than a quarter of an hour, they managed to reach the Auburn Lights Mountain. Although it wasn't the tallest one, nor the widest one, it was the most charming one. Most of the leaves in the tree, due to some arrays, were of a healthy auburn color, and it painted a picturesque scene. The air around it was also calm and peaceful, while the spiritual power was abundant. Throughout the mountain, there were many small lakes, within which was clear, luminescent water.

"This is the place where you will be leaving on from today onwards," said Xiao Luocheng while pointing towards the beautiful mountain. We'll be quickly arriving at the courtyard we have select for you… Also, forgive me for not asking first, but I have arranged for you two to live in the same one. Is there some problem?"

"Mnn? Not at all," Issei said plainly, not thinking too much into it. Xia Mei, however, blushed deeply, and stole a few glanced in Issei's direction. Xiao Luocheng could only heartily laugh at what he considered to be two lovebirds.

A few moments later, they arrived at one of the highest areas of the Auburn Lights Mountain, within which there was a wide a courtyard. It occupied an area of several hundred meters, and was beautifully crafted. There was a dazzling fountain made out of jade, a large mansion made out of precious materials, and a large garden, which decorated the area. Near the mansion, there was a small pond, with clear, flowing water.

"This is your courtyard," said Xiao Luocheng while he exited the carriage, followed by Issei and Xia Mei, who marveled at the sight. Compared to their small rooms in the New Moon Profound Palace, this was simply a different world. There was no comparison.

Xiao Luocheng smiled upon noticing their pleased expressions, glad that they enjoyed it. He then coughed a little and explained, "My courtyard is a few dozen meters away from yours. You just need to follow the small road which connects the entire Auburn Lights Mountain and you'll reach it."

After saying so, he handed Issei a jade-slip, within which were eight maps. One of them, the biggest one, was of the entire Xiao Sect, while the other ones were of the seven mountains separately, including the Auburn Lights Mountain.

"For now, I suggest that you get settled within your courtyard and familiarize yourself with it. In a while, I'll come back here and take you in a tour around the sect, while showing you important areas, such as the Medicine Pavilion, the Fighting Arena and many other areas. Is that fine with you?"

"Yes. Thank you, Brother Xiao," Issei turned towards Xiao Luocheng and clasped his hands, a grateful expression on his face. After all, he knew that the treatment he was getting, such as receiving this amazing courtyard, was likely due to Xiao Luocheng's influence.

"Don't sweat it," Xiao Luocheng smiled while waving his hands. "After all, you're the only person in the younger generation to actually have enough power to threaten me… You deserve my respect!" Xiao Luocheng the came closer to Issei and spoke quietly, "Brother Issei, can I talk with you for a few minutes? Privately, I mean."

"Sure," nodded Issei before turning towards Xia Mei, telling her to already enter the courtyard and look around, assuring her that he would follow her in a minute. After she was gone, Issei turned towards Xiao Luocheng, wondering what he wanted, only for him to pat him on the back.

"Brother Issei, I must admit, I'm surprised!" laughed Xiao Luocheng, eying the direction Xia Mei had went at. "I mean, I had no idea that beauty was already your beloved… Right now, I'm ashamed that I even planned on courting her!"

"Ah…," Issei's eyes widened, realizing what Xiao Luocheng wanted to talk about in private. He then revealed an awkward expression, "Well… something like that."

"Heh, you should be more confident!" Xiao Luocheng patted Issei on the back with a big smile. "Previously, at the banquet, everyone's eyes were on your beloved… You should make the relationship between you two clearer! I even asked an elder to look into her past… Ah ah, now I'll have to look for another beloved..."

At the end, Xiao Luocheng shook his head with a troubled expression, while Issei looked at him in amusement. Surprisingly, it seemed that Xiao Luocheng was actually quite a funny guy to be around. Issei then smiled, about to say something, but suddenly stopped, being interrupted by Xiao Luocheng.

"Wait! Brother Issei, by any chance… does your beautiful beloved have a sister?!" asked Xiao Luocheng excitedly. After all, since Xia Mei was that beautiful, if she indeed had a sister, she was bound to look similar.

"Well, she does…"

"Great! Can you introduce me to her?" Xia Luocheng looked at Issei with a smile, full of expectation. Issei's expression, however, made him astonished.

"About that, I also…," begun Issei awkwardly, not sure about he should go about this. "Her sister… is also..."

Before Issei could even complete his sentence, Xiao Luocheng had already figured out what he meant. His eyes widened greatly, and he looked at Issei blankly for a long time. A few seconds later, however, he roared in laughter, looking at Issei with deep respect.

"Brother Issei, I may have already said this, but…," Xiao Luocheng patted Issei on the back with a wide smile on his face, his other hand giving him a big thumbs-up and his white, jade-like teeth sparkling in the faint sunlight. "You have my respect! So young, and yet…so amazing! You, Brother Issei, have my deepest respect!"

Issei could only sigh at Xiao Luocheng's words. After that, Issei briefly explained how Xiao Luocheng wasn't supposed to mention such matters around Xia Mei. They then bid each other farewell, both of them going back to their own courtyard. Xiao Luocheng also promised to pass by there later on and show them around the area.

While Issei walked back to his mansion, an annoyed humph resounded in his mind. Soon after, Eggy's soothing voice that was currently filled with annoyance and disgust was transmitted to him.

"Males are such hypocritical bastards! Respect only because you have a lot of beloveds…. Humph! If you were a girl, you would be called a slut for that! I truly can't understand society!"

Eggy was clearly annoyed at the way Xiao Luocheng acted, mostly because of that fact that it practically encouraged Issei to find more girls, which made her livid with anger. After all, to begin with, Eggy was already opposed to Issei having other girls, and Xiao Luocheng was clearly not helping with her objectives.

"Cut the poor guy some slack," Issei shook his head, although deep within, he knew that Eggy's words held some truth to them. "He means well..."

"Humph! I just hope that he doesn't corrupt you with his lewd behavior!" Eggy shook her head while pouting. After that, she once more grew silent, most likely still mad with Xiao Luocheng.

"Troublesome…," sighed Issei. The brown-haired young man then looked towards his courtyard, smiled lightly and entered it, wondering what awaited him now that he was part of the Xiao Sect.

 **Read and REVIEW~! (Read the Author Notes below. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.)**

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Alright guys, I have an announcement to make. I have decided to completely stray away from the ATG story-line. Although I'll keep some of the main events, (The two trials and the tournaments), the way they happen will be completely different, and the events that happen within them will also change. This Xiao Sect part will cover a large area of the story, and will be completely made by yours truly._

 _As such, readers of ATG, don't expect that you'll be able to predict the plot anymore. Before, every time I wrote a chapter, I would read one of ATG at the same time to base myself on, but now, it will be completely different content (So you'll be able to read new stuff and not just the same story with a different MC. It will be a different story in a similar universe from now on). Most of it will be original, but there will also be elements of various other Xianxia and Wuxia novels. Also, know this: A lot of characters (specially the entire Xiao Sect) will be OOC. In the original, Xiao Luocheng was a pompous bastard, but now he will be the perfect wingman and friend. I'll also change various things, such as how I changed the size and how the Xiao Sect looks like. Why? Because I believe it to fit my story better if done my way. **My** story, **My** way._

 _Also be aware that I'll be changing the Profound Sky Continent, along with the hierarchies and many other things. I'll be adding a back-story to the Xiao Sect, Frozen Cloud Asgard and Burning Heaven Clan, introduce more plot mysteries, ancient legends and things that weren't present in ATG (Hurray for World-building!) I'll also change the abilities and skills of many characters, and introduce various original elements of mine._

 _Finally, know this: From this arc onward, I'll have to brainstorm the content of every chapter (I'll try to be as creative as possible) before writing, which means that I'll, at the very most, be able to post 2 chapters a day if I get lucky. However, this also means that I'll need reviews more than ever. Since I'll be going original now, I need you guy to constantly review, tell me your opinions, if you're liking or not and your ideas. If you have any suggestions, SAY IT. Don't be shy, I don't mind. At the very most, I'll politely reject it._

 _Anyhow, from now onwards, I'll need you guys to review much more frequently, as I'll need your utmost support in order to come up with an even better story. If you like the chapter, say it! If you don't, say it! I need to know what you guys think in order to write this from now on!_

 _Now, for those that have read ATG: Don't think I forgot about Cang Yue. I have plans for her, and she'll probably enter the harem, but through other means. At the very least, I can promise you all that in the end, her fate will be a good one, and she definitely won't marry with that disgusting Young Master from that certain sect. Also, expect awesomeness and much more badassery from now on!_

 _Anyhow, that's it! Until next chapter!_


	33. Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 33 - Mission**

* * *

A few days had already passed since Issei became a disciple of the Xiao Sect. During this period of time, he familiarized himself with the with Xiao Sect Branch Sect and also visited the many important locations belonging to it. Every day, he would spar with Xiao Luocheng, and he would spend his spare-time with Xia Mei, cultivating, or in the large library.

Since he was now a disciple of the Xiao Sect, Issei figured that it would be wise to first understand its history. At the same time, he would take that chance to learn some more about the Profound Sky Continent. All of those were things that Shinso hadn't told him about.

Slowly, he began to pile up his knowledge about the Profound Sky Continent, and to be more specific, about the Blue Wind Nation. From what Issei had read, all of the four great sects had a, or had had, a powerful background. Sadly, this type of content was restricted, and Issei couldn't inquire about it any further.

Aside from that, Issei also began to prepare for something. He had decided that he would begin his path as an Inscription Master, which would follow along with his role as a cultivator. Obviously, such a choice wasn't baseless, and Issei had many reasons to make it. The most important of all of them were the memories he had gotten from the Magic Cube.

Within the memories he had acquired, aside from the 'Chaotic Combat Virtues Meridians', there were also countless inscription symbol techniques, methods and whatnot. From what he could understand, the one he had gotten the memories from happened to be an Inscription Master, and one of the most well-known ones.

Generally, Inscription Symbols were small, miniature arrays that could be drawn on a weapon or armor. They had many different uses, such as making an object heavier, lighter, replenishing the spiritual power of the cultivator or even adding martial skills into the weapon. However, this view was actually quite narrow, since Inscription Symbols weren't so simple.

From what he had learned, there were three different kinds of Inscriptions Symbols. The easiest to make were used on objects, which was the most commonly known method. The two other kinds were ones that were placed on the body and ones for the soul. The elder he had gotten his memories from was actually quite proficient when it came to body-type Inscription Symbols, which was exactly what Issei aimed for. In fact, it had to be said that if it weren't for body-type Inscription Symbols, he wouldn't even have bothered with them.

Body-type Inscription Symbols had many different uses. On the memories he had gotten from the elder, there were countless of them, but the two that had caught his attention the most were related to cultivation. One of them was actually able to double, or even triple the cultivation speed, while the other could be used for increasing one's aptitude towards the elements.

Because of all of that, after much thought, Issei had decided that he would start making Inscription Symbols along with cultivating. Not only that, it could bring forth some heavy income, and he had also learned of a secret, more special kind of Inscription Symbols, which were just as enticing as the body-type ones. Cultivation resources-type Inscription Symbols!

Ever since Issei had learned that he would have to rely on cultivation resources since his bloodline had awakened, he had been extremely worried. However, after finding out about this miraculous type of Inscription Symbols, it was like he rose up from hell into heaven! From sorrowful, he turned delighted!

The world was vast and wide, with many different and abstruse techniques and methods. This also applied for Inscription Symbols. In the memories Issei had received, there were many kinds of Inscription Symbols that could increase a cultivation resources' efficiency, and in some cases, multiply it by manifold!

However, before Issei could even think about such complex Inscription Symbols, he required to grasp the basics first. After all, before being able to run, one must know how to walk. Because of that, what Issei required the most at the moment were materials so he could begin making Inscription Symbols.

...

...

...

One afternoon, facing each other in a relatively large arena, were two young men. Both of them were handsome, and they each held two swords, one in each hand. Standing in the left side was Issei, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye drawn, while opposite to him was Xiao Luocheng, his two swords also unsheathed.

Beads of sweat ran down their foreheads, and their expressions, although tired, were clearly excited. After a few seconds, Xiao Luocheng smiled and stored away his sword, walking towards Issei with a smile on his face. Issei also nodded, and called back his two married swords.

"Brother Issei, I must admit... your fighting style simply leaves me astonished," commented Xiao Luocheng while he lowered his body, sitting in the ground cross-legged. Issei followed after him, sitting opposite of him.

"What part of it?"

"It's hard to say...," said Xiao Luocheng after some musing. "However, it seems as if your stance is full of flaws and openings, but... the moment I try to take advantage of them, you immediately react! How are you able to do so?"

"Heh, it's easy," Issei smiled lightly, thinking back to his two years in the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, where he developed his own fighting style. "All of those openings... they are left on purpose. Because of that, I already know where you're going to strike, and can predict where it will land, allowing me to quickly make the next move."

Xiao Luocheng revealed a dumbstruck expression. For a long time, he looked at Issei blankly, his face frozen. After some time, however, he suddenly began to roar in laughter. "Hahaha, so it was actually like that! Respect, respect! Brother Issei is just too phenomenal!"

During these past days, Xiao Luocheng's respect for Issei had been growing at alarmingly high rates. In the beginning, most of the Core Disciples were still unfriendly towards Issei, an outsider. However, it didn't take a single day for them to start worshiping the brown-haired boy. With his two swords alone, Issei had been able to beat every single Core Disciple into submission.

While he thought back to how Issei had majestically beaten down all of the Core Disciples, Xiao Luocheng smiled even further. He then opened his mouth, about to say something, but suddenly stopped, seemingly having remembered something. His gaze turned serious, and he said, "Brother Issei, actually, there is a matter that I must tell you."

"Three months from now, the Xiao Sect Main Sect will send some elders over to all of the Branch Sects, in order to look for talents. Our Branch Sect will obviously receive attention, being one of the most powerful ones, and I believe that with our strength, it wouldn't be hard to get into the Main Sect. This will be opportunity to prove ourselves."

"Mm," Issei nodded, his gaze turning serious. From the very start, ever since he entered the Xiao Sect, his aim had been the Main Sect. After all, all of the resources, legacies and whatnot were there. Compared to the Xiao Sect Branch Sect, the Main Sect was the stuff of the legends. Issei also took that opportunity to ask something, "Brother Luocheng, do you know if there's any Inscription Master association in the vicinity? Or a group of Inscription Masters?"

"Inscription Masters?" Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened slightly. He then quickly nodded, fervor in his eyes, "Actually, one of the main aspects of the Xiao Sect is our Inscription Master heritage. Although in this Branch Sect, there aren't many, the Main Sect is full of them. They are renowned all over the Profound Sky Continent, and even the Divine Phoenix Empire has already requested our service!"

Xiao Luocheng suddenly stopped and asked, "Wait... Brother Issei, what could you possibly want with Inscription Masters? Could it be that you want to add an Inscription Symbol to your weapons? If that's the case, I can ask Father and-"

"Actually," interrupted Issei, a serious expression on his face. "I'm aiming to buy Inscription Symbol materials... I want to become an Inscription Master."

"..." For a long time, Xiao Luocheng looked at Issei blankly, as if he had seen a ghost. A few moments later, he suddenly snapped, his whole body trembling, "Brother Issei! Have you gone mad?! Your talent for cultivation is so deep... how could you want to become an Inscription Master? It takes a lot of time... time that would be better spent cultivating!"

Unfazed by Xiao Luocheng's outburst, Issei smiled calmly, "I have thought things through, Brother Xiao. I'm aware of what it implies, and I want to go through with it."

"...Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"Then...," Xiao Luocheng began slowly, but in the end, he sighed. Since Issei had already set his mind on it, Xiao Luocheng could only go along. Even though he wasn't in favor of Issei's decision, there was nothing that could be done about it. Xiao Luocheng then shook his head and said, "Alright, if that's what Brother Issei wants, then I won't discuss. You said you required for materials, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then, I have a way," Xiao Luocheng rose up from the ground, followed by Issei. "You see, by doing missions for the sect, you can earn contribution points. These contributions points can be exchanged in any of the Xiao Sect branches, or even in the main sect. With them, you can buy materials, weapons skills and a myriad of different things."

Xiao Luocheng then revealed a slightly ashamed expression, "In reality, the materials of this Branch Sect are rather lacking, so I think it would be unwise to waste contribution points here. In the Main Sect, however, it would definitely be advantageous! As such, how about going on a mission for the sect in these three months before the elders of the Main Sect arrive? What does Brother Issei think?"

"A mission?" Issei's eyes widened. "I don't see why not."

"Then come with me," Xiao Luocheng turned around, walking out of the arena. "I'll bring you to the reception area, where the requests are posted. Let's choose a difficult and complex one in order to prove our might! I'll do it together with you!"

"...Actually, can't we just choose the one with the biggest reward?" suggested Issei, clearly not sharing the same views as his friend. Unlike Xiao Luocheng, he didn't have such an heroic spirit. In his mind, he only wanted the reward... he didn't care for the means.

"That could work," said Xiao Luocheng after much thought. "However, it must be difficult!"

"Whatever you say..."

...

...

...

After going to the reception area, Issei and Xiao Luocheng chose a quest. It happened to be the most difficult one, and also the one with the biggest reward. Apparently, there had been some bandit movement happening in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, which is not too far away from the Xiao Sect Branch Sect. This area was under the Xiao Sect's influence, and it was their job to handle it.

Issei and Xiao Luocheng's job was to investigate what was happening in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, and subjugate the group of bandits if necessary. If they truly held ill intentions, it was required to bring back the corpse of the Bandit Leader back to the sect in order to prove one's deed.

"Brother Issei, we should leave tomorrow at dawn. From my estimations, we should stay there for a fortnight. Is there any problem?"

While they walked back to their residences, Xiao Luocheng decided to make sure that everything was in order. Apparently, he was a rather neat guy, who desired for everything to be organized.

"None," answered Issei, agreeing with Xiao Luocheng's suggestion. "It works for me."

"Then it's settled," Xiao Luocheng nodded and walked back to his courtyard, leaving Issei directly in front of his own. After a little bit of thinking, and wondering of how he should explain the situation, Issei walked inside. He needed to inform this matter to Xia Mei.

 **Read & Review~! (Please, do review. From now on, I really need it. More than ever.)**


	34. Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 34 - Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range**

* * *

Two young man, each of them sitting in large, horse-type Fierce Beast, made their ways towards the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. The first young man was quietly riding his beast while listening to the incessant ramblings of the other young man, who had been talking non-stop ever since they had begun their travels.

"Brother Issei, I'm serious!" Xiao Luocheng looked at his stoic-faced friend who wasn't speaking a single world. For the past four hours, he had been trying to convince Issei to transform his method of sword fighting into a Sword Scripture. "It would be a perfect Sword Scripture! I have already thought of many names! [Suicidal Dual Swords], [Grand Underestimation Scripture], [Trickster's Path]! Choose one of them, and we'll be able to share your might with the world!"

"I already said that I don't have any interest," Isse sighed, looking at Xiao Luocheng with annoyance. "I don't have the time to transform my fighting style into a Sword Scripture... and those names... they are simply ridiculous!"

Xiao Luocheng sighed after hearing Issei's words. He had already been trying to convince his friend for a long time, but it seemed to be of no avail. In the end, he chose another topic of conversation. "Then, if that's the case, you won't have a Sword Scripture! How about you get yourself a good one and fuse it with your own fighting style? I know that my poor Xiao Sect Branch Sect dearly lacks Sword Scriptures that could catch your interest, but I have faith in the Xiao Sect Main Sect!"

No matter what, Xiao Luocheng was hellbent on making Issei start practicing a Sword Scripture. For short, Sword Scriptures were a compilation of martial skills, movement skill and sword movements that shared the same attribute and complemented each other. For example, the Sword Scripture that Xiao Luocheng used was the [Green Lotus Sword Scripture], and most of his martial skills were part of it.

"Luocheng, I already told you... I don't need one!" uttered Issei in pure annoyance, his patience beginning to end. Seriously, it was as if Xiao Luocheng was begging for a good, old beating. At the same time, Issei increased the pace of his Fierce Beast, opening up some distance between them. "I already have a lot of things to focus on, and a Sword Scripture would take too much of my time."

"Issei, don't be like that!" Xiao Luocheng looked at Issei, slightly down-cast. He then urged his Fierce Beast forward, catching up with the annoyed, brown-haired youth. "You may not know, but each of the Four Great Sects have a specialty! The Heavenly Sword Villa focuses solely on Sword Scriptures, Frozen Cloud Asgard focuses on their Frozen Arts and the Burning Heaven Clan practices the Burning Heaven Arts! Do you know the focus of the Xiao Sect? We are known for our Inscription Masters and sheer diversity of Sword Scriptures, along with Saber Scriptures, Spear Scriptures and Scriptures of all kinds of weapons! Even though our Sword Scriptures aren't as powerful as the ones from the Heavenly Sword Villa, we have much more Sword Scriptures than them!"

After saying so, Xiao Luocheng revealed an encouraging smile. "Issei, after the examination three months from now, we are guaranteed to enter the Xiao Sect Main Sect. There, as long as we work hard, we'll definitely get our hand on amazing Sword Scriptures. Yang-related, Yin-related, Fire-type, Water-type, Illusion-type... our Xiao Sect Main Sect has a plethora of different Sword Scriptures! How about it? Interested?"

"I'll think about it," said Issei after a long time. Even though he still wasn't inclined on choosing a Sword Scripture, he figured that this would be the only way to get Xiao Luocheng to shut up. If he didn't comply, he was afraid that his friend would talk throughout the entire three days-trip to the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Luocheng was many things, and could be described in many ways. Although he looked like a calm and collected cultivation expert with an unwavering heart and serene gaze in the exterior, that was just a disguise. Once someone gets closer to the sixteen years old, they would discover that in reality, Xiao Luocheng wasn't nearly as dignified as he was appeared to be.

After spending a few days with Xiao Luocheng, Issei concluded that if Xiao Luocheng could be described in a few words, they would be: A cultivation maniac and fighting addict youth who harbors an unhealthy interest in the female body and loves to talk. Initially, Issei had been surprised at finding out Xiao Luocheng's true personality, but after some days, he grew used to it. The only fault he found on the sixteen years old was the fact that sometimes his interest in fighting and endless blabbering would combine, resulting in entire afternoons being spent discussing the ways of the sword.

Aside from that, Xiao Luocheng was actually an interesting guy to have around, and he was extremely knowledgeable when it came to the Profound Sky Continent. In Issei's eyes, Xiao Luocheng was basically a walking encyclopedia. This was actually beneficial to Issei, who was someone that dearly lacked information regarding the world.

…

After a few more hours of riding their Profound Beasts, Issei and Xiao Luocheng arrived at a small city, which meant that they had already completed one third of the trip to the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. The small city, which was basically a village, had various inns and stores, and could be said to be quite prosperous considering its small size and relatively small population.

"Alright, we'll rest here for a few hours before continuing," said Xiao Luocheng while jumping down from his mount and leading it towards one of the inns that had a small stable for Fierce Beast. Issei did the same, following after him.

While they walked towards the inn, many of the pedestrians would stop and look in their direction, sometimes murmuring a few things to whoever was at their sides. Their attention was focused on the robes that Xiao Luocheng and Issei wore, which represented the Xiao Sect.

Although the Xiao Sect was inferior to the Heavenly Sword Villa and Frozen Cloud Asgard in power, when it came to territory, the Xiao Sect was actually the number one in the Blue Wind Nation. All of the Xiao Sect Branch Sects were incomparably huge when compared to other Branch Sect, and they also had many villages and cities and villages under their jurisdiction. One of such villages was the village Issei and Xiao Luocheng were in, and in the eyes of the inhabitants, members of the Xiao Sect were existences akin to Immortals.

Most of the population in this village made a living out of farming and rearing livestock, and only a few cultivators lived there. A great part of their production was sent to the Xiao Sect as tribute, and in return, if any trouble would arise in the city, such as bandits or a Fierce Beast horde, the closest Branch Sect of the Xiao Sect would send some experts in order to handle the situation. Even though they paid rather large tributes, the inhabitants were actually in favor of such relationship.

Within the inn, Issei and Xiao Luocheng were treated like deities that had descended from the immortal realm. And, the moment they mentioned they were Core Disciples, their treatment got even better, if that was even possible. A few hours later, they left under the gazes of the many villagers and civilians, who looked at them with envy, respect and jealousy.

This scene repeated itself two more times until they finally reached the borders of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. At this moment, in front of Issei and Xiao Luocheng was a large, vast forest with dense foliage, blocking the sunlight.

"So this is the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range?" Issei inclined his head, peering over at the horizon, where various mountains stood. The Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range was colossal in size, and occupied a large and extensive area of dozens of miles. The areas surrounding it were barren, devoid of any civilization. After all, no would want to live near a terrifying place such as the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, which was swarming with Fierce Beasts and Desolate Beasts.

The Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range didn't have that name for nothing. There were tens of thousands of beasts inside, and it was completely packed. No one in the Elementary Profound Realm would be able to survive there, and if a cultivator wanted to enter there and keep his life, they needed to be, at the very least, in the middle levels of the Nascent Profound Realm. Not only that, lately there were rumors of Bandit Groups occupying the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, which had made people even more wary.

"Exactly. In theory, it should also belong to the Xiao Sect, but because of various reasons, no one really paid attention to it. Now that bandits have been showing up, it seems that it's time to act," said Xiao Luocheng as he turned his head around to look at Issei. "Issei, what do you think we should do now? Enter it and explore? With our strength, it shouldn't be anything difficult to find a group of bandits."

"Let's first look around the area," Issei thought about the situation before answering. "We should search for some wandering cultivators, and see if they have seen anything. The Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range is vast; it would be better if we had some idea of where these bandits are located first."

Xiao Luocheng nodded, and together they began to search around the area for cultivators. It didn't take them long to find a small group of cultivators, who upon seeing the famous robes of the Xiao Sect, told them everything they knew. They mentioned how they would see various groups of suspicious-looking people entering the mountains the past few days, and according to the direction they were headed, their destination was most likely the center of the mountain range.

After thanking the group of cultivators, Issei and Xiao Luocheng mounted on their Fierce Beasts, heading towards the center of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. It was the only clue they head when it came to the whereabouts of the bandits, so they decided to place their faith in the words of that small group.

In normal situations, because of the sheer size of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, it would take an entire day's travel in order to reach the very center of the mountain range. However, the Fierce Beasts used by Issei and Xiao Luocheng were actually of the True Profound Realm, and were revered in the Xiao Sect Main Sect. Xiao Luocheng's father had bought two of them after much effort, and it was only because of them that the duo's speed was so fast. In a few hours, they managed to reach the area near the center.

On their way there, the two young man noticed a strange pattern. The deeper they delved into the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, the greater the amount of Fierce and Desolate Beasts. However, once they reached a certain distance of the center region, the numbers of Profound Beast started to thin, and before long, they had become nonexistent. Immediately, both Issei and Xiao Luocheng thought that there was something extremely strange about the entire situation.

By nature, the deeper one went, the more Profound Beasts they would find. This strange occurrence of the opposite happening could only mean that there was something at the center region of the mountain range that warded off the Profound Beasts. It could either be some kind of treasure, or even a powerful Profound Beast with a deterrence so strong that other beasts wouldn't dare to come close. The latter was the case in the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, where Ddraig had occupied the center region alone.

"Any ideas on what's happening?" asked Issei, stopping his mount and looking at Xiao Luocheng, who had also stopped his. Issei then added, "I personally believe that it's most likely some sort of precious treasure. If it had been a powerful Profound Beast, we would have already been affected by its oppressive aura."

"A treasure does seem like the most possible option," Xiao Luocheng nodded, agreeing with Issei's words. "This would also explain why the groups of bandits are focusing on this region. They most likely had the same idea as us, and thought it would be wise to steal it for themselves."

"Mn," Issei tersely acknowledged Xiao Luocheng's words, turning his attention towards the center region of the mountain. If it was some kind of treasure, it was obvious that Issei's interest would be piqued. At that moment, he couldn't help but to ask through his mind, "Jasmine, what do you think?"

"It could be a treasure," Jasmine nodded her head, a complex expression in her eyes. "Although it's faint, I can feel the aura of a Divine Beast... if this princess' instincts are correct, then in the center region of this little mountain range, there must be some kind of legacy left behind by a legendary Divine Beast."

"...A Divine Beast?!" Issei's eyes widened, and after briefly telling Xiao Luocheng that he walk around the perimeter, checking for any hints, he continued his conversation with Jasmine. "By Divine Beast, do you mean beasts like a True Dragon, the Vermillion Bird, or the Phoenix?"

There were many legends in the Profound Sky Continent, and many of them were related to Divine Beasts. Generally, Divine Beasts were almighty existences that possessed boundless and infinite power and ruled over the universe. The ones acknowledged as the most powerful were the True Dragons, followed by the Four Great Beasts; the Vermillion Bird, the Black Turtle, the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger. There were also many other different versions, in which there were three extremely powerful beasts, the Phoenix, the Three-legged Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird.

In total, there were thousands of legends, with thousands of variations. It was unknown which ones spoke the truth, or if all of them were correct, or even if all of them were wrong. However, it was known that existences such as Divine Beasts were celestial, and would never appear in the mortal plane. Even Ddraig couldn't be considered an actual Dragon. He was a dragon-type Profound Beast. The difference, although seemingly small, was actually like Heaven and Earth.

While Ddraig could easily defeat cultivators of the Sky Profound Realm, that was the limits of his power. It may be something amazing in the Blue Wind Nation, where cultivators of the Emperor Profound Realm are extremely rare, but in other places, such as the Divine Phoenix Nation, disciples of the junior generation, even people in Issei's age, were already in the Emperor Divine Realm, and there were various of elders in the Tyrant Profound Realm. Any one of them could completely destroy Ddraig in seconds.

Not only that, this was only considering the Divine Phoenix Empire. Aside from the Profound Sky Continent, there were countless other continents, along with the Eastern Sea Region, the South Horizon Region and many other areas. It could be said that in terms of power, the Profound Sky Continent was completely miserable when compared to the continents of the Eastern Sea Region, and even more so of the South Horizon Region.

However, when it came to Divine Beasts, even if they were injured, a single one of them would be more than enough to rule over countless galaxies, let alone the Blue Pole Star, which when compared to other planets was considered garbage. It was exactly because of the power of Divine Beasts that Issei was so surprised at Jasmine's words. A legacy left behind by that kind of existence would possibly be some wondrous treasure!

"Yes, a legacy left behind by a Divine Beast," Jasmine repeated her words loud and clear in order to not leave room for any doubts. Her eyes then narrowed as she continued, "This kind of aura... it's definitely fire-related... it should probably belong to one of the Three Great Fire Beasts."

"You mean the Three-legged Golden Crow, the Phoenix and The Vermillion bird?" asked Issei, his entire face filled with boundless excitement.

"Exactly. One of them should probably have last behind some kind of treasure here... it could be a feather, an essence flame, or even their blood. Anyhow, there most likely is some kind of legacy here," Jasmine said plainly, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Right now, I can't say anything for certain. Try to get near the center of the mountain. When you do, this princess will be able to give you accurate information."

Before Jasmine even ended her sentence, Issei was already hurrying back to where Xiao Luocheng was, clearly eager to delve deeper into the mountain. The thought of acquiring the legacy treasure of a Divine Beast simply filled his mind with euphoric excitement which burned with endless vigor within him.

 **Read & Review~! (REVIEW MOARR!)**


	35. Black Demon Bandit Group

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Saint Profound Realm and Divine Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 35 - Black Demon Mercenary Group**

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After having been informed of the possible legacy, Issei's excitement levels were simply over the roof. Without stopping, he rushed back to the area where Xiao Luocheng was at, eager to enter the center region of the mountain.

The moment Issei reached the place where he had parted with Xiao Luocheng, much to his surprise, he found Xiao Luocheng with his arms crossed, staring at two man tied up against a tree. They wore black clothes, and their faces were covered by masks. They were obviously bandits.

"You found them?" Issei rode his beast over to where Xiao Luocheng was while announcing his presence. Surprise was all over Issei's face, clearly astonished by the speed in which Xiao Luocheng worked.

"These weaklings were strolling nearby," Xiao Luocheng turned around to look at Issei and smiled calmly. He then turned his attention back to the bandits, "So, who will interrogate them? You or me?"

"Let me have a go," Issei dismounted his beast, approaching the tree where the panicking bandits were tied at. Although he was eager to head into the deeper region of the mountain range, he knew that his mission came first. "Let's see what we are dealing with."

"Mm," said Xiao Luocheng as he followed after Issei.

Issei then stopped in front of the bandits, looking at them coldly, analyzing their expressions. Both of them harbored deep fear, evident in their widened eyes and trembling body. After a little assessment, Issei discovered that they were only in the late stages of the Elementary Profound Realm.

"Alright...," said Issei, taking a step closer, making the bandits tremble in fear. Issei's expression was heartless and cold, and when the two bandits noticed that, they had already begun to pray for their life. Judging by Issei's expression alone, it would be hard for him to have mercy. "First things first... What's the name of your group?"

Before, when they had taken the quest, the existence of the group of bandits wasn't even confirmed. Their first task would be to search the mountain for clues. If they truly existed, then they were supposed to deal with them. If not, to head back to the sect. As such, Issei was completely ignorant to the entire situation, and wanted to know what he was dealing with.

"B-black Demon Mercenary Group," stuttered one of the man, his entire body trembling. At the same time, his partner by his side nodded quickly, trying to prove the validity of his partner's words.

"Ever heard of them?" Issei nodded lightly and turned around to face Xiao Luocheng.

"Never."

"Well then...," Issei focused his cold eyes onto the two bandits again. "What's the name of your leader?"

"B-black Demon, sir," said the other bandit, trembling.

"Black Demon Mercenary Group and the leader is called Black Demon?" Issei's left eyebrow cocked up, looking at the two men warily, suspicious of the information they had given him. In the end, he simply nodded. "Alright, then do you know what your purpose in this area is?"

"...There's a v-village up in the center region... apparently, they have some kind of treasure. We w-want to steal it."

"A village?" murmured Issei in surprise. He then glanced at Xiao Luocheng from the corner of his eyes, who happened to also be looking at him. Both of them nodded and turned their attentions back to the two bandits. "Do you know the name of the village?"

"N-no, sir..."

Issei then sighed and asked, "Then, do you know what is the cultivation base of your leader?"

"Leader's cultivation?" The eyes of the two bandits widened. One of them quickly answered, "L-leader Black Demon should be in the True Profound Realm..."

"True Profound Realm?" repeated Issei, his eyes widened. Although he and Xiao Luocheng were strong, if the leader was above the second level of the True Profound Realm, then it would be a hard battle. Not only that, there were still the minions to be dealt with. Issei really didn't want to take out his trump-cards during his battle. "Is there anyone else in the True Profound Realm?"

"T-there are three Vice Captains," explained one of the bandits as he tried to remember everything he knew about his group. "All three of them are in the True Profound Realm."

"Four enemies in the True Profound Realm...," Issei's eyes narrowed, an unsightly expression on his face. This was clearly above what he and Xiao Luocheng would be able to handle in a normal situation. If Issei used his swords, or summoned Ddraig, there wouldn't be any problems, but as mentioned before, he was unwilling to reveal them.

Issei then turned towards Xiao Luocheng. They then nodded and walked back a few steps, intending to see what should be done next. As for the bandits tied up in the tree, they were left alone for the time being.

"Do you want to go back?" asked Xiao Luocheng, a slightly dark expression on his face. "Both of us know that this far too much for us... If we go back to the sect, we could come back with reinforcements. On the other hand..."

"Treasure," Issei concluded, the corners of his lips curled upwards. Xiao Luocheng simply smiled daringly in return, and no further words were said. They could easily understand what should be done next.

Issei and Xiao Luocheng walked back to the two bandits, slightly excited expressions on their faces. Although the risk was high, so was the reward. Issei was actually the one most excited, since he already knew of the probability of it being a legacy from a Divine Beast. Xiao Luocheng was only basing himself on the words said by the two bandits.

"Do you know the direction to the village?" Issei looked at the two bandits coolly and asked. Both of them immediately nodded enthusiastically, already knowing what would come next. Not surprisingly, Issei nodded and slashed apart the ropes that tied the two bandits to the tree.

The moment the two were released, instead of running away like most, they quietly stood in the same spot, not daring to move. Xiao Luocheng had easily defeated them in a few seconds, and they knew that if they ran, no good future would await them. It would be better to comply to the two young man's wishes and hope for mercy.

"Get on one of the Profound Beasts," Issei pointed towards one of the horse-type Fierce Beast of the True Profound Realm. Immediately, the expression of the two bandits brightened, and they rushed over to the beast, quickly mounting it.

After mounting the beast, the two bandits looked at each other, and without missing a beast, kicked against one of the sides of the profound beast, making it scream out before setting off in a direction. Before long, the two bandits disappeared from view.

Before, they were afraid of running from Issei, since they believed that their speed was inferior. However, now that they believed that Issei had been foolish enough to grant them one of the beasts, they didn't waste any time in escaping.

"Issei, they...!" cried out Xiao Luocheng, his eyes widening. However, when he turned around to face Issei, he surprisingly saw that he still had a calm expression, as if nothing strange had happened. "...Issei?"

"We'll follow after them," said Issei simply, a calm expression on his face as he strode towards the other Fierce Beast. "I already knew they were going to do that. Obviously, they are heading towards the bandit camp. We'll track them and find the location. That way, we will be able to confirm the information that they had said."

"Ah?!" Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened in surprise, suddenly enlightened. "But wouldn't it be better to..."

"Ask them the location?" Issei shook his head. "The chance of them telling the truth is minimal. Even if we brought them with us, they would be killed in the end for disclosing the position of the hideout. Although they were clearly a step-away from death, they were still hesitating on some parts. This means that they are quite loyal to their group. As such, our only chance to obtain accurate information would be to follow after them."

Issei them jumped up, quickly reaching the mount. Xiao Luocheng didn't ask anything more, also mounting the Profound Beast. The two of them then set off, following after the traces of the bandits. Obviously, they weren't considering the fact that Issei had Spirit Power, which allowed him to be able to stealthily follow after them.

…

…

…

"So three people in the first level of the True Profound Realm and one of then in the third level of the True Profound Realm...," murmured Issei, a dark expression on his face. Xiao Luocheng, who was sitting by his side, also revealed a grim expression.

They were currently in the outskirts of the enemy camp, and Issei had just finished using his Spirit Power to access the situation. It hadn't been hard to arrive to that place. Just as the two fleeing bandits were about to reach the camp, Issei and Xiao Luocheng had jumped out and killed them. Not only did they get their mount back, they even managed to find the location of the enemy's base without a hitch.

"How many minions?" asked Xiao Luocheng. He didn't have Spirit Power, so he was unable to access the situation like Issei.

"About one hundred of them. Their cultivation bases vary from the late levels of the Elementary Profound Realm to the early levels of the Nascent Profound Realm."

A hundred minions, added with four experts of the True Profound Realm... the chances of finishing this mission were rather slim to say the least. Now that they knew how serious the situation was, they had to reconsider. After all, there was only so much they could do with their two-man team.

"I think we should still try," said Issei after a while. He looked at Xiao Luocheng earnestly and explained, "First, let's find the location of the village they mention and see if the treasure really is something amazing. If it is..."

"We'll gamble our lives," Xiao Luocheng nodded. "Fair enough. It's as they say, the higher the risk, the greater the reward."

Issei merely nodded, and after a bit more discussing, they stealthily made their way back to their mounts. Their current objective was to find the village, and see if the treasure was worth their time. The two of them then departed, and by following a map that had been in the cosmos sack of the two bandits they had killed, they quickly found the village. Sadly, the map only showed the location of the village and nothing more, so it wasn't easy to get there.

After three hours, Xiao Luocheng and Issei arrived at the place in the map designated as the location of the village. Since their mounts were of the True Profound Realm, their speed was fast, and it only took them a few hours to arrive in the village. If it had been a mount of lower grade, it could have even taken dozens of hours.

In front of Issei and Xiao Luocheng's eyes was a small and rustic village. Within it, the man and woman wore rough clothes, and their appearances were rather worn-out, even frightened and full of despair in some cases. On all of their foreheads, there was a flame-like symbol in the middle of their brows. It didn't matter if it was man, woman or children; all of them had it.

"That mark...," Issei's eyes widened slightly, being reminded of a certain beggar with a flame-like scar whom he had met back in the Country of the Nine Provinces. However, after focusing lightly, Issei quickly disregarded all possibilities of relation between the beggar and the inhabitants of the village. While the flame mark between the brows of the inhabitants were like imprints, the one the beggar had was a scar, and it was in his forehead, and not between the brows.

"Issei? Anything wrong?" Xiao Luocheng looked at Issei in surprise, noticing the surprised expression on his friend's face. Although he also thought that the flame-like mark was slightly familiar, he wasn't nearly as surprised as Issei.

"Don't worry," Issei shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his head. "It's nothing."

He then focused his attention on the village, and after a few moments in silence, said, "Alright, let's get going. The sooner we do this, the sooner we will be able to decide our next move."

Xiao Luocheng nodded, and they quickly made their way towards the village. Just as they were about to reach it, Issei suddenly stopped, Jasmine's voice ringing in his head. "This... this princess was right! Although it was faint before, and I didn't dare to be sure... now there's no doubt! This aura... this is the aura of the Phoenix!"

Jasmine's voice was full of excitement, something that surprised Issei. Before, she hadn't been nearly as much enthusiastic, and was even uncertain. After all, the chances of a Divine Beast leaving behind its bloodline was incredibly slim, and Jasmine didn't dare to be believe it before. However, she had suddenly felt the pure and dense aura of the Phoenix, and no longer had any doubts.

"A Phoenix... Are you sure about this?" asked Eggy, who had been quiet for a long time, only silently observing the situation from the World Spirit Space. She was also surprised, since although she didn't really know what the legacy of a Divine Beast truly implied, she had heard some of the elders back in the Asura Spiritual World mentioning it before with faces full of greed.

Not only that, the Phoenix was one of the most well-known Divine Beasts, and even if someone didn't know what Divine Beasts were, they would have surely heard of the legends of the mighty Phoenix, the Immortal Bird.

"There's no doubt about it...," Jasmine's expression was growing more excited by the second. If it had been before, she would have cursed at Eggy for doubting her, but the situation was simply too amazing for her to pay attention to that. The legacy of a Divine Beast, even in the Higher Realm, was something more than precious! "Issei, quickly head inside. No matter what happens, you must get your hands on the legacy!"

Issei nodded, and without another word, rushed together with Xiao Luocheng towards the entrance of the village. The moment they were about to reach it, in front of them, a streak of white flashed, and a girl appeared, her sword raised.

The girl's features were extremely beautiful and full of wariness, while her stance was slightly unstable, most likely because of some wounds. Nevertheless, she held her sword up high, glaring at the Issei and Xiao Luocheng with her sharp eyes.

However, the moment the girl noticed that the incoming intruders were actually Issei and Xiao Luocheng, her eyes widened and she adopted an astonished expression. Issei also revealed an extremely surprised expression upon seeing her.

That fierce girl was actually Senior Sister Lan Xueruo, whom he had met in the New Moon Profound Palace!

 _ **Read & Review~! (If it reaches more than 35 reviews, tomorrow's chapter will be bigger.)**_

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 _ **A/N:**_ Fruitloops, as you may have guessed, I answer all of the reviews through Private Messaging, since I believe that it would only fill space in the chapter. As such, I would really like it if you could create an account so I can answer you.


	36. Bloodline Of The Phoenix

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 36 - Bloodline Of The Phoenix**

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 **(A/N: Divine Profound Realm has switched places with the Saint Profound Realm. I'm too lazy to change this in the previous chapters, but just know that from now on, the Saint Profound Realm is the highest one and Divine Profound Realm comes before it.)**

A few days prior...

After Issei had gone to the Xiao Sect along with Xia Mei, Lan Xueruo had been left behind in the New Moon Profound Palace. To begin with, the relationship between Xia Mei and Lan Xueruo was already superficial, and Issei wanted nothing to do with other girls. As such, they didn't bother with her.

When Lan Xueruo learned that Issei had left, she had been struck by grief. After all, her past wasn't simple. The reason why she was in the New Moon Profound Palace was to search for geniuses who could aid her in one of her plans. She had her eyes on Issei, but since he had left to the Xiao Sect, she had decided to head back to Blue Wind Imperial City, which was where she had come from.

However, while she was using her mount to fly over the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, she had been struck by a migratory flock of Red Feather Flame Birds, which were beasts of the Nascent Profound Realm. This flock had hundreds of beasts, and Lan Xueruo ended up drowned within it along with her mount, being thrown down from the sky.

Two days ago, Lan Xueruo had managed to find this village in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. She and her mounts were injured, and she needed a place to rest. Thankfully, the villagers were glad to entertain their new guest, and carefully treated her injuries without asking for anything in return. As such, when she noticed that two powerful forces were approaching, she had disregard her wounds, wanting to help out the village if the newcomers were enemies.

Now, imagine her surprise when she saw that in reality, the two newcomers were actually Issei and Xiao Luocheng, the two cultivators that had actually caused her to leave New Moon City in the first place.

"You... Why are you two here?!" Lan Xueruo's eyes widened and she raised her trembling hand towards the two young men who looked at her with baffled expressions.

"Why are we here?" asked Xiao Luocheng, breaking through from his stupor. He then sneered and said, "The real question is: Why are _you_ here?"

The moment Xiao Luocheng saw Lan Xueruo, all of his friendliness disappeared, replaced by his previous coldness and haughtiness. Xiao Luocheng wasn't a simple person; when between his friends, he would be kind, friendly and even enthusiastic. However, the moment he finds a stranger, and someone from another power at that, he would revert back to his dark demeanor.

Issei quickly dismounted, rushing forward. He then stopped when he was between Xiao Luocheng and Lan Xueruo, a troubled expression on his face. The last thing he wanted was to cause even more trouble. Issei sent a stern gaze in Xiao Luocheng's direction before turning around to face Lan Xueruo.

"Sister Xueruo," said Issei politely while looking at her calmly, completely opposite of Xiao Luocheng. He kept his amiable demeanor and said, "Xiao Luocheng is here with me on a mission we received in the Xiao Sect. Could Sister Xueruo tell us why you're here too?"

While Issei was saying so, the villagers that had been walking around in the village turned their heads to look in the direction of the entrance, and upon seeing the three youths, their interest was sparkled. Within a few moments, a large number of villagers was already converging near the entrance, standing a few steps away from Lan Xueruo.

"I'm here... because of some misfortunes," Lan Xueruo managed to calm down and explained the situation. "When I was heading to Blue Wind Imperial City, I was intercepted by a flock of Red Feather Flame Birds. I ended up injured, and decided to rest in this village."

"So it was like that...," said Issei, a small smile on his face. He then turned around and motioned for Xiao Luocheng to come to his side. Turning his gaze back to Lan Xueruo, he said, "Sister Xueruo, our quest here is to deal with the groups of bandits residing in the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range. We would like to enter the village. Would it be possible?"

Issei's tone was soothing, and each of his words were on the perfect volume; not too loud or too quiet. He used the right amount of flatter in his voice, and kept his posture respectful. The effects of this was obvious. In a few moments, Lan Xueruo was no longer wary of them.

"I don't really have any power here. I'm only a guest. I'm afraid you'll have to ask the leader of the village for that," said Lan Xueruo with an apologizing tone. "Would you like me to call for him?"

"Then I must trouble Sister Xueruo," said Issei while smiling.

Lan Xueruo nodded, and was about to turn around when a slightly hoarse voice stopped her right in her tracks.

"No need to. I'm already here."

From within the crowd that had gathered around the three youths, a man in his mid-thirties walked out. He could be considered handsome, and he wore humble clothes. The moment he appeared, all of the people in the crowd made way for him to walk.

"Clan Leader Feng," Lan Xueruo turned towards the middle-aged man and politely bowed. The favors he had granted her by taking care of her were far too big, and she was naturally respectful towards this kind, humble man.

"Lady Lan," said Clan Leader Feng, smiling in her direction. He then turned towards Issei and Xiao Luocheng and widened his smile, "Come, come. If you know Lady Lan, then you definitely must be good people."

Issei glanced at Xiao Luocheng from the corner of his eyes. Both of them nodded.

"Clan Leader Feng is too kind," Issei smiled ingratiatingly and took a step forward, followed by Xiao Luocheng. "Then we'll have to intrude."

…

…

…

Once inside the village, Issei and Xiao Luocheng were quick to notice something. Although there were a couple dozens of inhabitants, most of them had their cultivation base stuck at the late Elementary Profound Realm. Even Clan Leader Feng was in the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, which was quite pitiful for his thirty-something age.

After a little bit of inquiring and leading the conversation, Issei was able to find out many things, as well as gain Clan Leader Feng's trust through his polite and calm demeanor and smooth talking. He discovered that this village actually guarded a legacy left behind by the deity they worshiped, called as the Phoenix God. This legacy was, in reality, a trial left behind by the Phoenix. By passing the trial, one would be able to acquire the bloodline of the Phoenix.

Aside from that, Issei had also learned of the reason why everyone was stuck at the Elementary Profound Realm. Apparently, their ancestors had made a mistake, and ended up harming innocent lives through use of their Phoenix Flame, which was the product of the bloodline of the Phoenix. Because of that, it seemed that the Phoenix God had cursed them, and everyone of their clan had a seal placed in their cultivation, preventing them from reaching the Nascent Profound Realm. Even though countless years had passed since the accident, the seal was passed from generation to generation.

However, even with their cultivation sealed, this tribe was still able to survive in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. The deterrence of the bloodline of the Phoenix influenced all of the Fierce Beasts and Desolate beasts, and because of that, no beasts lived near their village. The lives of the village had been peaceful, but suddenly, the Black Demon Bandits somehow found out about their village, and figured that they had some treasures. Since then, the lives of the villagers had turned into a living hell.

They lived under the constant threat of an attack from the Black Demon Bandits, and every once in awhile, some of their brothers and sisters would be kidnapped by the Black Demon Bandits, all in order to pressure them. The leader of the Black Demon Bandits had already appeared a few times, trying to negotiate with them for the treasure, promising that they would keep their lives. Clan Leader Feng would always refuse. Even if it meant dying, he was unwilling to let the bloodline of their God fall in the hands of bandits.

By the end of their conversation, the sun was already setting. Clan Leader Feng arranged a small hut for Issei and Xiao Luocheng, who politely accepted. After reviewing with Xiao Luocheng what they should do and concluding that they would decide whether or not to help them out in the following them, Issei laid down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Issei's mind wandered around. Sometimes he would think about the condition of the village, while others he would wonder about the Black Demon Bandits. Most of the times, his mind was focused on the bloodline mentioned by Clan Leader Feng. A treasure was already enough to make Issei crazy, but the bloodline of a Divine Beast... it was full of enticement.

As they say, people die for riches, birds die for food. No matter what, Issei was hell-bent on getting that bloodline. Even if it meant facing against the army of bandits, he was willing to go through with it. Originally, he hadn't been planning on taking out his most powerful weapons and Ddraig because he was still not too trustful of Xiao Luocheng. Issei was quite wary, and even though he was already good friends with Xiao Luocheng, he didn't completely trust him. As such, he had no intention of reviewing his trump cards.

However, if it was for the sake of getting the bloodline of the Phoenix... then Issei would have to clench his teeth and just throw precaution to the wind. Issei didn't want profound coins. He didn't want women or riches. He wanted power, and only power. If it was for the sake of power, even more so if it was the power of a Divine Beast, then he would stop at nothing to get his hands on it.

Suddenly, Jasmine, who had kept quiet all day, spoke, "The bloodline of the Phoenix...," murmured Jasmine, unable to hide the excitement and surprise in her voice. "Who would have thought that in this backwater planet, a Divine Beast would actually leave behind its bloodline... simply unbelievable!"

Jasmine couldn't help but to think that this planet, Blue Pole Star, was certainly strange. In all of the billions of planets of the Middle Realm, why would Gods and Divine Beasts actually choose this one for leaving behind legacies? There was the Sky Poison Pearl, and then the Seeds of the Evil God. Now, she had actually come across the bloodline of the Phoenix. Each and every of those things was extremely rare, and even in the Higher Realm, it would be nigh impossible come across them. And yet, in this backwater country of this backwater planet of this backwater realm, she had already found three such things!

In the end, Jasmine could only sigh while shaking her head, "It wouldn't be wise for this princess to think about such matters. If I don't understand, I don't understand. That's it."

At the same time, Eggy also had some opinions on the matter, "Issei, you have to take this opportunity! Even though I myself am not too sure about the power of Divine Beast, their bloodline must be something impossibly powerful! No matter what happens, you must definitely get it!"

While Jasmine was more worried about herself, Eggy's focus was on Issei and Issei alone. Lately, she hadn't been able to absorb Source Energy, since Issei hadn't killed anyone in a long time, but she didn't mind it. To her, Issei getting powerful was even better than her getting powerful. She completely prioritized Issei over everything else, and was the first to urge him into becoming more powerful.

Issei smiled at Eggy's words, even though he didn't need her assurance. He had long since made his mind to getting his hands on the bloodline, and no matter what, he wouldn't come out of this mountain range without the Phoenix Blood coursing through his veins. Someone up there had given him the opportunity to become power, and he would definitely take it. But, he seemed needed to not be too blunt about his objectives.

Initially, Clan Leader Feng had suspected that Issei and Xiao Luocheng were there because they wanted the bloodline for themselves, and it had taken Issei a lot of time, smooth talking and persuasion in order to convince Clan Leader Feng otherwise. Well, it would be more correct to say that even though Issei was after the bloodline, he didn't want to steal it. At the very least, he wanted to do something for this village in return.

As such, Issei determined that after getting his hands on the bloodline, he would make sure to wipe out the bandits, even if it meant Ddraig being found out. If worse came to worst, then he would simply find some other way to deal with the situation.

While Issei thought of such things, in the small hut next to his, Xiao Luocheng seemed to share similar thoughts, and although he wasn't nearly as excited as Issei when it came to the bloodline, he was also thirsting for it.

Xiao Luocheng was someone who wholeheartedly pursued the path of cultivation and the sword, and he clearly knew that the bloodline of the Phoenix would be extremely beneficial to him. Differently from Issei, he had something to base himself on. The Divine Phoenix Empire actually had the Phoenix Blood coursing through the veins of its Royal Family, and it was because of that it could maintain its position as the number one country of the Profound Sky Continent.

When Xiao Luocheng recalled the bloodline of the Divine Phoenix Empire, he also realized why the flame-like imprints between the brows of the villagers seemed so familiar. Xiao Luocheng, by pure luck, had seen someone from the Divine Phoenix Empire in a fight, and at some point during the battle, the same imprint had appeared in their forehead. Now that he thought of it, Xiao Luocheng was sure that the Phoenix bloodline of this village was related to the one of the Divine Phoenix Empire.

"Well... no use thinking too much about it. Tomorrow, I'll be able to discuss this with Issei," murmured Xiao Luocheng, his eyes slowly closing. A few minutes later, he was already sleeping. Even though he had already reached the point where he could spend days without sleep since cultivating would have the same rejuvenating effects, he still preferred the traditional way.

Just like that, the day came to an end.

 _ **Read & Review~! (Not enough reviews last chapter for a double release. If you want a double release tomorrow, then there needs to be 35+ reviews on this chapter.)**_


	37. Prelude To The Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 37 - Prelude To The Battle**

* * *

The morning of the next day...

As Issei and the other slept, a group of hundreds of bandits could be seen treading through the forest, all of the them heading towards the center of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. Leading his entourage was a middle-aged man, with a scar that ran across his face, cutting through his nose.

"We are almost there, men!"

The man then raised the large mace that hung by his waist, a crude smile on his face. "We, the Black Demon Bandits, shall obtain their treasure! This shall be the last negotiation. If they are unwilling to..."

"KILL!"

The crowd of bandits behind the man turned excited, bloodthirsty expression on their faces. All of them screamed again and again, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The leader of the group nodded at the words full of blood-lust, the corner of his lips curling up in a vicious and wicked smile. "Today... we shall strike it rich! Kill them all!"

"Kill! Kill Kill!" The crowd behind the man repeated, their words reverberating throughout the entire mountain range, like the drums of war.

…

…

…

Within one of the houses of the village, Clan Leader Feng sat on top of a chair, a grim expression on his handsome face. He knew. He knew that sooner or later, the bandits would arrive. He knew... that this would most likely be his last day.

He then sighed, and looked up at the ceiling of his house, on which was the engraving of a large phoenix, ascending to the highest of skies. Although it was only a painting, it exuded warmth, and more than anything, dignity and nobility.

"Ancestor... Phoenix God...," murmured the man, his expression growing solemn, while melancholy shined in his eyes. "I won't allow your bloodline to be stolen... Even if it means all of our deaths, I won't shame your almighty name. I only ask you this... please, grant us a miracle."

Clan Leader Feng waited for a long time, but nothing happened. He then sighed and closed his eyes. When they opened again, they were full resoluteness. He had already come to terms that he would die this day. Getting up from his chair, he opened the door of his hut, going outside.

In the village, children ran around, all of them playing and having fun. The scene was full of naivety, and none of them could feel the impeding death that stealthy approached them. Clan Leader Feng's expression faltered for a split-second. This children... they would all die. He knew it, and yet... he couldn't accept it.

He then took in a deep breath and walked over to the entrance of the village. Wherever he went, everyone stopped whatever they were doing, and as if being drawn in by his aura of resoluteness, they begun to follow after him. Children, men and women.. slowly, the entire village was behind Clan Leader Feng.

"The time has come," Clan Leader Feng sighed, stopping in front of the entrance of the village. His gaze was locked onto the far horizon, a solemn expression on his features. "United we rise... united we fall."

He then turned around, and swept his eyes over the crowd of villagers. All of them had equally serious expressions, and most of them already knew what was about to happen. No one retreated. Not even one of them showed fear. They stood their ground firmly.

"We shall fight. We won't shame the name of the Phoenix God. If we die, we shall die with honor," began Clan Leader Feng. "Even though our chances are slim... we shall still try. No matter how bad the situation is, there is still hope. No matter what happens, we will fight until the end."

Clan Leader Feng raised the staff on his hands, and along with it, the fighting spirit of the villagers. He then slammed it down on the ground, causing his surroundings to tremble. All of the villagers took out their weapons, brandishing them.

…

In the back of the crowd stood three people. Issei, Xiao Luocheng and Lan Xueruo gazed at the scenes that took place in front of them without saying a word. It wasn't their time to interrupt. That moment... belonged solely to the villagers.

"What should we do?" asked Xiao Luocheng after a while, his gaze locked onto the far horizon. Even though he didn't have Spirit Power, and wasn't able to literally sense the presence of people, he was sure that in a couple of minutes, their enemies should arrive.

"We fight," said Issei without a change in expression. "There are countless experts there, but... we still have a chance."

Xiao Luocheng nodded, and didn't say another word. He then slapped his cosmos sack, taking out his two swords. A cold streak flashed in his eyes, and his expression grew murderous.

"...I'll help too."

Lan Xueruo took out a sword, and while ignoring the pain that flooded her body, she tried to keep a steady position. Even though it had already been a few days, she had yet to heal. In terms of fighting prowess, she was not stronger than someone in the early Nascent Profound Realm.

"No. You will stay back."

Surprisingly, Issei took a step forward and raised up his arm, directly blocking Lan Xueruo. Issei looked at Lan Xueruo and smiled softly, "I can't let any harm befall on you. Differently from us, you actually have vital importance to the Blue Wind Nation. Isn't that right... Princess Cang Yue?"

Lan Xueruo's eyes widened, and she took a step back in surprise. Her mind reeled, Issei's words having left her completely flabbergasted. In the end, all she could say was, "How...?"

Issei simply smiled, not saying a single word for a long time. He then sighed and said, "That's not important right now. All that you should know is that you shouldn't participate in this battle."

"But-"

"You're the only princess of this nation. Not only that, you are a girl and young. Your life is far too precious, and I can't allow it to be harmed. Just sit back and rest. I'll take care of everything."

After saying so, Issei didn't add more words, and walked forward, a surprised Xiao Luocheng following after him. Lan Xueruo was left behind, her eyes widened, her mouth agape and her emotions in a mess.

Unbeknownst to Issei, his words had caused a rather different effect than he intended on Lan Xueruo's young maiden heart. Being faced with Issei's pure confidence, warmness and seriousness, for some reason, Lan Xueruo's heart had somehow skipped a beat.

"...Just who is him?" murmured Lan Xueruo after a long time. She then shook her head, and took a few steps back. All of a sudden, she felt that she somehow trusted his words. She didn't know why or how, but... she simply believed in him.

…

"Issei, what the hell was that?!" Xiao Luocheng's expression was one of surprise and bafflement, and in the moment he reached a certain distance from Lan Xueruo, he couldn't help but to be unable to contain his excitement any further. "Cang Yue? Lan Xueruo is Can Yue? The princess of Blue Wind Nation?! Just how did you find out?!"

"It was simple," Issei smiled, glancing back at Cang Yue's direction before turning his attention back to Xiao Luocheng. "You know how I spent countless hours in the library? There, I found information on the Royal Family, and it included some pictures of the princess, along with her description and level of cultivation.

"When we arrived here, although it wasn't obvious, Lan Xueruo's features had been changed, and her cultivation base had broken through to the initial levels of the True Profound Realm. All of this matched with the information on Cang Yue. Finally, she mentioned that she was heading back to Blue Wind Imperial City, and even said that she had come from there. After thinking a little, it wasn't hard to find out the truth."

After saying so, Issei simply smiled slyly, not saying anything more. He slowly watched as Xiao Luocheng's expression became one of surprise, then enlightenment, followed by amazement and in the end, respect.

The corner of Xiao Luocheng's lips curled upwards, and as if he had completely forgotten about the battle that they were about to face, he patted Issei on the back while saying, "Issei... you are simply too amazing."

Issei merely smiled, not bothering to say anything. He then turned his head around, and just as he was about to take a step forward, his expression changed all of a sudden. His eyes narrowed, and a fierce and cold glint shined.  
"They are almost here," Issei said plainly. He then turned around and looked at Xiao Luocheng seriously, "I must have you promise me something."

"Mn? Of course! What is it?"

"No matter what happens in this battle, you aren't allowed to tell anyone about what techniques I use, what weapons I bring out or whatever I summon. This is extremely important. Can you promise me that?" Issei's expression was stern as he asked.

"Yes!" Xiao Luocheng nodded, even though he didn't really understand the meaning behind Issei's words. His promise was sincere, and as someone who considered himself to be honest, he would never dare to break it.

"Good," said Issei, nodding. He could perceive the firmness behind Xiao Luocheng words. He wouldn't go back on them. "If that's the case, then I can finally release myself."

After saying so, a golden lightning flashed in Issei's eyes, and his cultivation base rose from the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm to the second. Xiao Luocheng's eyes widened, but little did he know that this was only the beginning.

Without missing a beat, Issei pulled back the sleeves of both of his arms, revealing his long and firm arms, which were littered with small scars, result of his insane-like training. The young man then channeled spiritual power into his two arms, and in the next moment, countless tattoos appeared on them. All of those tattoos represented a different type of sword, and there were countless of them. From what Xiao Luocheng could see, there were almost a thousand.

"Let's go," said Issei as he begun walking towards the crowd of villagers, quickly arriving at the entrance of the village, where he stopped by Clan Leader Feng's side. Soon after, Xiao Luocheng arrived. Issei looked at Clan Leader Feng and said, "Call back the villagers. They will only be a hindrance."

"What...?" Clan Leader Feng's eyes widened in surprise, looking at the youth by his side incredulously. "You plan to take on all of them with just you two?"

"No," Issei smiled mysteriously. "I plan to take on all of them alone."

He then turned around and looked at Xiao Luocheng, "Protect the villagers. Deal with any of the bandits that manage to escape."

Xiao Luocheng revealed a surprise expression. "What are you talking about? Weren't we going to fight together? What's this about?"

"You'd just get in the way," Issei sighed, knowing all too well that Xiao Luocheng would be unwilling to miss out in this battle. However, he knew that if he wanted to fight to his full potential, this would be necessary. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm serious. You being there will only restrict me."

"And why is that?" Xiao Luocheng humphed, thinking that Issei was looking down on him. He wasn't about to stay back and watch as his closest friend faced an entire army. This simply went against his principles.

"Because of this," Issei smirked, closing his eyes. The marks on his arms started to shine, and all around Issei, countless lights flashed. Tens, hundreds... countless flying swords appeared all around Issei, all of them being of different shapes and sizes. However, it was clear that each and every of them was powerful... much more powerful than Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.

Before Xiao Luocheng could even understand what was happening, Issei opened his eyes and said, "Activate formation [Fifty Lotuses]."

After Issei said such words, all of the swords behind him began to change positions. They then divided in fifty groups of then swords, each of those groups aligned in a lotus-pattern, with the swords being the petals.

Some swords, around two dozen, were left, not fitting in the formations. Those swords then flew towards Issei, hovering all around him. In the end, Issei stood there, a serious expression on his face, surrounded by countless sword formations and flying swords.

This was the technique that he had acquired from Li Xiaodie, the World Spirit that almost killed Eggy. Although Issei couldn't use the full power of this formation, it was already more than enough... to slaughter whoever entered his sight.

Xiao Luocheng, along with Clan Leader Feng, the villagers and Cang Yue started to pant, expressions of disbelief on their faces as they gazed at Issei's back, that at that moment, seemed like the highest of mountains. Proud and insurmountable, piercing through the heavens.

It was also at that moment that in the distance, strange sounds began to rang out. The sound started low, but soon enough, it was already ringing in their ears. The ground trembled, and an army appeared in the distance.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The man in the army had bloodthirsty expression, and the man leading them, Black Demon, brandished his sword. At some point through their travel, he had suddenly decided that he would forget about negotiation. He came with the desire to kill, slaughter, plunder and ravish!

However, at that moment, he suddenly caught sight of Issei, along with his hundreds of swords that hovered behind him. His eyes widened, and he halted his advancements, forcefully stopping his horse. His expression was one of disbelief as he glared at Issei.

Issei looked back at them, a cold and apathetic expression on his face. His right hand moved slightly, and a pitch-black sword appeared on it, his most powerful Divine Weapon, Heaven's Piercer. At the same time, around him, a black fog condensed, filling his surroundings, but at the same time, not coming even close to the villagers. That black fog was... the Seven Heavens Poison, the poison that could decrease cultivation!

One man, hundreds of swords, facing against an army of bandits. That scene was forever engraved in the minds of everyone who looked at it. At that very moment, Issei's aura was at its peak, and an intense and boundless blood-lust erupted from his body, flooding the entire area.

As if on cue, Black Demon's eyes shone with a cold light and he raised his dark mace up in the skies, his expression bloodthirsty.

"Charge!"

The men behind him roared, and they charged forward, all of them heading directly towards the youth who stood in their way while repeating, "Kill Kill Kill!"

As for Issei, he looked at them coolly, and a faint smile appeared on his handsome face.

The battle... had begun.

 **Read & Review~! (Again, last chapter didn't have enough reviews. If there is enough on this one, there will be a double release tomorrow. Just take a few seconds out of your days and reviews. It doesn't cost anything, and you'll even gain an extra chapter!)**


	38. War

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 38 - War**

* * *

As he watched the army of hundreds of cultivators approaching him, Issei only smiled coolly, his expression unfaltering. He didn't take the initiative to attack, only waited for them to approach. Although he had the power to easily win this battle, he couldn't help but to be careful. The bandits could always have a card up their sleeves, and he couldn't afford to take the risk.

War wasn't only about killing. It required strategy, planning, and more than anything, knowledge. One needed to understand their own power and the power of their enemy. It was only with all those factors summed together that it would be possible to win in a battle.

However, Issei wasn't a general or anything of the sort. He was blessed with a cunning mind and mind-blowing comprehension, but that didn't mean that he would be a good general. Experience was needed for that, and he dearly lacked it. As such, he had come up with a slightly simple, yet effective strategy. It wasn't anything complicated or deep, but would have to suffice for the moment.

When the others were a few dozen meters away from him, Issei's eyes flashed, and he raised his hand up in the air. It was him against an army of hundreds, but he had hundreds of swords. The amount of swords he had was triple the amount of enemies.

"[Fifty Lotuses—First Formation, Fire!]"

One of the swords formations behind Issei suddenly sprung into life. Like candles that had been lit, they suddenly ignited, being enveloped by scorching hot flames. The whips of flame billowed up into the heavens, shrouding the clear blue skies in a river of flames.

The bandits that had that been approaching, upon seeing the formation, suddenly halted, their eyes widening. Even though they were a few dozen meters away, they could still clearly feel the intense and scorching fire, as if they had come from the deepest levels of hell. It terrified them.

Issei, seeing that, smiled coolly. After all the trouble they had caused, how could he possibly let them go? Without an ounce of hesitation, his left arm was thrown up, and along with it, the blazing formation flew forward, and while it spun, sending wisps of fire everywhere, it charged towards the terrified bandits.

Just as the blazing lotus formation was about to reach the army of bandits, Black Demon, who had been quickly approaching, shouted, "Crumble!"

From Black Demon's hands, a dark-red talisman flew out. It was originally only a few centimeters in size, but in a split-second, it was already dozens of meters large. Its speed was terrifying, and before the fire formation could arrive, it was already in front of the group of bandits.

Black Demon's eyes shone with a dark light, and he produced a few more talismans from his cosmos sack, all of them being thrown into the air. It was unknown how many of these he had thrown, but the number was clearly in the dozens.

In the next moment, the entire area brightened up, and talisman after talisman was activated. Some of them became barriers, while others transformed into large flying swords. They came in all shapes and sizes, and their powers were completely different, and of different grades.

Those dozens of talismans were spoils of war that Black Demon had acquired after ambushing hundreds of cultivators. He had lead his group for more than a few years, and he had already acquired countless life-saving treasures. Even though he would normally be unwilling to take them out, he didn't have another choice in this situation.

"Brat, let's see how you'll handle this!" Black Demon's eyes were bloodshot, all of the talismans being converted to Profound Currency in his eyes. With this battle alone, the amount of money he had spent was simply unbelievable. The pain he felt at that moment was heart-rending.

* * *

Issei's expression turned sour. This was exactly the situation he was fearing the most. His enemy actually had some powerful methods to deal with his own barrage of attacks.

"If it has come to this, then…," murmured Issei, his expression grim and cold. He lightly touched the back of his hand, where the character for fire was. He could see the power of those talismans, and he knew that they weren't something the current him could deal with.

He may have countless swords, and each of them may be exceedingly powerful, but because of the limitations of his cultivation base, he was unable to control them as he wished. His movements were rather restricted, and there was only so much he could do. Activating the fire formation already required a great part of his concentration, and the most he could do would be to activate the water formation. However, he wasn't sure whether or not this would be enough to deal with everything that Black Demon had thrown his way.

This meant that his only choice would be to either use Ddraig or Heaven's Piercer, but that would put the lives of the village in risk. Ddraig couldn't easily control his own power, and it wouldn't be strange if he ended up burning down the village in the process. As for Heaven's Piercer, it was more suited for one-on-one fight, and this would leave many breaches in his defense, allowing his enemies to reach the villagers.

Issei quickly considered his options, but in the end, he didn't feel like any of them would be a good one. No matter what he did, sacrifices would be made. He then sighed, and prepared himself to take Ddraig out. At the very least, he had more hopes in Ddraig than Heaven's Piercer, since he still couldn't control the power of the latter.

Just as Issei was about to take Ddraig out, he suddenly stopped. Turning his head around, he saw Xiao Luocheng smiling at him softly, one of his hands on his shoulder. Without a single word, Xiao Luocheng stepped forward, standing by Issei's side as he analyzed the situation.

"Issei, take out three swords," said Xiao Luocheng, his hand pointing towards one of the talismans. "Attack that one and have them self-destruct. That talisman is a powering-type, and it increases the power of the other ones. As long as you destroy it, it should be easier to deal with the rest."

Issei looked at Xiao Luocheng with widened eyes, but nodded nonetheless. The fingers on his hand moved slightly, and three of his swords were sent flying in the direction of the talisman. The moment they were about to reach it, Issei snapped his fingers and they self-destructed, the talisman being destroyed in the explosion. At the same time, on Issei's arm, three tattoos appeared. After being destroyed, the swords had been been sent back to regenerate.

Not missing a beat, Xiao Luocheng pointed at another talisman, his eyes calmly sweeping over the battlefield, using his knowledge to distinguish each and every talisman. Under his commands, Issei struck at one talisman after another. Before long, the tides of the battle had reversed.

"That one," said Xiao Luocheng as he pointed at yet another talisman. It was a bird-shaped one. "And that one," Xiao Luocheng pointed at another one. "Don't touch them. They are simply decoys, and have no real power. Black Demon used them only to waste your swords. Instead, use fourteen swords to attack that barrier."

Xiao Luocheng's commands were precise, and completely exact. Initially, Issei had still been doubting Xiao Luocheng's decisions, but after time passed, he had realized that the other was actually a natural commander. No matter what he ordered, it would always bring them a step closer to victory.

Differently from Issei, Xiao Luocheng, as the son of the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect, had received education on war techniques since a young age. Not only that, as a wealthy young master, he had come in contact with countless treasures and talismans, and his knowledge in the area was thousands of times superior to Issei.

He also had talent when it came to commanding, and his eyes were akin to that of an eagle, easily finding breaches in the enemy's formations. It could be said that even though Xiao Luocheng's talent in cultivation was great, the area he truly excelled in was war. He was a natural commander, and it was only in situation such as this one that he could truly shine.

* * *

While Issei and Xiao Luocheng were quickly gaining the upper hand, Black Demon wasn't having a good time. He had initially thought that the battle was already won the moment he took out his talismans, but it seemed that it was no longer the case.

He had clearly noticed that the situation had changed the moment that other youth appeared, and it was unknown the amount of times that he had cursed him and his ancestors. In less than an hour, he had already lost various talismans, and the ones that remained were the weak ones. He knew that in a situation such as this, victory was no longer possible. Fleeing was also improbable, so his only choice was surrendering.

However, how could he, Black Demon, the leader of the notorious Black Demon Bandits be willing to go down without a bang? His troops hadn't suffered many casualties, as Issei had focused much more on the talismans. They could still be put to use.

 _Damn it all! Where the hell did those insane brats pop up from?!,_ thought Black Demon, his eyes bloodshot. He then steadied his breathing, and looked at his troops, which had been paralyzed by what happened above them. Seeing the bunch of unmoving idiots, the anger in Black Demon Heart reached its peak.

No longer able to constrain himself, he lifted his head up to the sky and roared like an insane animal that had been cornered, fighting the last battle before his death. His cultivation base of the third level of the True Profound Realm rippled, and he dashed forward, directly towards the village. In his hand, a small black pellet appeared, which was quickly swallowed by him. In a matter of seconds, his cultivation base reached the fifth level of the True Profound Realm.

Behind him, the troops that had been rendered useless seemed to have been awakened, their bodies trembling as they watched their leader head towards the enemy alone. The desire to fight appeared in the hearts, and their eyes became bloodshot. They brandished their weapons and charged forward, taking advantage of the fact that Issei was still busy dealing with the talismans. It was time for their counter-attack!

* * *

The ground trembled under the might of the Black Demon Bandits, and their cries for war inundated the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, the sound akin to the drums of war. The villagers which stood in their village widened their eyes, death looming over them.

Clan Leader Feng glanced towards Issei and Xiao Luocheng, but upon seeing that they were still too engrossed on dealing with the talismans, and wouldn't be able to help out, his expression grew solemn. He needed to stall for time until those managed to take care of the talismans, or else they would meet their demise.

He then looked back at his villagers, and just as he was about to issue orders, he saw a figure walking towards him. It was Cang Yue, who while ignoring her injuries and gritting her teeth, made her way towards Clan Leader Feng.

Immediately upon reaching him, she didn't say anything, and sat down on the ground, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. On her hands, a small pendant appeared, which flew up, hovering in front of her. It suddenly began to shine brightly, a dazzling glow filling the area around it.

All of a sudden, it shattered, and countless strands of Spirit Power flew out, completely covering the area around the village. Each of those strands then grew in size and connected with each other, and a huge dome-shaped barrier appeared around the village, completely shrouding it in a faint blue light.

Cang Yue's eyes suddenly opened and she coughed a mouthful of blood, her internal injuries worsening. However, she managed to kept her face straight, and raised her hands forward, channeling her power towards the blue-colored formation that had appeared around them.

Within that small pendant was a blue-colored Spirit Formation that her father, the King, had given her. Normally, it would be enough to stop the attacks of an expert up to the Earth Profound Realm, but since she had activated it in a way that covered such a large area, its powers were greatly reduced. As such, in order to bu time, Cang Yue forced herself to channel her spiritual power into the formation, which was then transformed into Spirit Power, fueling it.

Clan Leader Feng, who was watching by the side, seemed to have understood, and immediately turned his head back, looking at the villagers, "All of you, place your hands in the formation! Channel your spiritual power into it! We must hold on until young master Issei and young master Luocheng deal with the talismans!

After saying so, Clan Leader Feng was the first to take the initiative, and begun to channel his spiritual power into the formation. The villagers quickly comprehended and ran forward, also beginning to channel spiritual power.

Just at the time, the Black Demon Bandits arrived, their expression crazed, dashing towards the formation without care for their lives. Their weapons were raised, their cultivation base sending ripples, and the desire to fight burning within them.

This battle would determine whether they would live or die!

 **Read and Review~! (Again, not enough reviews. I counted them, and it should be near thirty, but surely not thirty five. Even though the numer of reviews increased a lot, a great part of it was in other chapters. As such, there won't be two chapters today. However, if there are over 35 reviews on this one... there will be two chapters tomorrow.)**


	39. Heaven's End

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 39 - Heaven's End**

* * *

 **(There was a chapter yesterday by the way. If you haven't read it yet, it would be wise to give it a look.)**

The Black Demon Bandits crashed against the blue-colored Spirit Formation barrier, making it tremble, on the verge of dispersing. The might of hundreds of cultivators of the Nascent Profound Realm, and three cultivators of the True Profound Realm was something unbelievably strong. It was already a mighty feat to be able to block it.

Within the barrier, some of the villagers coughed up mouthfuls of blood, but they quickly regained their composure, channeling their spiritual power into the barrier again. A metallic, sour taste filled their mouths, but it only served to ignite the flames in their hearts, channeling power at even faster rates.

Cang Yue's expression was dark, and she could feel some of her wounds opening up, various parts of her robes being quickly drenched in her blood. She gritted her teeth and endured through it, her entire body covered in sweat. In order to maintain this barrier, she had to make use of all her mental faculties and a little more. Under normal circumstances, no normal person would be able to hold their ground with such injuries, but Cang Yue was an exception.

She didn't dare to grow lenient, and even burned a bit of her life-force to maintain her mental stability. As someone kind by nature, and who liked to pay back her debts, she was determined to make sure no harm would befall the villagers. Even if it meant sacrificing a bit of her life, what of it? There were lives on stake here.

"Come on," Cang Yue murmured, her expression sour and grim. "Just a little bit longer."

While Cang Yue tried to support the blue-colored Spirit Formation, Clan Leader Feng was also having troubles. His cultivation base was already limited by the Phoenix God, and this kind of situation was much more than what he could handle. He couldn't help but to glance in Issei and Xiao Luocheng's direction, but upon seeing that they were still dealing with the talismans, he could only grit his teeth and deal with it.

* * *

Within the army of Black Demon Bandits, Black Demon, their leader, was striking against the blue-colored Spirit Formation barrier with all his might, making use of all of the martial skills and attacks he knew. He was clearly aware that the moment the two meddling youths crushed all of his talismans, his army would be done for. His only hope would be to massacre the village before his death. That way, he would know that he had been able to cause some heavy damage.

"Kill Kill Kill!" Black Demon's eyes turned bloodshot, and he begun to cry out along with his army, his expression crazed. The thirst for blood had seeped deep within his blood, and he was slowly losing his rationality. Before long, he only saw red. His life-force was burning, his mind breaking apart, but he continued to attack again and again with his mace.

Near Black Demon were the three True Profound Realm experts. They had followed Black Demon around for a great part of their lives, and were determined to die together. Without hesitation, they took out black pellets from their cosmos sacks, thereupon eating them. At the same time, they also burned down their life-force, granting them a surge of power.

Within moments, their cultivation bases that were at the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm shoot up all the way to the third level of the Nascent Profound Realm. Their attacks got even more fierce, and the power behind them even greater. With each of their strikes, the blue-colored Spirit Formation barrier shook, and it was already showing signs of crumbling.

It was clear that in a few more minutes, it would finally fall! When that happened, they would be able to enter the village, and massacre them all. They knew that they would die no matter what happened, so they determined that they would die while doing what they did best. Plundering, killing and ravaging!

* * *

"Issei, the situation…," Xiao Luocheng glanced at what was happening behind them, and how the Black Demon Bandits were about to pierce through the barrier. If they didn't finish dealing with the talismans as fast as they could, the villagers would die.

"I know," said Issei, his voice cold and his mind focused as he sent sword after sword towards the talismans, following Xiao Luocheng's orders. At that moment, he could only blame the fact that he wasn't powerful enough to control the formations. He was trying the best that he could, but no matter what, it seemed to not be enough.

It was in moments like this that Issei realized that although he is powerful, that is only relative to people of his own age. In fact, Issei was aware that throughout the vast and boundless universes, there were countless others much younger than him with enough strength to make him look like an ant in comparison. The state of this battle clearly showed his helplessness.

As he looked at the few talisman that remained, Issei couldn't help but to curse in his heart. If he continued at the speed he was at, by the time he finished crushing all of them, the entire village would have already been destroyed. In a situation like this, he could only rely on others.

"Jasmine, Eggy, any ideas?"

Soon after, Jasmine's scornful voice sounded in his head, "Why bother saving them? You have no connection with them, no karma to sow. There's not even a single reason at all to help them! In fact, if they're dead, who would stop you from getting the Phoenix Bloodline? Let them all die-"

Before Jasmine could continue, Issei cut off the mental connection. At the moment, he simply didn't have the time to deal with her bulls**t. He quickly asked again as he sent more flying swords in the direction of a talisman, "Eggy, do you know anything that can help me out?"

Since he couldn't rely on Jasmine, then Eggy was his only option.

"I'm also not too sure," Eggy quickly answered, knowing that time was running out. "However, I believe that you should take care of the offensive talismans first. Leave the defensive ones for later, as they'll not help out. You must rush to deal with that Black Demon bastard."

"Got it!" Issei nodded, his eyes shining with hope. He quickly turned his head towards Xiao Luocheng and said, "Let's deal only with the offensive ones. Don't bother with the defensive ones."

"Mn?" murmured Xiao Luocheng in shock, instantly blaming himself for not thinking about that before before. He immediately nodded and said, "Alright, if it's offensive, then… target that one and that one. The rest are powering-talismans and defensive ones."

Issei nodded and waved his hands, countless swords being sent flying. By this point, he could no longer use the sword formations. Although he hadn't used much spiritual power, his mind was almost spent. Controlling hundreds of swords at the same time was straining on the mind, to say the least.

Within a few seconds, the swords reached their targets, and with loud bangs, they self-destructed, causing ripples to spread out in the air. The air trembled, and the two colossal talismans crumbled into tiny pieces, being thoroughly destroyed.

Not waiting behind to appreciate the results of his attack, Issei turned around, a small pill appearing on his hands. He unhesitatingly swallowed it down, and instantly felt his surroundings growing clearer. It was a special kind of pill that could increase the power of the consciousness for a limited amount of time.

Xiao Luocheng rushed ahead, diving into the army of bandits. He wasn't nearly as spent and had energy to spare. Before long, the muffled sounds of swords slashes and screams of pain rang across the battlefield. A huge lotus was behind Xiao Luocheng as he slaughtered dozens by the seconds.

"My turn," said Issei, his eyes narrowing. He quickly locked onto Black Demon's position, and while carrying Heaven's Piercer in his hands, rushed towards the enemy leader. It was time to end this bloodshed.

However, when he saw the way how Black Demon acted, and the look in his eyes, his mind trembled, and he remembered something that had happened long ago.

* * *

The moment Black Demon noticed that Issei was heading in his direction, it was almost too late. His bloodshot eyes widened, and he regained clarity, being brought back from his state of senseless slaughter. He hastily lifted his mace up and jumped back a few meters.

His cultivation base was now at the fifth level of the True Profound Realm, and added with the fact that he was burning his life-force, he was half-step into the sixth level. Normally, cultivators of the second level of the Nascent Profound Realm were like flies to him. However, for some reason he couldn't understand, he felt great fear towards the youth.

"Come on!" Black Demon crushed his fear, and looked at that quickly approaching Issei with defiance. He was determined to fight with all of his power. "Let's see what you have, you little-"

"SCREW OFF!"

Issei's shout resounded over and over in the battlefield, and for a split-second, everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes widened as they looked at the enraged youth in surprise. He no longer looked like the calm, composed fifteen years old. At this moment, he closely resembled a bloodthirsty devil!

Around Issei, a thick and dense aura of death loomed, and his expression was dark. He was enraged. He was enraged at how weak he was. He was enraged at how helpless he was. He was enraged at how he almost let countless people die under his watch. He was enraged… at everyone and everything around him.

He hated being helpless and powerless. This feeling was incredibly loathsome to him, which caused him to see red. This moment… it reminded him of what had happened years ago, when he was forced to kill all of his friends. The helplessness, being unable to change the situation… it all reminded him of _it_.

At that moment, it seemed he went crazy. Black Demon's appearance overlapped with the one belonging to the Patriarch of the Heavenly Might School. Issei didn't know why or how, but for that split-second, he saw his friends dying again by his hands. It was all too sudden, too abrupt. Issei couldn't handle it.

Since he couldn't handle it, he snapped.

Issei no longer spoke. His eyes grew dark, and his expression cold. Around him, everything was clearer than it had ever been. However, he wasn't himself at that moment. All he wanted was to slaughter all who stood in his way.

Without a single word, Issei swung Heaven's Piercer down. The spiritual power in the air trembled, and an overwhelming pressure filled the entire area. It seemed as if the sky had grown dark, and the earth beneath them, red with blood.

There was no wind, and yet, Issei's clothes fluttered and rippled. Countless tendrils of spiritual power encircled him, covering the entire area around him. From Heaven's Piercer, a dark slash of spiritual power erupted.

"Heaven's… End!"

The ground shook, the skies trembled and the world grew devoid of color. The dark sword energy was like a mindless beast, devouring everything in its way. Countless shrieks of pain instantly filled the entire battlefield, which had been eerily quiet just a moment ago.

Black Demon slowly watched as the black sword energy reached him. He couldn't dodge. He couldn't block. He could only die.

"So this is the end..."

* * *

"Crap!"

Xiao Luocheng, who was a few meters away, widened his eyes, realizing what was about to happen. Without a moment to waste, he rushed forward, and quickly grabbed Issei's body, which had been about to collapse onto the ground. He then turned around and started running away, as fast as he possibly could. While he did so, he looked towards the barrier and screamed.

"All of you, channel all of your power in the Spirit Formation! Every last drop of it!"

Without need of further words, everyone within the formation nodded, and not questioning the reason behind it, they immediately pumped all of their spiritual power into it. The moment they finished, the black sword energy reached Black Demon.

 _Bang!_

The entire battlefield was covered in a deep, black light. A tyrannical gust of wind exploded forth, and threw Xiao Luocheng, who had been running away while carrying Issei with all his could, up into the air.

The blue-colored Spirit Formation managed to sustain the blow for a few seconds before crumbling, many people passing out in the process, including Clan Leader Feng and Cang Yue.

When the black light finally faded, all that could be seen was a half-destroyed village. Next to it was a huge crater on the ground, and none of the Black Demon Bandits could be seen.

Dead.

All of them had been erased from existence.

 **Read & Review (Still not 35...)**


	40. Rewards

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 40 - Rewards**

* * *

Within a small hut, a brown-haired youth slept quietly. He was underneath the blankets, a troubled expression on his features. The entire hut was eerily quiet, and all that could be heart was his hurried heart-beat.

The youth's eyes suddenly opened, revealing dark-brown orbs. He looked at his unfamiliar surroundings strangely, a complex expression on his face. All of a sudden, he remembered what had happened. It all flowed into his mind like the raging tides of the ocean.

"The battle…. Black Demon…," murmured Issei, his mind spinning. He remembered everything up to the point in which he slashed out with Heaven's Piercer. From that moment onwards, everything in his memory was blank. "At the end… what was that?"

Issei was sure that the attack that he had used in the last moment wasn't one of his own attacks. It was different… it was much more powerful than what he could handle. Even with a weapon as strong as Heaven's Piercer, he doubted that he would be able to use that much strength.

An attack that was able to interfere with the natural laws of the world, and change the color of the sky and surroundings, it was something far beyond his scope of power. Just the thought of it was simply whimsical, and yet… he was sure that he had been the one to use it.

'Heaven's End'.

Those were the words he had said back then. He didn't know why or how, but he simply felt a strange feeling of familiarity with those two words, as if they had been a part of him for all his life. They were grandiose, and possessed a hidden charm to it, an esoteric and profound meaning hidden behind them.

"You shouldn't think too much into it."

Suddenly, Jasmine's voice rang in his mind. It was unusually devoid of scorn and disdain, and instead, it could even be considered kind. At the same time, it also seemed to be tired. This change made Issei surprise, since it had never happened before.

"The attack you used isn't something that you can comprehend at the moment," Jasmine explained after sighing, "Its power is far beyond what you can imagine, and using it already caused you to lose consciousness for over four days. If it wasn't for me and the World Spirit supplementing you with vitality and protecting you, your body would have burst apart in a haze of blood and gore."

Issei's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't say anything. He waited for Jasmine to continue her words.

"Anyways, don't think of using that attack again before reaching the late stages of the Sky Profound Realm, or even the Emperor Profound Realm. But… if you want to know where it came from, you can attribute it to your little sword, Heaven's Piercer."

"Mn?! It has to do with Heaven's Piercer?" Issei's expression turned complex, completely surprised.

"Yes," Jasmine nodded. "Divine Weapons sometime can manifest strange powers. However, it normally only happens from grade twenty and above. Heaven's Piercer is only third-fourth grade. It should have been impossible, but it seems that your chaotic emotions at the time had resonated with the sword's nature, giving birth to that attack."

After saying so, Jasmine merely shook her head. "Well, I have already said all that I wanted to. I spent too much of my power to protect your life… I'll be resting for the next fifteen days. Don't disturb me until then."

Jasmine no longer spoke, Issei's mind growing quiet. He nodded, and was about to get up from his bed, but suddenly stopped, having remembered something. Closing his eyes, he sent his consciousness to his World Spirit Space.

"Eggy, are you alright?" Issei called out, standing in the middle of the huge corridor of the palace, which was his World Spirit Space. Hearing no reply, he walked forward, arriving in front of Eggy's room. He then knocked twice, but no reply came.

"This doesn't seem good…," Issei's eyes narrowed, clearly sure that something had happened. Jasmine had mentioned that Eggy had also helped him out, and he already knew that Eggy's current state was weak. He had been afraid that she had overused her vitality to supplement his own, and it seemed that he was right.

Without a second to spare, he pushed the door open and walked inside. A vast world of green greeted him, with a beautiful landscape. Not too far away from him, sleeping on the grass was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen, Eggy.

She was currently sleeping, and her expression was one of worry. Although her body didn't move, it was clear to Issei that she was in pain. He then rushed forward, quickly arriving by Eggy's side. It was only after checking her situation that he calmed down.

"She used some of her vitality, but it isn't anything that can't be recovered after a long rest. In a few days, she should be back to normal," murmured Issei, the worry in his eyes lessening. He stayed there for a few more minutes, watching over Eggy before calling back his consciousness. There were other things to deal with.

* * *

In the hut next to Issei, Xiao Luocheng cultivated in silence. There were some wounds in his body, but nothing too serious. Most of them had been caused by Issei's attack at the very end, which had thrown him up high into the sky. In the end, they weren't anything to worry about.

Suddenly, the door to his hut opened, and Issei walked inside. Xiao Luocheng's eyes opened as if struck by lightning, and seeing his friend enter, boundless joy made its way to his face.

"Issei, you're awake!" Xiao Luocheng exclaimed excitedly, getting up from his bed and rushing forward to greet his friend. He then swept his gaze over his body, searching for any injuries, like a parent would worry for their son.

"I'm fine," said Issei, seeing the worry on his friend's face. Xiao Luocheng had always been someone that tended to overreact. "No need to worry about me."

"Mn," Xiao Luocheng nodded, having finished his analysis. Just as Issei had said, his body seemed to be in a perfect state. The fast recovery surprised him, but it was nothing too astonishing. At the very least, Issei had already given him much bigger surprises. "When did you wake up?"

"A few minutes ago," said Issei as he made his way to a chair, sitting on it. "How are you doing? Everything alright?"

"You could say so," nodded Xiao Luocheng, a slightly troubled expression on his face. When he looked at Issei again, his eyes were filled with a complex feeling. "The last attack you used… it almost destroyed the entire village. Most of it was wrecked. Not only that, a great part of the villagers are injured, but… no one lost their lives."

"And the bandits?"

"Dead. Completely eradicated," Xiao Luocheng suddenly smiled lightly. "Although that last attack had made us suffer great damages, the Black Demon Bandits greatly suffered. Not even a single one of them managed to survive."

"That's good," said Issei, nodding. He then turned his head towards the door, "Now that the battle is finished, I believe that we should have a talk with Clan Leader Feng. There's still that treasure…."

Xiao Luocheng didn't say anything and only nodded, but excitement flashed in his eyes. He was also stupefied by the power Issei had displayed in the battle, but since Issei hadn't talked about it, he was smart enough to not touch upon that subject. Everyone had their own secrets, and he wasn't in position to interfere.

"Then let's go," Issei got up from his chair and walked to the door. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly stopped. "How's the princess, by the way? Is she alright?"

"A little tired, but she's safe and sound," affirmed Xiao Luocheng. He had already checked Cang Yue's situation a few hours before, and had confirmed that her life wasn't in danger. Various of her wounds had opened during the battle, but most of them had already closed in these four days that had passed since then.

"Good," Issei nodded. "After talking with Clan Leader Feng, let's pay her a visit."

"Mn."

Xiao Luocheng and Issei then exited the hut and made their way towards the place where Clan Leader Feng was staying at. As they walked through the village, Issei couldn't help but to sigh at the destruction he had caused. Countless huts had been destroyed, and a great part of it was ruined. It was a miracle that no one died.

"I really shouldn't use 'Heaven's End' anytime soon…," murmured Issei, a complex expression on his face. The power it had caused was far beyond what he had imagined. Not only that, this was only the damage made by the ripples of the attack. The true power behind it laid in the huge crater besides the village.

"…." Xiao Luocheng pretended not to hear Issei's comment.

…

"We're here," Xiao Luocheng pointed at a slightly ruined hut. On the way there, they had asked for directions from the villagers. Although they were surprised that Clan Leader Feng hadn't moved to one of the few intact houses, they didn't think too much into it. "He should be inside right now."

Issei nodded and knocked on the door.

A few moments later, the answer came, "Come in."

"Then I'll intrude," said Issei respectfully, pushing open the door and entering the room. Inside, he saw Clan Leader Feng resting on his chair, his brows furrowed and his eyes containing hints of confusion.

"Oh, it is young master Issei and Xiao," Clan Leader Feng suddenly smiled politely, pushing away the thoughts that clouded his mind to the back of his head. He then focused on Issei, "Young master Issei, how was your rest? Is everything alright now?"

"Mn," Issei nodded and took a step forward. Then, without hesitation, he did a polite bow, "Clan Leader Feng, I'm sorry for the damage I have caused."

"Don't worry about it," said Clan Leader Feng as he waved his hands. "You have saved us from the Black Demon Bandits. This is a favor we can't ever hope to repay."

Clan Leader Feng suddenly stopped, and a complex expression appeared on his features. He then sighed and continued, "Actually, in order to repay you, I have already discussed something with the elders of the village. We would like to give you a chance to participate in the Phoenix Trials. If you manage to pass it, you would be able to acquire the Bloodline of our God."

"Phoenix Trials…?" Issei's eyes widened, and he revealed a surprised expression. Inside, however, he was celebrating. He quickly put to use the acting skills he was so proud of, "Clan Leader Feng, this is too much! Isn't the bloodline of the Phoenix your legacy? How could I, an outsider, possibly acquire it?"

Xiao Luocheng, who was by Issei's side, had to hold back a snicker.

"Don't worry. I have thought things through," Clan Leader Feng seemed relieved at Issei's reaction. Apparently, he was glad that he had reacted this way. "The bloodline of the Phoenix isn't exclusive to this clan. As long as it deems you worthy, you can acquire good fortune. Since you have helped us out so much, then we have decided to repay you by letting you participate in the trials."

"This…," Issei sighed, and in the end, he seemed to have given is. "Then let's go… I thank Clan Leader Feng for his kindness."

Clan Leader Feng merely smiled and nodded. The respect he had for this youth was growing more and more by each passing second.

As for Issei, he was beginning to think that he had done the right choice by saving the village.

 _ **Read & Review~! (34 reviews... almost there! Keep this way and it should be possible to achieve 35 in the next chapter!)**_


	41. First Test

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 41 - First Test**

* * *

 **(There was a chapter yesterday. I suggest that you give it a look.)**

Deep within the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, there was a large cave, near the village that Issei and the rest had been staying in. Inside the cave, a small group of people stood. Issei, Xiao Luocheng, Cang Yue and Clan Leader Feng were the core members of such group.

"Clan Leader Feng, are you truly sure about this?" Issei looked at Clan Leader Feng with a polite expression, hiding the anxiety in his heart. Although he desired the Phoenix Bloodline more than anything, he couldn't show it. Or else, he was afraid that Clan Leader Feng would go back on his words.

"Young master Issei, you don't need to worry," said Clan Leader Feng with a small smile. He then looked towards the elders of the village that had followed them and said, "Not only that, all of the Elders have already agreed, right?"

All of the elders nodded, resolute expressions on their faces. They had already judged Issei's character as worthy of receiving the bloodline, and although he had caused some damage to the village, he had also eradicated the bandits. They were truly indebt to him.

"Then...I'll do it," Issei said, his face showing traces of unwillingness. Xiao Luocheng, who was by the side, couldn't help but to sigh at his friend's acting skills. If he didn't know Issei, even he would have fallen for it.

Cang Yue, who stood next to Xiao Luocheng, had a complex expression. A few minutes ago, Issei and Xiao Luocheng had passed by her hut to pay her a visit, and since most of her wounds were already healed, she decided to follow them to this place. However, she had a nagging feeling in her mind. Somehow, the situation seemed rather fishy.

"Alright, then I shall start the formation," said Clan Leader Feng as he took a step forward. The elders quickly followed after him, all of them walking forward until reaching a bright red altar. Upon reaching it, they each went to their respective formations, and awaited for Clan Leader Feng's command.

Clan Leader Feng nodded, and just as he was about to give the command to start, he suddenly stopped and looked at Issei, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. "Young master Issei, I forgot to tell you something. You can only take part in the Phoenix Trials once in your entire life… would you like to wait until your strength has grown more?"

"No. I would rather go right now," said Issei unhesitatingly. He had already been expecting something like this, and although he wasn't too confident on his own strength, he didn't know when he would be able to head back to this place. As such, he had decided to take the risk and enter it.

"Then let's proceed," Clan Leader Feng nodded and gave the signal to the group of elders. All of them then extended their arms, and from their over palms, a bright red light shone forth. The mark between their brows started to shine, and from their mouths, a strange, incomprehensible chant came out.

With a concentrated expression, Clan Leader Feng also extended his hands, and on his right one, a small, blood-red dagger appeared. He brought the dagger close his left hand and slashed, drawing countless of blood, which then flew into the air, hovering above the altar.

The elders, seeing his action, merely nodded and also cut their own hands, blood flowing from it, which then hovered in the air and made their way to the middle of the altar, fusing with Clan Leader Feng's blood. By the end of it all, a small goblet of bird hovered above the scarlet altar, the aura around it filled with scorching heat.

"Formation, begin!" Clan Leader Feng's eyes narrowed, and his fingers began to dance in the wind. From them, countless small blood-red symbols flowed out, all of them flying straight towards the sphere of blood, which had started to shine with an eerie red light.

After a few minutes, thousands of symbols had already been formed, and Clan Leader Feng's complexion was pale, beads of sweat running down his forehead. His eyes were focused, and with a small grunt, he created the final symbol. This one was much bigger in size, and of a deep scarlet color.

The moment the last symbol reached the now glowing sphere of blood, a strange scene took place. The sphere of blood suddenly expanded and narrowed, becoming extremely thin in thickness, and yet large in size. The blood started to spin, and a large blood-red vortex appeared. It was unknown what was beyond it.

"It's done," Clan Leader Feng released a sigh, and he almost fell down to the ground. Some of the elders didn't have such self-control, directly passing out. Activating the portal to the Phoenix Trials wasn't an easy matter. He then turned around to look at Issei, who looked at everything with amazement. "Young master Issei, it's done."

"Mn," Issei nodded. He then took a step forward, but before making his way to the portal, he glanced at Xiao Luocheng from the corner of his eyes. His friend had also helped out in the battle, and it was rather unfair that he would be the only one to reap the rewards.

"Go on. Don't worry about me," whispered Xiao Luocheng, a small smile on his face. He knew what Issei was feeling, and although he was glad, his worries were needless. Xiao Luocheng knew better than anyone the risk Issei had taken in the previous battle, and believed that between the two of them, he deserved this more than him. Also, it wasn't like it would be impossible for him to go afterward. Clan Leader Feng said that as long as they gave him a few years, the portal could be opened again.

Issei didn't say anything, and simply nodded. Now, he no longer had any worries about the trial. All that was left would be to enter it, and if lucky, acquire good fortune. His eyes grew resolute and he walked up the altar, reaching the blood-red portal.

He took in a deep breath and stepped inside.

* * *

Issei was standing in a deep black area, devoid of color and life. No matter where he looked, all he would be able to see was an endless, infinite darkness that seemed to stretch out in all directions. He was amazed by the change in scenario, but there was no chance to further analyze the area around him. At that moment, something happened.

Right in front of Issei, two flaming slits appeared in the darkness. Those slits slowly parted, revealing huge, flaming eyes, made out of a deep orange-red fire, which burned with vigor. The eyes were long and narrow, different from a human eye and more similar to those of a bird. A deadly bird.

 _So it has begun…_

"What is your name, Young Man?" a voice suddenly filled the void-like region around Issei. It seemed to be omnidirectional, resounding from all directions at the same time. It was also slightly soft, and feminine.

"I'm called Issei…," Issei introduced himself as he clasped his hands and bowed. "Is Senior the Phoenix God?"

"Yes and no," the voice resounded again. "I'm a sliver of consciousness left behind by the original Phoenix. I'm in charge of administering the trials. You have come to take part in it, yes?"

"Indeed," confirmed Issei, a slightly surprised expression on his face. He couldn't detect any hints of arrogance or haughtiness in that voice, something that surprised him. As a consciousness derived from a Divine Beast, it wouldn't be surprising if it was lofty, but to actually not harbor such emotions? That was far from Issei's expectations.

"Then, I shall introduce the rules," began the Phoenix Spirit, "The trials can last for an indefinite amount of time, and there are three different trials in total. Each of them will test a different part of your self. In order to receive the Phoenix Bloodline, you must pass all the trials. Is that understood?"

Issei quickly nodded,"Yes."

"Each trial will be more difficult than the last, and deadly occasions might appear. If at any moment you feel like you are unable to continue, say that you forfeit, and I shall bring you out. Is that understood?"

He nodded once more, "Yes."

"Finally, bear in mind that the Phoenix Trials are personally judged by me according to the rules left behind by the Phoenix God. I'm in charge of checking every aspect of your being, and that counts your luck. As such, you are allowed to make use of any magical treasure you have in your possession. They also count as your own strength. Is that understood?"

This time, Issei was surprised. However, his surprise didn't last long and he quickly nodded, "Yes."

"Then we shall begin," said the voice one last time.

In the following moment, the space around Issei suddenly changed, and ripples formed in the air. His mind started to spin, and his vision turned hazy and blurred. A few seconds later, when he finally managed to regain his sight, he was in a completely different scenario.

He now stood in the middle of a dense forest, covered with thick foliage. The leaves of the trees were of a deep-scarlet color, and the trunks seemed to be made of red jade. Everything around him was of a deep scarlet color, and even the ground was crimson.

Somehow, he ended up in a world of red.

Issei looked around curiously, wondering what he was supposed to do. He had waited for an announcement, but nothing came. He also couldn't rely on Jasmine, as she was sleeping, so he decided to search around the area.

Soon enough, he realized that the area he was in was colossal in size, and deeply packed with scarlet-colored trees, grass and a plethora of different plants. Even though there were many kinds of vegetation, there was a clear pattern. They were all red, without exceptions.

"Just what am I supposed to do?" murmured Issei, confusion all over his face. He had already searched around for over two hours, but aside from this bizarre flora, there was nothing else. However, he didn't lose hope and continued to search around, looking for something that was out of the ordinary.

A few hours later, Issei seemed to have arrived at the edge of the forest. In front of him was a large abyss, and on the other side, a huge patch of red-colored land. Connecting the two sides was a thin and weak bridge, which trembled with the occasional gusts of wind.

Issei stared at the bridge for a long time, but after a while, he shook his head and took a step forward, stepping onto the bridge. The moment he did so, the voice of the Phoenix Spirit rang out.

"You are now the in intial part of the first trial. The first test of the first trial is to cross this bridge. Further tests await you on the other side."

"Crossing the bridge is a test?" Issei's eyes narrowed, and he immediately understood that the situation wasn't as simple as it seemed. Since this bridge was actually a test, then there must definitely be some kind of trap, or else it would be too easy. With narrowed and focused eyes, Issei once more looked at the area around him.

However, just like the previous time, he didn't find anything out of place. The bridge was slightly frail, but aside from that, there didn't seem to be any dangers. Or it was incredibly well hidden, or this was actually a bluff, and there was no problems with the bridge. After all, the Phoenix Spirit only said that he had to cross it. It didn't say that something would happen.

"This… I wonder what I should do…."

Issei looked around once more in order to make sure, but couldn't find anything. He then sighed, and decided to try out his luck. He took one step and stopped. His eyes darted around the area, but nothing happened. Taking in a deep breath, he took another step, looking around the entire time. Still, nothing seemed to be happening.

"Could it be that it was only me overthinking it?" Issei revealed a confused expression and took a step forward. In that moment, something finally happened.

From the skies above, the clear and high-pitched shriek of a bird rang out, and a large, flame-covered bird descended, the crimson clouds in the sky parting, making way for it. The crimson bird was huge in size, and it was half of Ddraig's size.

Before Issei could even realize what was happening, the bird's position changed, and with its beak pointed towards Issei, it flew down like an arrow that had been shot from a bow, directly towards the poor genius.

"Oh… crap."

 **Read & _Review~~! (Almost 35... Almost.)_**


	42. Overboard

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 42 - Overboard**

* * *

The raging flames of the almighty fire bird filled the entire sky with a brilliant, red light as it dived towards Issei. Judging by its speed alone, it would take only a few seconds for it to reach its target. Issei was aware of that. And he didn't like it.

"Dammit!" Issei's eyes narrowed and he immediately turned around, trying to run back to the land. If this bird dropped from the sky at this speed, it wouldn't be strange if this entire bridge, which was already frail, collapsed. Not only that, Issei also believed that even he wouldn't manage to get out unscratched if hit by those flames.

Even though the Fire Seed of the Evil God clearly could negate fire, that didn't apply to spiritual power. It was more than obvious that within the flames of the colossal bird, countless threads of spiritual power danced around. While the flames wouldn't be able to harm Issei, the spiritual power within them was more than deadly.

All of a sudden, just as Issei was about to exit the bridge, his body smashed against an invisible barrier. Shock and terror flashed through Issei's features, as he realized that something was blocking his path. The meaning was clear; he was supposed to face that bird head-on.

"Are you kidding me?!" cried out Issei, looking at the bird that was about to hit him. He had already expected the trials of the Phoenix to be difficult, but this could only be considered ridiculous! That bird was clearly more than ten times stronger than he was was! How was he supposed to handle that?!

However, Issei didn't have the time to think of his misfortune. The bird was only a few seconds away from collision, and time was running out. He had to somehow find a way out of this situation, or else he would become barbecue. And that wasn't an outcome to look forward to.

"Weapons… I must have some Divine Weapon that I can use!" exclaimed Issei, pulling back the sleeves of his arm and sweeping his eyes over the countless tattoos. Most of them had already regenerated, and could be used at any given moment. Suddenly, an idea appeared on Issei's mind.

"[Water Formation]…! There's still the [Water Formation]!" exclaimed Issei, hope flashing through his features. Without an ounce of hesitation, he summoned ten swords, his most powerful ones, and arranged them in a lotus formation. He then extended his arm forward.

"[Water Formation]!"

Spiritual power rippled around the lotus sword formation, and within seconds, it was completely covered in water. The water slowly expanded to its surroundings, assuming the shape of a gigantic water lotus.

It had ten petals, one for each sword, and each of them was the size of the colossal bird. Seeing that, Issei still believed that it wasn't enough. He grit his teeth and summoned more of his swords, including Heaven's Piercer.

Issei's fingers flashed in the air, creating countless after-images, the swords surrounding him flying all around him, breaking apart the air. All of them stopped all of a sudden, and their tips were pointing towards the fire bird.

"Go!"

All of the swords seemed to have gained life, whistling forward towards the fire bird. In the middle of his barrage of attacks was Heaven's Piercer, which was well-hidden within the salvo of swords.

The salvo of swords would be his offense, while the water lotus could be considered his defense. Aside from the newly acquired 'Heaven's End', this could be considered to be Issei's most powerful move so far.

While the swords clashed against the colossal flame bird, Issei didn't dally in activating his Lightning Incarnation mode. This time, instead of using it for an increase of speed, he concentrated all of the lightning in a barrier around him. Within the lightning were countless white-colored Spirit Formations.

Even with all that, Issei still believed that it wasn't enough. His gaze then wandered to the back of his hand, where the character for 'fire' was. With this, he would be able to summon Ddraig, but Issei wasn't confident about that decision. After all, Ddraig was like his secret weapon, and Issei planned to save him for a more dangerous situation.

"Dammit. This should be enough!"

While Issei cursed, the descending fire bird finally met Issei's swords. With a loud explosion, they clashed against each other. In a matter of seconds, many of the swords returned to Issei's arms as tattoos. Despite that, the bird also sustained some damage. Many parts of its flame-like body were dispersing.

"Eh? Already?" murmured Issei in shock, realizing that the bird wasn't nearly as strong as he had taken it to be. After passing through his salvo of swords, it was clear that a great deal of its body had been damaged.

Just at that moment, the flame bird clashed against the water lotus. With a high-pitched cry, it tried to break the water-lotus formation, but it appeared that it had been too damaged. Slowly, it dissolved into nothingness.

... ... ...

"Really?" Issei's eyes were widened, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. Had he actually overestimated the bird that much? He tried to look around carefully, awaiting for a trap or a surprise attack, but nothing came. He then sighed and said, "Well, I shouldn't complain..."

Issei then waved his hands, calling back the water lotus sword formation, his lightning and all of the others attack that he had thrown out but ended up being useless. Even though it had already passed, he was simply shaken by what had happened.

"Am I really that strong? Or was the bird too weak?"

After almost being defeated by Black Demon's talismans, Issei seemed to have started to underestimate himself and overestimate others. Because of that, he had actually taken the bird to be much more powerful than it actually was.

When he realized that, Issei felt slightly embarrassed.

"…." Issei sighed, and didn't say anything. He then calmly walked to the other side of the bridge, a complex expression on his face. Thankfully, the area where the bird and his attacks clashed was rather high, and the bridge hadn't been affected.

Without any more ambushes or surprise attack, Issei safely reached the other side. Just at that moment, the voice of the Phoenix Spirit rang out.

"You have passed the first test of the first trial. Now, the second test shall commence."

When Issei heard that voice, he couldn't help but to shake his head. Although it was faint, there were clearly some traces of awkwardness in it. Apparently, he had really gone overboard against the fire bird…

* * *

While Issei tried to clear the Phoenix Trials…

"Clan Leader Feng, we're going back to rest," said one of the elders as he looked at his fellow brothers, who were all exhausted. Opening the portal to the Phoenix Trials was an extremely taxing task for them.

"Go on. I'll inform you with anything happens," Clan Leader Feng smiled slightly, knowing all too well how tired they were. Even he, who was younger than them by a few years and should have much more vitality, was on the verge of collapsing.

"Thank you," said the elder as he clasped his hands and bowed, quickly bringing his fellow elders back to the village in order to rest.

With those elders gone, the ones who were left behind were Clan Leader Feng, Cang Yue and Xiao Luocheng. Since Clan Leader Feng was quite tired, he quickly sat down on the ground and began to meditate. With that, it was as if only Cang Yue and Xiao Luocheng remained in the room.

Xiao Luocheng glanced at Cang Yue from the corner of his eyes. He had nothing to do while he waited for his friend, and even though he had had some misunderstandings with Cang Yue in the past, her personality was a good one and she was extremely pretty. Not only that, she was also a princess, so Xiao Luocheng decided to try out something with her while he waited.

"Princess Cang Yue," said Xiao Luocheng as he approached her, a little bit of respect on his tone. After all, her status was above his by a large margin.

"Mn?" Cang Yue looked at Xiao Luocheng, slightly surprised. She hadn't expected that he would take the initiative to start a conversation. To begin with, Cang Yue already didn't really like Xiao Luocheng. After all, he was the one who brought Issei to the Xiao Sect, stealing her prey from her hands.

Despite that, as a princess, there were some rules she had to abide to. She forced a smile and said politely, "Brother Xiao. Is there any you want?"

"Nothing much," Xiao Luocheng shook his head, clearly noticing the faint iciness on her tone. He sighed. He had already expected as such. He had invited Issei to the Xiao Sect, after all. Be that as it may, he had already been expecting that, so he wasn't surprised. "I was just wondering if you would like to play a game? While we await for Issei, that is."

"…." Cang Yue looked at Xiao Luocheng strangely. She couldn't understand why he had taken the initiative to approach her, and it certainly seemed strange. Not only that, she also wondered what game he was talking about. Despite that, she still smiled. "Mn? Of course."

"Great!" Xiao Luocheng smiled. He then sat down on the ground and produced a small board from his cosmos sack. On top of it were many small pieces of different shapes and sizes, along with various pieces of all shapes and sizes on top of it.

Cang Yue's eyes widened slightly, as she had never seen such a board before. It seemed similar to chess, but the pieces were different. Not only that, she could clearly see that there were many formations on the chessboard. With her interest piqued, she also sat down.

"This is a different type of chess made by my sect," Xiao Luocheng patiently explained, seeing that Cang Yue hadn't recognized it. "The rules are slightly different, and it's more… well, realistic. You'll understand when we play it."

After saying so, he briefly told Cang Yue all of the rules, along with how to play it. It wasn't required to use the hands, and each piece could be moved using the mind. Within each piece, there were many formations, and all of the limbs could be moved. They were akin to small puppets.

By the end of the explanation, Cang Yue was already itching to play it. She had never seen or heard of such an interesting game before, and it was clearly a grade above normal board games. Not only that, it implemented formations and many other different techniques. In her eyes, it was extremely amusing.

"Let's begin," said Xiao Luocheng, placing his hands on the chessboard. Cang Yue did the same, and all of a sudden, the space around her distorted. It was as if her consciousness had left her body, and she was now observing the board from an aerial view.

Xiao Luocheng had already told her about that, so although she was surprised, she quickly got the hang of it. She then focused on one piece, and her point of view changed again. She was now in the middle of the gaming board, with her eyes being the eyes of the pieces. With just a single thought, she could make the piece do all kinds of music. The limbs and fingers moved freely, and it was simply an otherworldly experience.

Not too far away, Xiao Luocheng quietly observed as Cang Yue familiarized herself with the game. He wasn't in a rush to start, and used that time to think of strategies. There were no 'turns' in the game, and it was like a real battlefield. As such, strategy was needed. Although this was only a game, it was perfect for testing out many strategies.

It was exactly because of this game that Xiao Luocheng was so adept at commanding. He had already played this game with his father and brothers many times before, and would hone his skills every time he could.

After a while, Cang Yue finally got used to the strange game. Noticing that, Xiao Luocheng began his attacks. He wanted to see whether or not this princess was adept at making strategies.

 **Read & Review~! (Seriously, review! When we reach 1k reviews, even if there isn't a chapter with 35+ reviews, there will be a DOUBLE release.)**


	43. Enlightenment

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 43 - E** **nlightenment**

* * *

Issei's breathing was ragged as he looked at the army of flame golems in front of him. He had already passed through the second test of the first trial, which was to find the exit in the forest on the other side, and was now in the third and final test of the first trial. Apparently, he was supposed to deal with this army of golems.

Each of those golems was about twice Issei's size, and they all wielded different kinds of weapons. The most common were great-swords, while others used hammers and maces. Most of them used blunt weapons, and long-ranged ones were nowhere to be seen.

In total, there were a few dozens golems. Thankfully, most of them were rather slow, so it wasn't hard to dodge their attacks. The main problem was their defense, which was borderline impenetrable. Even Heaven's Piercer was having a hard time slashing them apart, never mind his weaker swords.

Even though it had already been more than two hours since the third test had begun, Issei had yet to kill a single one of those golems. The difficulty of it could be imagined.

"Trials…? This simply insane!" Issei cursed with vehemence as he dodged one of the attacks. He was beginning to regret entering it so hastily. It was more than clear that the trials were designed for someone of his level of strength. Hell, Issei believed that even if he was in the True Profound Realm, he would still have a hard time!

While cursing the Phoenix God, Issei jumped into the rivers of flame near him. He had already discovered that the golems had extremely bad sight, and it would take them a while to find him while enveloped by flames, which did a good job in hiding his presence.

"Hmm? Flames?" Issei's eyes suddenly widened, seemingly having realized something. He then remembered of something a long time ago, when he had been trying to increase his comprehension regarding the Concept of Lightning, which was the Dao of Lightning. By observing thunderstorms, he had been able to upgrade his Lightning Incarnation Mode.

He was covered in flames, fighting flame golems… everything around him was made purely of fire… Wasn't this the perfect chance to begin his path on the Dao of Fire?! Issei's breathing grew ragged, and an excited light shone in his eyes.

This idea was insane… stupid even… but… It could work!

Without hesitation, Issei sat down on the ground, crossed his legs and opened his eyes wide, completely ignoring that he was in the middle of a trial and being chased around by golems. He didn't believe that he would find such an amazing fire-related landscape in the future… he couldn't afford not to use this opportunity!

It was time to comprehend the Concept of Fire!

* * *

From afar, the two blazing eyes of the Phoenix Spirit observed as Issei suddenly sat down in the middle of the trial. Confusion flashed in the two flame-like eyes, along with surprise.

"What's this kid doing…?" murmured the Phoenix Spirit, puzzled. There had already been over forty people that had participated in the Phoenix Trials, but a situation such as this had never happened before. Why did this kid suddenly sit down?

All of a sudden, the flame eyes widened, the Phoenix Spirit having realized something. The fire around Issei was slowly converging towards him… slowly, a cyclone formed, and they begun to envelop his body.

"This… this insane kid! He's actually trying to comprehend a Dao?!" The Phoenix Spirit cried out in shock. It had the memories of the original Phoenix, so how could it not understand what was happening?! It was more than clear that Issei was actually trying to make use of the trials to begin his path on the Dao of Fire!

After realizing that, the Phoenix Spirit thought for a bit before ordering the flame golems to not disturb the contestant. Even though this wasn't exactly allowed, the Phoenix Spirit couldn't help it. After all, it had already noticed that this new contestant was special.

"He has the legacy of the Evil God… and even the Fire Seed… Who would have thought that someone with that disturbing power would actually surface in this continent?" The Phoenix Spirit sighed, a complex light within its eyes.

The Phoenix and the Evil God were of the same time period, and they were actually old acquaintances. Because of that, as the a sliver of the consciousness of the Phoenix, it noticed the Evil God's legacy within Issei the moment he entered the trial.

As such, it purposely increased the difficulty of it. After all, if he were to go through the normal trials, the Fire Seed of the Evil God would simply allow him to breeze through everything. Despite that, the Phoenix Spirit had never expected that not only did the kid have the legacy of the Evil God, he was just as crazy as the god too!

The Phoenix Spirit that believed that in this situation, the number of people who would actually dare to try out an idea as insane as this were only two. This contestant and the Evil God himself. Since it had the memories of the original Phoenix, it was clear about what the Evil God had done back in his prime.

"Just what kind of little monster did I bring into the trials…?" said the Phoenix with a sigh, realizing that things wouldn't go as expected. Issei's current act alone was enough for it to have an understanding of his personality. Insane, crazy and spontaneous didn't even begin to describe it.

* * *

Issei, who had entered an ethereal state of cultivation, failed to realize that the golems had distanced themselves from him. Even though his eyes were opened, he no longer saw anything, and in his mind was only a river of flames.

His current state was similar to the ethereal state he had entered years ago, when he had been healing Xia Qingyue and deepened his understandings regarding the Dao of Vibrations. It was a state in which his mind was in an ethereal state, considered as Martial Intent, which helped him to comprehend the essence of fire.

The flames around Issei were slowly rippling and distorting, converging around his being. They didn't enter him, and instead, enveloped him. Before long, a flame-lotus started to form around him. Each petal was of a blazing scarlet color, and in the very middle sat the cross-legged Issei.

His dark-brown hair whipped around him, even though there was no wind, mingling with his rippling robes. At the moment, if one looked deep within his eyes, they would be able to see a river of flames, with a thunderstorm on top of it.

"Fire… is different from lightning," Issei was in a trance as he murmured various words, consolidating his knowledge. "Whereas lightning is direct, straight and unmovable, fire… is malleable, adaptable to all circumstances. The damage.. of lightning is direct… instantaneous, while fire… is accumulative. The longer it stays, the more dangerous it becomes…

"Both are elements, and yet… they are so different…."

All of a sudden, Issei's eyes closed tightly, the flames around him almost dying down. He stayed in that state for dozens of minutes, until it seemed as if he had emerged from his transcendental state. His eyes slowly opened, and within them, was a deep and fiery light.

He had acquired insights… on the Dao of Fire!

"The Dao of Fire…," murmured Issei softly as he raised up his left hand, his gaze profound. Suddenly, on top of his index finger, a small flame ignited. In spite of its size, it actually contained a deep and terrifying energy. "How interesting…."

Issei suddenly stood up from the ground and dusted himself off, the deep and endless fire around him unable to even damage his clothes. From the very start, because of the Fire Seed of the Evil God, he had already been able to manipulate fire at will, and was also completely resistant to fire. Despite that, he didn't have any comprehending on the element of fire, and as such, his power was rather limited.

Now that he had begun to tread the path of the Dao of Fire, the difference in power compared to before were more than obvious. That little flame he had used before was countless times more powerful than what he could bring out before, and he had also gained insight on another way he could use the Fire Seed. Instead of simply blocking the fire, he could… absorb it.

However, in order to reach that level, he required an even deeper understanding on the Dao of Fire. Assimilating the fire energy from outside into his own body wasn't the power of the Fire Seed, and would be something he would have to create himself. All he had right now was an idea of what he should do, but no consistent abilities.

"For now, I should pass the first trial," Issei looked at the area around him and sighed. He had already gained all enlightenment possible on the floor. He could only hope that the next one would give him an equally good environment from deepening his comprehending on fire. "After that, I can begin working on this new idea…."

After saying so, Issei clenched his hands lightly, and a sword made out of fire appeared on his hands. He decided that he wouldn't use his Divine Weapons in the Phoenix Trials. Even though, in normal circumstances, the Phoenix Trial would be the hardships someone would have to go through in order to get the reward, which was the legacy of the Phoenix, in Issei's eyes, the trial itself was already an opportunity to strengthen himself.

If he managed to pass through the trials without the aid of his Divine Weapons, then even if didn't get the legacy of the Phoenix by the end, he would still be grateful. After all, with the trials, he would be able to temper his mind, soul and body. In other words, it was full of opportunities for him!

With those thoughts in mind, Issei walked out of the rivers of flames and locked his eyes on one of the fire golems. It was one of the weakest ones, and its weapon was a colossal sword. Issei had already decided that this golem would be his first prey.

It was time to see just how much he progressed in the Dao of Fire!

* * *

"This kid… so troublesome…."

Up in the skies, above the scarlet clouds, the colossal eyes of the Phoenix Spirit closed and shook to the sides. Even though it couldn't read Issei's thoughts, it already had a faint idea of what he was planning. After all, his bearing and the look in his eyes betrayed his real intentions.

Somehow, the almighty Trial of the Phoenix had actually become his training ground. The Phoenix Spirit believed that if the original Phoenix heard of it, it would probably cough up a mouthful of Divine Blood. Although it was unintentional, the act of treating the trials as a training ground was simply the same as smacking the Phoenix's face over and over again.

"Still… I have to admit that this kid is truly interesting. It's obvious that he only set foot in the Dao of Fire after this moment of comprehension, but his control is already of a person much more experienced… This child is truly interesting… Much more than all the previous contestants. Now, I'm interested as to what will happen on the third trial. Will he be able to overcome his desires or… fail like most of the previous ones?"

The eyes then narrowed, and seemed to be deep in thought. After a while, a sigh rang out. "Well, considering all that he has shown so far… then… he will most likely fail. I guess that I will have to wait and see… well, if he can actually reach the third trial, that is."

After saying so, the Phoenix Spirit didn't add anything to its observations and quietly watched as Issei challenged the golems. It had to admit… even if he didn't pass the final trials, in terms of potential and talent, he was much above all of the previous challengers.

 **Read & Review~!**

 **A/N: My Beta will be away for a week... would someone like to beta-read the chapters for me for the next seven days or so? There's obviously something in if you decide to help out. What is it? Well, let's just say... that I have some chapters that I haven't uploaded yet... If you want more info on the benefits, PM me.**

 **What I'm looking for: Someone who knows English would be good... No, seriously, if you're the type to see many mistakes in the story and feel like correcting them or gouging my eyes out, or sees sentences that could be written in a better way... Then, please apply! Again, there are benefits!**


	44. Insane

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 44 - Insane**

* * *

Fifteen matches.

That was the amount of matches that Cang Yue had lost.

Fifteen matches.

That was the amount of matches that were played in total.

It had already been a few hours since Cang Yue and Xiao Luocheng had begun playing the special board game, and throughout the entire time, Cang Yue hadn't been able to achieve even one victory. By this point, even she, a princess, was beginning to lose her patience.

"This game is impossible!" Cang Yue cried out in dissatisfaction, having lost one more. This was the sixteenth match already.

"Hehe, don't be like that! You have improved a lot!" said Xiao Luocheng with a sly smile, taking his consciousness back from the board. "In the beginning, you couldn't even harm a single of my troops, but look at you now! You almost won!"

"Almost won? Don't flatter me," Cang Yue sighed. She knew better than anyone what had happened. This entire time, Xiao Luocheng had been going easy on her, and even with that, she still lost miserably every single damn time. There was no need to talk about talent, she simply _sucked_ at being a commander.

"I'm serious!" Xiao Luocheng adopted an earnest expression as he insisted. "Your progress is even higher than mine back when I started. You may not know, but I have played this game every day since I was seven! If you managed to won against me in a single day, then I would have to find a hole to stick my head inside in shame…."

While saying so, Xiao Luocheng kept smiling. Occasionally, he would steal a glance in the direction of the portal, wondering how Issei was doing in the trials. Clan Leader Feng had already said that it could last a few days, so there wasn't reason to be worried. Still, Issei was his best friend, and he couldn't help but to be anxious.

"Worried?" asked Cang Yue all of a sudden, a soft expression on her face, completely forgetting about her previous loses. As a princess, she was used to quick changes in mood and atmosphere. She then sighed and said, "I wouldn't be if I were you. Junior Brother Issei… I don't think there's anything that he can't do."

"I know, but…," Xiao Luocheng shook his head, complex emotions in his mind. He clearly remembered how Clan Leader Feng had warned them that it was possible to lose one's life within the trials if not careful.

Cang Yue smiled softly, seeing Xiao Luocheng's concern. Although she didn't have a good impression of him in the beginning, she was beginning to think that maybe, he wasn't that bad. She decided to try to cheer him up, "Let's play it again… This time, I'm sure I'll win!"

"Mn?" Xiao Luocheng's eyes suddenly shone at his favorite game being mentioned. He quickly pushed his previous thoughts to the back of his head and said excitedly, "Alright! Let's go!"

With that, they once more began playing.

* * *

"Come on!"

An insane light flashed in Issei's eyes as he slashed again and again at the flame golem. His face was one of intoxication as grinned savagely, hacking and slashing. In each of his hands, a sword made out of flames could be barely made out as they moved back and forth with viciousness.

Issei's appearance was no longer cold and dignified like before. His clothes were torn, and only the lower part of his robes remained, the higher part being torn to tatters, revealing his chiseled upper body. Countless wounds marred his torso, all of them recent, but the crazed youth paid it no mind. He was just too engrossed in his slaughter.

With each slash that Issei sent, his connection to the fire around him would grow stronger and fiercer. It seemed that his understandings regarding fire had changed his personality. In that moment of enlightenment, he had gained the fierce, unpredictable and crazed characteristics belonging to the fire element!

Although this wouldn't last for long, it was much more than enough to cause the normally emotionless golem to reveal despair. It had never seen such a vicious, crazed cultivator in the thousands of year since it had been born! Not only that, his opponent seemed to be getting stronger by each passing second! What kind of devilish, cruel and evil power was that?!

The body of the golem, which had once been like an impenetrable fortress, could only be considered as sorry at this moment. One of its arms had already been torn, and he was missing various chunks of its torso, head and limbs.

"Almost there…," Issei laughed manically, keeping his unceasing barrage of vicious attacks. The fire around him constantly rippled, and the swords in his hands, that had originally been about the size of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were almost greatswords at this point. Saying that he was basically dual-wielding greatswords wouldn't be far off!

A few minutes later, the lifeless body of the golem fell to the ground. With his last strike, Issei had manage to pierce through its core, and thus ending its life. Even though the battle had lasted for a long time, and he should have been exhausted, Issei had more energy than ever.

"Alright, now to the next one!" Issei brandished his swords, and without stopping to rest, locked his gaze on the nearest golem. A wicked light shone in his eyes, and just as he was about to jump forward, he suddenly stopped, his eyes widened.

Issei's head quickly moved back to the golem he had killed before, and much to his surprise, the corpse had started to evaporate, becoming particles in the air that flew towards his body, passing through his skin and merging with his bones and flesh!

With utter astonishment, Issei discovered that the hardness and durability of his bones and flesh were increasing by the second! His muscles were becoming more flexible and resistant, while his bones were turning denser and many times harder!

"This…," Issei's expression, that was initially of surprise, was now one of pure joy and bliss! He quickly sat down near the corpse, and waited for all of the golem's body to dissolve and merge with his own. By the end, his flesh and bones were completely different than before. His body, that had already been strong, was stronger by at least two or three times!

Not only that, his bones, that had been of a pure white color before, were starting to adopt a red sheen!

After a while, Issei got up from the ground, and his expression, that was already one of excitement and craziness, was even more exaggerated. "If my theory is correct, then every time that I kill a golem, I will absorb it!"

Issei's gaze quickly swept over his surroundings, and he could count at least a few dozens of such golems. His expression grew even more excited, and his body started to tremble in anticipation.

"By the end of this all… Just how strong will I become?!"

Without hesitation, Issei grinned savagely and jumped towards the nearest golem, beginning his barrage of attacks on his new, poor prey without an ounce of hesitation. His attacks were even more savage and vicious than before, the fire energy around him becoming even more erratic, resonating with his temporarily crazy personality.

* * *

A strange light shone in the two gigantic flame-like eyes. At this moment, the Phoenix Spirit was extremely surprised. More than it had even been in the hundreds of thousands years since it had been created.

"This kid… I originally believed that he was talented with the element of fire, but this is simply ridiculous! Truly preposterous!" exclaimed the Phoenix Spirit in astonishment. "In less than a few hours, he has already reached the stage of resonating with the fire element! No human should ever be able of such a feat! At the very least, it should take a few hundred years for that, but in a few hours?!"

The state that Issei had achieved, which was to resonate with the element so strongly that even his personality would be affected, was a stage that many experts longed to reach, but never could. In this state, one's soul is directly fused with the element, and it starts to influence one's very essence! Above this, there's only the legendary state of becoming one with the element. However, in the entire Middle Realm, this had only been achieved by at most a handful of people.

"So young, and yet so talented…," murmured the Phoenix Spirit while its eyes trembled lightly. "I wonder… just how high is his grade of fire origin energy fusion compatibility? To reach this state so fast… could he be even above the superior seventh-grade?!"

All cultivators had a particular grade when it came to how much they could fuse with an element. Normally, Cultivators would have a first-grade fusion compatibility with all of the fives elements, Fire, Earth, Metal, Wood and Water, but there were exceptions.

Slightly above then average cultivators had second-grade fusion compatibility, while one would already be considered blessed if it was third-grade and above. Fourth-grade was already genius, and fifth-grade was more than rare. Sixth grade was even more amazing, and seventh grade was stuff from the legends. As for eighth-grade, it was something that was rare even in the vast universe of the Middle Realm!

At this moment, The Phoenix Spirit believed that Issei must, at the very least, have a superior seventh-grade fire origin fusion compatibility, if not even higher! Each grade was divided in inferior, medium and superior. In the initial grades, the difference between being inferior and superior grade wasn't much, but on the higher levels, such as the seventh, it was completely different. Someone with an inferior seventh-grade fusion compatibility with an element was thousands of times less talented than someone of superior seventh-grade fusion compatibility.

This grades also directly influenced one's talent regarding Daos. If someone had a low-grade fusion compatibility with an element, the path they would tread when trying to gain its Dao would be thousands times more difficult and complex than someone of a higher grade. It was also because of that the Phoenix Spirit believed that Issei had an extremely high grade fusion compatibility with fire.

"Such a rare talent…," praised the Phoenix Spirit after closer observation. "Not only is his fusion compatibility with fire extremely rare, he also seems to have a high grade fusion compatibility with thunder! At the very least, it should be a superior fifth-grade thunder origin energy fusion compatibility!"

With the Phoenix Spirit keen and trained eyes, how could it not notice Issei's talent with the thunder element? Although Issei hadn't used it so far, the occasional lightning bolts within his body were clearly noticed by the Phoenix Spirit.

Not only that, the Phoenix Spirit also knew that the seeds of the Evil God couldn't increase one's fusion compatibility. It could only make someone immune to the element and more adept at controlling it, but wasn't capable of changing one's innate talents. It clearly remembered that the Evil God had already mentioned the seeds to it millions of years ago, and explained how they worked. As such, this clearly meant that Issei's talent was something innate!

What the Seeds of the Evil God could do was to change one's body nature and essence. It could make the body impervious to the element it represented, and consequently change the nature of one's spiritual power to the element. Despite that, the latter was only a consequence of the former, since the main objective was only to make one immune. Because of that, even though one would be more familiar at controlling the element, given that it was only a side-effect, its effects were very limited. At the very most, this familiarity could be considered close to what someone with a medium fourth-grade fusion compatibility would have.

With all of those factors added together, it was clear to the Phoenix Spirit that even if Issei didn't have the Fire Seed of the Evil God, he would still be able to pass through the trials with little effort simply because of his seemingly high fire origin energy compatibility fusion grade. In its eyes, Issei's talent… was something it had never seen before.

It was afraid that if the original Phoenix had been the one to watch over this trial, then even if Issei's personality wasn't really as dignified and kind as it, and closer to the one of the Evil God, it would still have taken him as its disciple.

After a while, the Phoenix Spirit sighed, "Now, I really want to see just how far he will be able to go… Maybe, if he can't pass the third trial, then I still can… use _that."_

The Phoenix Spirit then shook its head, "Let's just watch for now. I'm afraid that I won't ever be able to watch the rise of such a genius again until I fade away… I should take this opportunity and watch this spectacle."

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	45. Three-way Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 44 - Three-way Battle**

* * *

Fire golem after fire golem fell under Issei's attacks.

With each golem he killed, his strength would progress by leaps and bounds. Just as he had imagined, every time he killed one of them, their power would fuse with his body. Initially, he would take a few dozen minute to handle a single one of them, but after the twentieth, his killing speed increased exponentially.

From the dozens of golems, only five or so remained. The remaining fire golems were running away with all their might, while Issei chased after them with an insane expression. Before, Issei had been the one being chased around, but now, it was the complete opposite. Every single remaining golem was already thoroughly terrified of the crazed youth.

"Damn! Don't run!" cursed Issei as he ran after one of the golems, this one with a spear for weapon. Surprisingly, those golems that seemed like slow fortresses were extremely nimble, and could run at an astonishing speed when frightened.

After a couple of minutes, Issei managed to catch up and within seconds, the spear-wielding golem fell to the ground, its large body disintegrating and becoming nourishment for Issei's own body. As the tiny particles pass through his skin, Issei felt an intoxicating feeling spread all over his being.

All of his bones were already of a deep scarlet color, and even his muscles were much redder than before. Even though he gained no boost in spiritual power, his strength increased by leaps and bounds. By this point, Issei's fleshly body was already akin to a treasure. His bones were hard enough to forge weapons, while his muscles could be considered as an extremely resistant yet adaptable material.

"It's a pity that there are only four remaining…," Issei sighed as he watched the four remaining golems that ran around in fear. "If only there were more… a few dozen thousand… then it would be perfect!"

Issei then shook his head, "It's as they say, beggars can't be choosers…."

After saying so, he leaped from his spot and rushed towards the four golems. Before long, all four of their bodies disappeared. Only a topless, fifteen years old youth with an insane and wretched expression remained in the vast and boundless landscape of fire.

Soon after…

"The first trial has been completed. We shall now begin onto the second trial."

The clear voice of the Phoenix Spirit rang in Issei's surroundings, and in the next moment, his vision turned blurred, his mind dizzy. His surroundings warped away, and before he knew it, he was in a completely different place.

Issei looked around, and discovered that he was in what seemed to be an ancient battlefield. Corpses littered the ground, and everything was tainted red with blood. The sky was of a deep scarlet color, and the bright moon hung in the sky, illuminating the vast and bloody remains of a battle with its silver sheen.

"A battlefield?" murmured Issei, slightly shocked. The desire for battle burned in his heart, but no matter how much he searched, he couldn't seem to find anyone. What made him even more helpless was that this landscape had no relation to fire whatsoever. Just like that, his dream of acquiring deeper comprehending regarding the Dao of Fire in the second trial were carried away with the wind.

With a loud sigh, Issei could only shake his head and search some more. Slowly, his state of resonation with the fire element dispersed, his personality returning to normal. However, deep within his soul, traces of that crazed and insane personality remained, just waiting to resurface.

A few hours later, Issei sat down in the middle of the ground, his expression thoughtful. He had already searched all around him, but found nothing. He also tried to scalp the belongings of the corpses, but no matter how much he tried, they were stuck to the corpses. In the end, he hadn't found anything to do.

"What to do, what to do…," murmured Issei, finding his current predicament quite miserable. He was stuck in the middle of a colossal battlefield with nothing to do! Just what kind of trial was this? A test of patience?!

All of a sudden, Issei's eyes widened, having remembered something. His fingers flashed, and on his hands, a small compass appeared. This was his Burning Heaven World Spiritist Compass, which he had acquired all those years ago from that insane beggar.

With all that had been happening around him, he had slowly forgotten about it, but in this hopeless situation, it appeared like a blazing star, illuminating his way. With this, he was sure that he would be able to find out just what he was supposed to do in this helpless situation.

Issei quickly channeled his Spirit Power into the Burning Heaven World Spiritist Compass, activating it. Soon after, the arrow in it pointed towards a certain direction.

"North?"

He focused his gaze on the direction selected, but couldn't really see anything different about it. Issei glanced back at the World Spiritist Compass once more and sighed.

"Since I don't have a better clue, then I might as well follow along," murmured Issei plainly, getting up from the ground. With that, he begun to travel towards the north. He had nothing to lose, after all.

* * *

"Mn?!"

Issei's eyes widened, a large army appearing in front of him. He had been following the World Spiritist Compass directions for a few minutes, and all of a sudden, a huge army appeared in front of him. Far off on the other side was another colossal army.

The army closest to Issei wore scarlet armor, and held equally scarlet swords, sabers and spears in their hands. Representing their group was a large flag, with a flaming bird in the middle of it, with its head extended towards the sky and its wings spread majestically. As for the army on the other side, they were completely different.

They wore golden armor, with black markings. Their weapons were completely back, and their flag was one of a gigantic golden crown with three legs, a proud and dignified expression on its face, with its beak held high.

"Flaming bird? A crow with three legs?" Issei's eyes widened, his body stopping all movements. Enlightenment flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "Isn't that the Phoenix and the Three-legged Golden Crow of the legends?"

Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. His eyes widened even further, and he realized what was happening, "Wait… if I remember correctly, the legends say that the Phoenix, the Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird are in a war to determine which ones is more powerful… could this army represent this war?"

Issei suddenly stopped. "Wait… if that's the case, then… where is the Vermillion Bird?"

Just at that moment, the deep and rumbling sounds of war drums filled the air. A cloud of dust rouse up far off in the distance, the ground trembling. Above that cloud, the grand banner of a colossal, red bird with wisps of flame all over its body could be seen.

The two other armies, seeing the approach of the third one, quickly turned wary, and what seemed to be their commanders started shouting out orders to the subordinates.

"Vermillion Bird, Golden Crow and Phoenix… three armies facing against each other… this is most probably a simulation of a battle that happened thousands of years ago!" exclaimed Issei in astonishment, taking a step back.

His mind reeled, and disbelief flashed in his eyes. This was simply something that he never imaged that would happen. Out of all things that could be the second trial, he definitely didn't expect something as grand as this!

Soon after, the three sides collided. The sounds of shouts filed the area, and the weapons of the three factions clashed against one another. In this three-way battlefield, everything was chaotic. Soldiers died left and right, and it was uncertain which side was winning.

At times, it seemed that the Golden Crow's soldiers were about to win, but just at that moment, the fallen soldiers of the Phoenix would ignite, crumble to dust and re-emerge, fighting again. They were simply immortal, being reborn again and again from scarlet flames.

At the same time, the Vermillion Bird's army also had a few tricks up its sleeves. It was the side with the smallest amount of casualties, since every time a soldier was wounded, a bright-red flame would shine from their wounds, immediately healing them!

As for the Golden Crow soldiers, they had the highest attacking power. With the swings of their swords, golden flames would fill the surroundings, billowing up into the skies and devouring everything in their path like a bunch of crazed beasts.

It was obvious that each of the soldiers had the bloodline of the beasts they represented, and they employed their powers at every chance they had. The battlefield was filled with swirling and blazing golden, deep red and scarlet flames! Each of those flames with a power of their own.

The three-colored battlefield filled the entire landscape. This scene, although deadly and bloody, was incomparably beautiful, like an ethereal and perfect painting. It had a majestic and grand air to it… it was simply unfathomably beautiful and deadly!

Not too far away from the raging battlefield, a single and lone youth sat on the ground cross-legged, completely unaffected by his chaotic surroundings. His pair of dark-brown eyes were locked onto the battle in front of him, his gaze profound and pure.

"I thought that I wouldn't be able to gain enlightenment on the second trial, but…," murmured Issei softly, his eyes looking at the battlefield field unblinkingly. "This trial… is much better than the first. Three kinds of flames, each one with a power of their own. The Golden flames of destruction, the Scarlet flames of rebirth and the Deep Red flames of healing…."

Without noticing, Issei slowly entered the state of Martial Intent once more, all of his mind focused onto the ancient battlefield. Although he didn't know what was his purpose on this floor, he wasn't about to let this opportunity go.

At the same time, within his mind, his comprehensions regarding the Dao of Fire increased by leaps and bounds. If his insights of before could be considered to a seed that had just been planted in the wet soil, by observing this battle, the seed had started to germinate, and a sprout had already been birthed. The new plant grew with unprecedented speed, quickly maturing. Before long, it was already a proud and mighty tree.

Countless thoughts, ideas, comprehensions and insights flashed in Issei's mind each second, all of them serving to consolidate his knowledge regarding the Dao of Fire. If Issei's progress in the first trial could be considered monstrous, then his current gains were already inconceivable. It was simply heaven-defying!

* * *

The Phoenix Spirit's eyes were glued into Issei's body, closely observing all of the changes happening within him. It had been surprised at first, amazed soon after, and petrified by the end. It had believed that Issei's fusion compatibility with fire was superior seventh-grade because of his progress in the first floor, but seeing what was happening now, it realized that he had underestimated him.

Superior seventh-grade fire origin fusion compatibility? In what world would what Issei was showing right now be such a thing? At the very list, his progress was superior eighth-grade, if not the fabled ninth-grade!

If the Phoenix Spirit had been amazed and surprised at Issei's talent at first, by this point, it was terrified. Since it had the memories of the Phoenix, it knew of many geniuses of all over the universe with unprecedented talent for fire, but in terms of progress, not even one of them could compare to Issei!

And, most surprising of all was the fact that such a monstrous, terrifying genius had actually appeared in such a lowly country of a lowly planet! If it had been of a greater planet, such as the Nine Saints Star, or the Thousand Daos Land, it could bring itself to believe it, but it was actually in the Blue Pole Star, which was also known as Planet South Heaven.

This was simply absurd! Ridiculous! Preposterous!

The Phoenix Spirit couldn't bring itself to believe its own two eyes.

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	46. Strange Events

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 46 - Strange Events**

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 **(Second chapter of the day, by the way.)**

Issei's state of enlightenment lasted for a few hours. During this period of time, his comprehending regarding the Dao of Fire soared to new heights, and he consolidated all of his knowledge and base,

Soon after snapping out of his trance, Issei murmured, his gaze unfocused, "It's over…? Already…?"

He then shook his head while sighing, "Enlightenment is ephemeral, and shouldn't last for long. The fact that it lasted for a few hours is already amazing… Also, the progress I have made seems to be unbelievable… I'm not in any position to complain..."

All of a sudden, the thought that he was in the middle of a trial appeared in his head. Remembering that, Issei focused his eyes on the battlefield once more, a slightly puzzled expression on his features, "Now that I think about it, what should I do in this trial? I can't think of anything that I could do to pass…."

Nothing came to mind even after racking his mind for a long time. Since he reached no results, he decided to simply observe the battle and pay more attention to the situation. That way, he could probably come to a conclusion about what should be done.

After some time, in which he spent with his eyes locked onto the battlefield, Issei realized a few things about the situation. Because of the ability to resurrect, it would seem that they would win the battle in the end, but that wasn't the case. Although it was unnoticeable in the beginning, it became clearer with the passage of time. Every time a Phoenix Soldier died, it would take a longer time to resurrect again.

Many of the Phoenix Soldiers had already died more than a few dozen times, and compared to the instantaneous resurrection from before, it would take a few minutes, if not hours, for they to rise off the ground again. Issei even theorized that after dying a few more times, they would lose their resurrection ability.

However, the Phoenix Soldiers weren't the only ones that were weakening. The deep-red flames that would appear every time a Vermilion Bird Soldier was harmed were losing their color little by little, while the wounds took longer times to heal. As for the Golden Crow Soldiers, their once deadly golden flames were of a much lighter color than before, and much less deadly.

Every single soldiers seemed to be weakening, but it was clear that the Phoenix Soldiers were the one in the disadvantage. If Issei's theory was correct, before long, they would lose their special powers, thereupon being swallowed by the weakened golden flames. This was the most probably outcome.

And, it was in the moment that Issei noticed that, that he realized what should be done. Since this Trial was made by the Phoenix, and its side was losing… then wouldn't that mean that Issei's role would be to lead it to victory?!

The moment those thoughts came to his mind, they started growing bigger and bigger, until he couldn't ignore them any longer. He started to firmly believe that that thought was the right way to go. He didn't know where his confidence had come from, but he didn't care. He had decided… he would help out the Phoenix Soldiers!

A small smile appeared on Issei's handsome features as he rose up from the ground. He then casually dusted off his clothes before looking at his own robes. They were of a slightly black color, and were completely different than the armor worn by the Phoenix Soldiers, which were of a scarlet color.

After thinking for a few moments, he waved his hands, taking out a scarlet robe from the inner world of the Sky Poison Peal. The Xiao Sect had been quite polite, giving him robes of all colors so he could freely chose.

Once he donned those robes, his mind wandered to his weapons. In the previous trial, he had decided that he wouldn't make use of any ability, power or weapon that weren't related to fire in order to consolidate his understandings, but he was beginning to question that decision. After all, it would be much easier to use Heaven's Piercer to deal with the enemy soldiers.

Issei then shook his head and smiled darkly, "If it was too easy, where would the fun in that be…? I have already decided to only use fire, so I will keep like that!"

As he said so, he flicked his hands, and two large flaming swords appeared on them. His eyes suddenly shone with an eerie light, and the corner of his lips curled upwards in a vicious smile. Within him, the cruel, vicious and insane personality that he had acquired resurfaced. At the same time, Issei's cold and calculating personality didn't fade away like before, and the two contradicting aspects merged together, resulting in something that could only be described as terrifyingly deadly.

Without a single word, Issei's body flashed, leaving behind a trail of flames. Not even a moment later, his body suddenly appeared above the ranks of the Golden Crow Soldiers, his two huge swords slashing downwards.

 _Bang!_

A tremor rang in the entire battlefield, the ground shaking. Everyone looked with surprise at the mysterious person who had suddenly appeared. Before anyone could even realize what was happening, Issei began his slaughter.

 _Slash! Hack! Slash!_

Issei's two swords seemed to dance around him, sometimes phasing through enemies, while others transforming into colossal fire snakes. Blood rained down around the Golden Crow Disciples, and if one looked within their helms, they would see terrified expression, completely shaken by the terrifying mad-man.

It was only after a few moments that the Golden Crow Soldiers snapped out of their daze, thereupon trying to get rid of the slaughtering mad-man. Just at that time, the Phoenix Soldiers and Vermilion Bird Soldiers struck again, taking advantage of the distracted Golden Crow Soldiers.

Blood filled the air, tainted the ground and shrouded the skies, mingling with the flames that surrounded them. Everyone fought fiercely against each-other, some even going as far as to self-destruct in their last moments, taking many enemies soldiers along with them.

In the middle of it all, Issei didn't seem to care about the people who relentlessly attacked him. His movements hadn't stopped ever since he appeared, and contrary to the expectations of most, instead of being hindered by the swarm of Golden Crow Soldiers that headed towards him, his killing-rate soared to new heights. The Golden Crow Soldiers actions were no different of moths rushing to their deaths. After all, no flames were able to harm him because of the Fire Seed. Not only that, the spiritual power behind their attacks was too miniscule to harm him.

The flames of the Golden Crow Soldiers, which could normally cause peerless experts to tremble in fear, in front of Issei, were simply harmless.

"Just who is that?!" was the thoughts that filled the minds of all the soldiers, including the Phoenix Soldiers and the Vermilion Bird Soldiers. While the Golden Crow Soldiers were trembling in rage, cursing Issei until they no longer could, the Vermilion Bird Soldiers and Phoenix Soldiers were celebrating within their hearts. It was obvious that with the appearance of this stranger, the Golden Crow Soldiers would be no more.

Issei didn't fail to meet their expectations. Before long, the last Golden Crow Soldier had died. Once that happened, an eerie silence filled the entire battlefield, everyone stopping whatever they were doing. Only their rushed heart-beats could be heard, like the drums of war.

The Vermilion Bird Soldiers and the Phoenix Soldiers were anxiously looking at Issei, wondering what his next move would be. They didn't understand where he had come from, or even how he had arrived in the battle. As such, they didn't know what his aims were. At the same time, some of the more perceptive Phoenix Soldiers noticed that the color of Issei's robes were the same as theirs, shock flashing through their faces.

Could it be…

Before the Phoenix Soldiers could even complete their train of thought, a smile appeared on Issei's face. It was nothing short of vicious, and there were traces of insanity in it. The moment the various soldiers caught sight of it, they felt their scalps grown numb. The deep and dense killing intent behind it was something that thoroughly shook them.

Without a single word, Issei slowly turned his body towards the Vermilion Bird Soldiers, whose bodies were stuck in place, as if rooted to the ground. They were simply petrified; completely terrified by Issei's pure and utter viciousness, that seemed to know no bounds.

How was this a human? Even a demon couldn't compare to someone like that…

In their eyes, Issei had already become an evil existence, above even the Primeval Devils that tormented the world.

Just as that moment, Issei's lips parted, and he spoke softly. Despite that, his words were like thunder in the ears of the Vermilion Bird Soldiers.

"You're… next..."

Shock. Fear. Confusion. Terror.

Those two words set forth a wave of emotions in the hearts of the Vermilion Bird Soldiers, their minds reeling as they recalled the massacre of the Golden Crow Soldiers. They didn't doubt that with this demonic youth's power, they would soon perish.

 _Clank!_

It was unknown who had been the first one, but in a single moment, all of the Vermilion Bird Soldiers knelt on the ground, their expressions fearful as their metallic armor heavily crashed against the ground. Without hesitation, they all bowed towards Issei.

Even if it meant parting with their dignity, if it was for the sake of their little lives, they were completely willing to. Which one of them was not a peerless genius, blessed by the Heavens? Although they worshiped the Vermilion Bird, and would even give their lives for their God so they could achieve victory, it was a completely different case in a situation such as this. In their eyes, Issei had already been marked as an unbeatable existence. Not even the terrifying flames of the Golden Crow Soldiers had been able to harm him, so how could their flames, which were focused on healing, defeat him?

If they couldn't win either way, then they might as well keep their lives.

"..." Issei stared blankly at the kneeling soldiers, not knowing what to do. Out of reflex, he glanced at the Phoenix Soldiers, who upon seeing the actions of the Vermilion Bird Soldiers, also fell to the ground and bowed. Even though some of them felt that Issei was on their side, they weren't certain of it. As such, they would rather be respectful and keep their lives.

"Well… this is awkward…," thought Issei, a strange expression on his face, which went by unnoticed by the bowing soldiers. They were too afraid to even look at his feet, never mind to look at his face.

Issei, upon seeing the situation in front of him, was rather helpless. He hadn't imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that this would actually be the result of his actions. He had thought that he would simply slaughter his enemies and be done with it, but somehow, the situation had become exceedingly strange and complicated.

 _Why did you all bow down, dammit?! What should I f**king do now?!  
_

He glanced up that skies, waiting for an announcement, but nothing came. His eyes then focused on the bowing soldiers, who hadn't moved at all from their killing positions. Even if they had too stay like that for months, if it was for their lives, they would gladly do it.

At the same tine, they anxiously awaited for Issei's words.

"Damn…," thought Issei, shaking his head. He then took in a deep breath, and decided to play along with the situation. Maybe if he caused the Vermilion Bird Soldiers to submit to the Phoenix Soldiers, the trial would end or something…

"All of you," began Issei, trying his best in using a commanding-sounding voice. "Rise up from the ground."

Issei's tone was calm but ruthless. It contained a hidden darkness, along with dense and killing intent. He had purposely made his voice this way in order to consolidate his terrifying position in the soldier's hearts.

The effects were even better than he had expected. Instantly, all of the soldiers rose up from the ground, their expression solemn, looking at him anxiously.

Issei then looked at the Vermilion Bird Soldiers and said, "The war is done. I want all of you to submit to the Phoenix Soldiers."

Shock flashed through the faces of the Phoenix Soldiers, whereas the Vermilion Bird Soldiers revealed grim and pained expression. Despite that, they didn't hesitate to move over to the Phoenix Soldiers.

Surprisingly, the moment they walked over to the Phoenix Soldiers groups, their deep-red armor turned into a scarlet color, and the large flag of the Vermilion Bird transformed into the one of the Phoenix.

"Mn?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, but he paid it no more. Thousands of amazing things had already happened ever since he began the Phoenix Trials. This wasn't anything too surprising. He then regained his cold and ruthless expression and continued, "With that, the war is done. Now, I want all of you to..."

Issei suddenly stopped, his eyes widening as he realized that he had nothing. For all he knew, all of those soldiers were only illusions, projections made by the Phoenix Spirit, which was also why he didn't hesitate to slaughter the Golden Crow Soldiers. As such, he couldn't order them to go back home, since they most likely didn't have anything like that. He then glanced at the skies, hoping for an announcement or something, telling him that he passed the trial, but nothing came.

The soldiers, not knowing what was happening, looking at Issei in expectation, eager to hear his next words. Deep down, they also wondered why he had suddenly stopped his speech.

"I want all of you to…," Issei started again, but he had yet to think of anything. All of a sudden, an idea appeared in his mind. He quickly continued, "Head back to your headquarters. Lead the way there."

After hearing his words, one of the Phoenix Soldiers took a step forward, taking of his helm, revealing a handsome face underneath. He seemed to be in his mid to late twenties, and had a high nose, sword-like brows, a straight face, deep eyes and narrow lips. Between his brows was a blazing scarlet flame-like imprint.

"I am Feng Shu, the General of the Phoenix Army," the man introduced himself with a bow. "Respect Senior, may I know your almighty name?"

"You may call me Issei."

Feng Shu nodded, "Then, Senior Issei, I can lead us back to the Phoenix City. Would that be fine with Exalted Senior?"

"Yes," Issei nodded, looking at Feng Shu strangely. He seemed way too realistic to be an illusion… Issei then pushed thoughts to the back of his head. There was no way that he could be mistaken, right?

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Up high in the sky, the Phoenix Spirit was in a situation it had never encountered before. Somehow, it had lost control of the trials! The moment the Vermilion Bird Soldiers had knelt down, it had prepared to give the announcement and move Issei to the second trial, but it found itself unable to speak! Not only that, it didn't know what was happening.

Shu Long?! Phoenix City?!

The Phoenix Spirit wanted to cry, but no tears came out. Since when were there such things in the Phoenix Trials? It had never heard of that before! Also, the Phoenix Soldiers were supposed to be mindless puppets… when they showed fear, the Phoenix Spirit thought it was strange, seeing that their reactions were too realistic. Despite that, it didn't think too much into it.

However, at this moment, it was sure that there was something happening. Something big was happening. The Phoenix Soldiers shouldn't be able to show personality traits, but Shu Long clearly had them. It also had completely lost control over the trials. The Phoenix Spirit was no longer able to control the trials, and yet… the army was still moving. Initially, it was sure that it had been the one controlling everything, but suddenly, everyone started doing things on their own!

"Just what is happening?!" exclaimed the Phoenix Spirit in shock, not able to make heads or tails out of the situation. Truth be told, the Phoenix Trials were normally different, and this was the first time that it had changed them. Before leaving it behind, the original Phoenix had said that if the descendant of the Evil God appeared, it was to use different trials, that were left behind by it.

This was the first time that the Phoenix Spirit had used the new trials, and had only thought that they would be higher in difficulty. But now, it was clear that the original Phoenix actually had other plans. Plans that the Phoenix Spirit hadn't been told about.

"Dammit! Dammit at all!" The Phoenix Spirit cursed, a livid look in its eyes. "Why didn't you warn me, original?! What the hell I'm supposed to do now?! What is even happening?!"

The Phoenix Spirit cursed and cursed, but in the end, it couldn't do anything about the situation. After a while, it ceased to speak and simply focused its too large eyes on the scenes happening below it, on the Phoenix Trials. Although it was helpless, it was also curious. It wanted to see just what the original Phoenix had been planning…

Just like that, a strange turn of events happened within the Phoenix Trials.

 **Read & Review~!**


	47. Secret Dimension

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 47 - Secret Dimension**

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Xiao Luocheng suddenly yawned, a bored expression on his handsome face, "You know… this may take a few days. How about we head back to the village and rest? It's better than to play on this hard ground..."

His eyes were locked on Cang Yue as he spoke. Aside from them, there was no one left in the cave. Clan Leader Feng had excused himself some time ago, heading back to rest. As such, they had been playing the game alone all day, not doing anything else.

"Yes…," Cang Yue murmured dazedly, still shaken by her most recent loss. Not too long ago, she had grown angry, seeing that Xiao Luocheng wasn't taking her seriously, and told him to go all-out against her.

The result? A massacre. A ruthless, utter massacre.

All of her troops had died, while Xiao Luocheng's group… didn't have any casualties. Cang Yue had always thought that she had a knack for commanding, but Xiao Luocheng had completely and ruthlessly shattered those thoughts.

She had never faced such a terrible defeat in her entire life. She knew that Xiao Luocheng's strategy would increase in quality after she told him to not restrain himself, but this was simply unbelievable. The youth in front of her was simply an evil devil.

His troops had been like sharp blades, dismembering her own troops, which seemed like thin pieces of paper. The strategy he used was superb, and ruthless to the point in which Cang Yue hadn't been able to find the time to counter-attack. The battlefield had been claimed by Xiao Luocheng in a matter of minutes.

Cang Yue even had thoughts of stealing Xiao Luocheng over to her side so he could be a battle general. With some more refined teachings, there was no doubt that he would be able to achieve great feats in the future once he became the General of an army.

In this world where cultivation was the focus, people with enough talent to become a battle general were few and between. Most people prioritized their individual strength, and it was rare for someone to specialize themselves in such a field. Because of that, the amount of money needed to contract a high-class battle general was even higher than the one needed to contract someone of the Sky Profound Realm or even Emperor Profound Realm. Depending on the battle general, his or her services could even be more expensive than that of someone in the Tyrant Profound Realm.

With enough strategy, it wouldn't be impossible for a troop of experts in the Sky Profound Realm to defeat someone in the Tyrant Profound Realm. Individual strength may be great, but the strength of an organized army was even more dreadful.

Even as a king, Xiao Lucoheng couldn't be so bad…

Cang Yue suddenly shook her head, taking those thoughts away. There was only one way for Xiao Luocheng to become a king, and that would be to… to… The poor girl couldn't even think about it.

Xiao Luocheng had no way of knowing Cang Yue thoughts. He simply looked at her slightly flustered expression strangely, figuring that she must probably be thinking about Issei. After all, his friend had that effect on girls.

"Nasty bastard," murmured Xiao Luocheng. Despite that, he couldn't help but to smile. He was envious of his friend's innate talent with girls, but that didn't mean he despised it. He simply found it rather peculiar and strange. Added to the fact that Xiao Luocheng discovered that Issei avoided unfamiliar girls like a plague, he couldn't help but to find it quite amusing.

He then sighed, getting up from the ground. His sudden action caused Cang Yue to snap out of her thoughts. She quickly rose up from the ground, and after recalling Xiao Luocheng's previous words about going back, she nodded faintly, "L-let's go.."

For some reason, after that certain thought appeared in Cang Yue's head, she was no longer able to look at Xiao Luocheng directly without becoming slightly flustered.

* * *

After accepting Feng Shu's offer to lead the way, Issei followed after the Phoenix Soldiers, including the previously Vermillion Bird Soldiers. As for the deceased Golden Crow Soldiers, Issei didn't forget to collect their belongings. Much to his surprise, he realized that even though they seemed to be illusions, they still had Source Energy, which could be absorbed by Eggy.

Even though Eggy was asleep, he could still absorb Source Energy and channel it to her. After doing everything, he saw that Eggy's state was better than before, and her cultivation base had risen, although he wasn't sure by how much. After everything was settled, he departed with the other soldiers, who looked at his actions strangely, but didn't bother too much with them.

Cultivation Experts of high realms were normally eccentric, and did many strange things. Since they were unable to see this mysterious senior's cultivation base and had personally seen his powers, they believed that Issei was one of such Eccentric Experts.

Throughout their journey to the Phoenix City, none of the normal soldiers were willing to approach Issei. Even thought some time had already passed, they were still thoroughly terrified of the seemingly-young youth. However, there were some exceptions, such as Feng Shu, the general of the Phoenix Soldiers and Han Long, the previous general of Vermillion Bird army.

Surprisingly, there were no enmities between the newly-turned Phoenix Soldiers and the original ones. Even Feng Shu and Han Long didn't seem to harbor any hatred towards each other. If Issei hadn't been there before, he would have never thought they were coming out of a war.

"Senior Issei, from which sect do you hail from?" asked Feng Shu, an ingratiating smile on his face. "Is Senior some kind of Sect Master or Elder? Or even an Ancestor?"

Han Long, who was by Feng Shu's side, nodded. Han Long was similar to Feng Shu in appearance, except that Han Long was more effeminate, while Feng Shu was manlier.

"Yes... I'm also curious as to Senior's sect."

Both of them thought that even though Issei seemed young, he should be more than a few hundreds years old. After all, he was completely unaffected by the Golden Flames of the Golden Crow Soldiers during the war. An expert that was able to accomplish such a feat was someone of unfathomable power. Cultivators of such level could easily regain their youthfulness if they wanted to.

"I'm from distant lands," said Issei smoothly, his expression calm. After a while of pretending to be a peerless expert, he was already used to the job, and had none of the awkwardness of before. "As for my sect, it has long since faded away with time. I'm a wandering cultivator."

"A wandering cultivator!" Feng Shu's eyes suddenly shone with a meaningful light, while Han Long seemed to be strangely excited. Wandering cultivators were rare, and since they could roam around the world without restraints, they were usually extremely powerful. Not only that, since they had no affiliations, this meant that it was possible to draw Issei in to their factions!

Feng Shu, who was excited, suddenly remembered something. He quickly took in a deep breath and asked, "Senior, pardon this junior's curiousness, but… why did you help out my Phoenix Soldiers and want to head to the Phoenix City? Is there some connection between you and the Phoenix City's higher-ups?"

"I did it on whim," said Issei plainly, quickly thinking of an excuse since his original plan had failed. "I heard stories about the Phoenix City while wandering around, and decided to give it a look. On the way, I came across your battle, so I decided to interfere."

"On a whim…," murmured Feng Shu, a strange expression on his face. He had been hoping that because of Issei's scarlet robes, he had some connections to them, but it seemed that that wasn't the case. He then sighed and shook his head, "Anyways, Senior, all of us are grateful for your help. Once we arrive in the city, no matter what you want, we will repay you with everything we have."

"I only want to get to the Third Trial…," thought Issei helplessly, but not voicing his words. He only nodded and said, "Don't worry too much. Bringing me to the city will be enough."

Feng Shu nodded, although deep within, he had already determined that he would do his best to make sure that this mysterious senior has a good time in Phoenix City. After all, creating connections with such a powerful person would obviously be a good thing to do.

After that, Feng Shu decided to no longer bother the mysterious senior, and instead began to talk with Han Long.

"Brother Han, could you tell me about your troops?"

Since the Vermillion Bird soldiers had been assimilated into the Phoenix army, as the leader of the army, Feng Shu needed to know about his new soldiers.

"Most of them are average," said Han Long, a calm expression on his face, already used to this. In the world they lived in, changing factions was something quite common. After being defeated in battle, the losers would automatically join the winner's faction if ordered to, and because of the rules of the world, they wouldn't be able to betray their new group until they were defeated again and moved to another faction.

Han Long, for example, had already been the general of one of the Golden Crow's army before becoming the battle general of the Vermilion Bird's army. As such, he was already expecting Feng Shu to say that.

"Are there any talents?"

"Some," said Han Long after some thought. "Pay attention to Meng Lan, Lin Yong and Fei Lang. They are the most talented of the army, and also have some pretty decent medical skills. Meng Lan is skilled with sabers, Lin Yong with halberds and Fei Lang with swords."

"Then I'll have to ask Brother Han to introduce me to them later," Feng Shu smiled lightly, his tone containing some respect for Han Long. After all, both of them were battle generals, and the level of skill required to achieve such a level wasn't anything short of extraordinary.

"Yeah, sure," said Han Long offhandedly, an easy-going expression on his face. He was a rather laid-back person, and took things in stride. Suddenly, he glanced at Issei out of the corner of his eyes and said, "Hey, Brother Feng, what do you think about Senior?"

"Mn?" Feng Shu looked at Issei briefly before unhesitatingly saying, "He's powerful."

"Thought as much," Han Long nodded, seeing the hidden meaning behind Feng Shu's words and his expression. It was obvious that he truly respect this mysterious senior. In a world where strength reigned absolute, such a thing wasn't strange.

"It's just that… he seems rather strange…," Han Long murmured. Although it may not look like it, he was a rather perceptive person, and could clearly see that Issei was somewhat strange. He just didn't seem to be… from this world.

"Strange? What are you talking about?"

Han Long sighed, "He doesn't seem like he is from around here..."

"You mean the Divine Lights Country?"

"No," Han Long shook his head. "I mean from this realm."

"What?!" Feng Shu's eyes widened, looking at Han Long incredulously, wondering if there was something wrong with him. Everyone in this realm knew that the place they were in was, in fact, a secret dimension, created by the Three Divine Fire Beasts. It was also the place where the Three Divine Fire Beasts, the Phoenix, Vermillion Bird and Golden Crow, slumbered.

At the same time, this secret realm was sealed away, so it was extremely unlikely for someone to enter it. Because of that, in the millions of years since it had been created, no outsider had ever entered it. It was also protected by the auras of the Three Divine Fire Beasts, and no one could step foot inside it without their permission. And, since they slumbered, it was virtually impossible for anyone to enter.

Han Long noticed Feng Shu's expression and shook his head, thinking that it would be troublesome to argue with someone about that. Even he was having a hard time believing his own words. Not only that, it was only a feeling, and he had no real proof.

"Forget it," Han Long said after a while. "Pretend I didn't say anything."

Feng Shu looked at Han Long blankly for a long time, but sighed in the end, following Han Long's words and pretending nothing had happened. What he didn't notice was that, at the side, Issei was looking at them with a strange expression.

"Their dialogue is so realistic… I must say, the Phoenix Spirit certainly did a superb job with its illusions…," thought Issei, finding the entire situation rather strange.

 _ **Read & Review~! (REVIEW~!_)**_

* * *

 _ **(This arc is an original of mine. These ideas weren't based on anything, so it can be said to be completely original. Well, there may be some influences from other series, but the main concept of a different realm in the second trial is mind. Also, there is a poll in my profile about Issei's harem.)**_

 _I have something to announce. It's about Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan._

 _You see, some of you may have noticed it, but Cang Yue seems rather close to Xiao Luocheng... I'm doing it on purpose. In Against The Gods, Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan were the heroines who suffered the most in my opinion. Cang Yue had too suffer with Yun Che's death more than once, almost married a bastard only to suicide afterwards, and now has to govern Blue Wind Nation alone, and was forced to become cold and ruthless. As for Chu Yuechan... she had to deal with Yun Che's death, and then discovered she was pregnant, had to cripple her cultivation and exile herself. In other words, Mars Gravity (the author for ATG), really f**ked them up._

 _Actually, Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan are my favorite heroines. Because of that, I think they deserve a better path... I want to let them lead a happy and peaceful life for once. And such a life would not be able to exist if they were part of Issei's harem. His enemies would target them, lust after them, they would have to cope with Issei's death and wouldn't be able to follow him in his journeys, since they aren't nearly strong enough, or have the mentality (at least on Cang Yue's part) to officially enter the ruthless world of cultivators, which is filed with backstabbing, heartless killing and slaughtering without batting an eye. I want to let them be able to live peacefully for once..._

 _As such, I arrived to the conclusion that it wouldn't be wise to have them in Issei's harem. Not only would they not be his main wives, they would also have to deal with a lot of hardships... and, truthfully, I think they had enough on Against The Gods. With all of that in mind, I arrived at the conclusion to make side-pairings in my story. One of them will be Cang Yue x Xiao Luocheng and Chu Yuechan X ?. Obviously, they would be their partner only wife, with Xiao Luocheng and ? being completely dedicated to protecting and loving their wives. Because of that, Chu Yuechan wouldn't have to cripple her cultivation, while Cang Yue, due to some reasons, wouldn't have to change her personality to a heartless ruler, who would even kill her own brother with no problems. Let's just say that Xiao Luocheng will be able to help her out._

 _Also, worry not. Cang Yue will be a quasi-main character, and so will Xiao Luocheng. I'll focus on their relationships and develop their personalities and all... Still, nothing that I said is definite. I know that many of you will still not be convinced by my words, so in my profile, there is a poll._

 _A poll in which I ask you whether or not I should keep Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan in Issei's harem._

 _You guys are my readers, and since this is such a big decision, I would like to know your opinions. So, vote on the poll. Depending on the result, I could go back on all that I said here (sadly) and somehow add Cang Yue into the harem. For those of you wondering about what would happen to her budding feelings for Xiao Luocheng that were displayed in this chapter, well... I already have some plans for them in case the result of the poll is to keep them in the harem._

 _Anyhow, the poll is already in my profile, and it will stay there until Sunday morning. Please, be sure to vote before then. Also, vote wisely. Your decision can influence the entire course of the story, you know?_


	48. Phoenix City

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 48 - Phoenix City**

* * *

 _(I have decided to close the poll. Why? Well, the result is pretty much obvious; I'm going to keep Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan in the harem. It was only wishful thinking to imagine that the result of the poll would be different. Anyways, since I'm keeping them, I'll obviously make some changes. At the very least,  Cang Yue and Chu Yuechan won't suffer nearly as much in my story, and I'll boost their cultivation so they can keep up. This should be able to appease to every group._

 _Anyways, you may also see that I will change many things. So, don't be surprised if Cang Yue has a sister (I need to pair Xiao Luocheng with someone, after all), or if Chu Yuechan is much younger and has a different background... Anyways, enjoy the chapter!)_

A few hours had already passed since Issei had begun following Feng Shu to Phoenix City. During the travel, they trod many paths, walking through mountains, valleys and whatnot. The landscape was vast and boundless, with a plethora of different areas.

All of a sudden, Feng Shu, who had been talking with Han Long, stopped, looking far off into the distance. He then turned his head around to face Issei, a polite smile on his face.

"Respected Senior, we are almost arriving."

"Mn?" Issei nodded, his gaze also fixated onto the far distance. Even with his enhanced eyesight, he wasn't able to see anything. Finding it strange, he couldn't help but to ask, "Feng Shu..., tell me, what is your cultivation realm?"

"This little junior is only at the Sovereign Profound Realm, Senior," said Feng Shu with a slightly embarrassed expression, failing to notice Issei's expression of utter shock. Feng Shu slowly continued, "However, due to the World Laws, this Junior can't use his spiritual power in battle..."

"..." Issei stared at Feng Shu blankly, his eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost. Sovereign Profound Realm... Sovereign Profound Realm... those words resounded in his mind again and again, and if it wasn't for his astonishing self-control, he would have begun to tremble.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths...," thought Issei, stabilizing his mind. He then reassured his airs of seniority and asked, "World Laws? Forgive my obliviousness, but... what are those?"

Feng Shu halted his steps, his eyes widening. From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Han Long, who had stopped to look at him, a calm and oblivious smile on his face. Deep within his eyes, the words 'I told you so', could be seen.

"Don't tell me that he's right...," though Feng Shu as he almost mechanically turned around to face Issei, a strange expression on his face. He then coughed a little and it was only after organizing his chaotic thoughts that he explained, "S-senior, World Laws are... the laws that the Three Fire Gods have placed on this realm. One of them says that we, followers of the Fire Gods, can only use our fire, and aren't allowed to use spiritual power... The only use for it is to fuel our own power. The higher the cultivation, the more fire one can release..."

Feng Shu was about to say more, but seeing Issei's thoughtful expression, he wisely took a step back and kept his mouth shut, discreetly paying close attention to Issei's reactions.

"They can't use spiritual power...? They can only use fire...?" thought Issei, his expression slowly going from thoughtful to excited. "Then, wouldn't that mean... that I'm virtually unbeatable?!"

As soon as that thought appeared in Issei's mind, it could no longer be ignored. If what Feng Shu had said was truly correct, then it wouldn't be far off to say that no one would be able to defeat Issei. After all, he was invulnerable to the only power the people from this realm could use; fire.

Feng Shu, noticing Issei's constant change of expression, couldn't help but to ask,"Senior... is everything alright?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Issei quickly shook his head. He then stopped, seemed to think about what he should say, and finally continued with an enigmatic expression, "Just bring me to Phoenix City."

"Yes...," said Feng Shu, still looking at Issei strangely. After a while, he sighed and walked back to Han Long, who looked back at him with the corner of his lips curled upwards.

"You...," Feng Shu looked at the smiling Han Long, not knowing what to do. He then glanced at Issei one last time before whispering, "He doesn't know about World Laws..."

"I heard it," replied Han Long offhandedly, and although he had an unconcerned expression, just from the look in his eyes, it was obvious that he was gloating inside. Han Long didn't voice his inner thoughts, and plainly continued, "So... what do you think about him now?"

"Your theory...," begun Feng Shu, staring at Han Long deeply, "might be correct..."

If it was before, Feng Shu would have never believed Han Long's swords, but that was no longer the case. The moment Feng Shu discovered that Issei didn't know about the World Laws, he knew that something was wrong. After all, EVERYONE knew about World Laws.

World Laws were the rules everyone in this realm had to abide to. They were set by the Three Fire Gods in the very beginning, and it was impossible to break them. Not only that, it was the most common of knowledge, so there was no way of not knowing about them, no matter how secluded you were.

In total, there were three World Laws. One for each Fire God.

The rule imposed by the Golden Crow was not being able to directly use spiritual power, while the rule of the Vermillion Bird made it impossible for the Saint Profound Realm to be reached through normal means. As for the rule of the Phoenix, it was what made possible the quick changing of factions.

Those three rules applied to every living being in the entire realm, no matter who they were. They were responsible for giving harmony to the realm, and making so that the realm wouldn't crumble down. But in reality, in the vast and boundless realm, there were a few selected places where the rules wouldn't apply. Three places, to be exact.

Those three places were far apart, one in each of the realm's three countries, the Divine Lights Country, the Eternal Heaven Nation and the Dead Soul Empire. The Divine Lights Country was where the Phoenix God slumbered, while the Vermillion Bird lived in the Eternal Heaven Nation and the Three-legged Golden Crown rested in the Dead Soul Empire. In fact, the places where they slumbered were exactly the places where the rules didn't apply.

However, those places couldn't be entered through normal means. Only people of the highest royalty of their belonging country could enter them, and once inside, they would never dare to be disrespectful or loud, afraid of waking their Gods up. The only reason why the rules didn't apply in those places was because of the overwhelming pressure of the Divine Beasts, which made World Laws unable to be formed.

In the Divine Lights Country, only the Phoenix Priestess could enter the location in which the Phoenix slumbered. Not even the Phoenix Emperor was allowed entry. It was unknown to Feng Shu and Han Long how it worked in other countries, but they believed it to be similar to the Divine Lights Country. In reality, they had never stepped foot out of the Divine Lights Country, so they were pretty much oblivious to the situation of the other countries.

In each of the countries, there would be three main factions. The Phoenix Faction, the Vermillion Bird Faction and the Golden Crow Faction. Obviously, since the Phoenix slumbered there, the Phoenix Faction was the strongest in the Divine Lights country. In the Eternal Heaven Nation, the Vermillion Bird Faction was the strongest, while in the Dead Soul Empire, the Golden Crow Faction was the biggest and most powerful.

As for why different factions lived in the same country, it was because of the advances of the other countries. The Divine Lights Empire would send Phoenix Soldiers to the Eternal Heaven Nation and the Dead Soul Empire, where they would battle their troops and even build outposts. The same could be said about the other countries.

Because of all of that, small conflicts, such as the one Issei had interrupted, occurred all over the realm at every moment. People were already used to that, and they had learned to live with it. Feng Shu and Han Long were no exceptions.

* * *

"So this is Phoenix City?"

Issei looked at the large gate in front of him, which seemed to pierce the clouds in the skies. It was nothing short of colossal in size, and from each of its sides, two gigantic walls sprung out, circling around what seemed to be a boundless and vast city.

Phoenix City could be best described with the word 'breath-taking'. It was extremely wide, and extended much further than what the eyes could see. It was surrounded by large walls on all sides, that formed a circle around it. As for the city itself, it could be considered to be extremely well-made, with mind-blowing architecture.

The buildings there were all extravagant and colossal, and there were many mansions, castles and palaces all over it. Most of them were white, and those that weren't would be of a deep scarlet color, which seemed to shine and vibrate when illuminated by the sun. There were countless districts and streets, all of them decorated to the brim. There was beautiful and lush vegetation all over the city, which blended with the majestic buildings, giving onlookers a sense of harmony.

Most surprising of all was the sky. Flying above the city were countless red birds, and an occasional scarlet dragon could be seen flying around its perimeters. Two large horns sprung out of its forehead, and it was countless kilometers in size, able to wrap its long body around large mountains. Not only that, countless flying establishments littered the sky, hovering above the city, giving off a majestic and grandiose air. Below some of the flying buildings, thick and colorful clouds could be seen.

In the middle of the city stood the most impressive structure. It was a scarlet temple, colossal in size, that was surrounded by various scarlet-wearing troops. Above the temple was a large mountain, which floated in the sky. It was also scarlet in color, and the air around it seemed to distort, caused by the scorching heat that it emanated.

Even Issei, who was far away, was affected by it. However, instead of being unbearably hot, it was only mild, courtesy of the Fire Seed of the Evil God. If it wasn't for it, Issei feared that he would be roasted to death under the heat with his pitiful Nascent Profound Realm cultivation base.

"Amazing...," though Issei, marveled. In all his life, the only city that he had ever seen that could possibly rival Phoenix City was the one he had seen in the visions of the Magic Cube. Despite that, Issei had a feeling that Phoenix City was even more amazing. In fact, if someone asked him what an Immortal Paradise would look like, then his description would definitely be the one of Phoenix City.

It was simply grandiose, extravagant and amazing. There was also a celestial, divine aura around it, which seemed to be inherent.

Just as Issei was admiring the majestic city, Feng Shu took a step forward after briefly considering the situation.

"Does Senior think it lives up to the up to the rumors?"

"Ah?" Issei's eyes widened, and he immediately adopted his expression of seniority once more, bringing his gaze away from the majestic city. Issei quickly organized his thoughts and said, "Indeed. I haven't seen many places quite like this one before."

"I'm glad," Feng Shu smiled brightly, feeling happy from the bottom of his heart. Different from Han Long, who had constantly changed factions, Feng Shu had always been part of Phoenix City, and he was quite proud of it. Hearing someone whom he considered to be a powerful senior praising it surely made him excited.

Han Long stared at Feng Shu's expression plainly, wondering what he was so happy about. Deciding not to bother with that, he glanced at Phoenix City from the corner of his eyes and sighed. Truly, when compared to the Vermillion Bird and Golden Crow camps he had lived in before, this was a completely different level. Even he, one who was normally unshaken, couldn't help but to be amazed.

After all, Phoenix City was just that amazing. Everything about it was majestic, and no matter who the person was, everyone, without exceptions, would marvel it. In the entire realm, the only city that could probably compare it to would be Vermillion Bird City in the Eternal Heaven Nation.

However, the fact that remained unquestionable was that Phoenix City was one of the most beautiful cities in the entire realm, and... one of the deadliest ones. After all, next to Phoenix City was the lair of the Devil Beasts, the enemy of all cultivators, no matter which faction they belonged to.

 **Read & _Review~! (Only 15 reviews last chapter... and even less on the previous ones. Since I'm not satisfied, if we don't reach more than 28 reviews on this one within one night, there won't be any chapters tomorrow... So... REVIEW~!)_**


	49. Army Camps

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 49 - Army Camps**

* * *

Issei, while being led by the Phoenix Soldiers and Feng Shu, quickly arrived in front of the colossal gate which blocked his path. Directly in front of the gate were two motionless guards, both of them wearing scarlet armor. In their hands were large, blazing swords.

"Halt!"

One of the guards took a step forward, his expression hidden by his helm. Seeing that, Feng Shu hurriedly took a step forward and explained the situation.

"Guards, I'm bringing back my soldiers from a clash against the other two factions. We have managed to integrate the Vermillion Bird Faction's soldiers into our ranks, and we are also bringing back a senior. Please, open the gates for us."

"…." The guard swept his gaze over the crowd that gathered in front of the gates, stopping on Issei for a second longer, before turning back. He then whispered something to the other guard, and both of them extended their hands forwards, towards the gate.

"We'll be opening it now."

 _Rumble Rumble!_

A deep scarlet light shone forth from their hands, connecting with the gates. In the next moment, the gigantic gate was lifted up slightly with a loud, rumbling noise, making enough room for Issei and the Phoenix Soldiers to pass through.

"Go on," said the guard plainly, motioning towards the gate. After doing so, he took a step back and went back to the place he had been standing on before, as if he had never moved at all to begin with.

Feng Shu immediately turned around to face his soldiers.

"All of you, enter!"

The Phoenix Soldiers didn't dally around, quickly marching through the gate. After dealing with that, Feng Shu politely turned towards Issei and spoke respectful.

"Senior, please, follow me."

"Mn," Issei nodded, following after Feng Shu as they passed through the large gates, officially entering the city. Soon after entering, Issei was immediately overwhelmed by the dense spiritual power that flooded the area.

"Such thick spiritual power...," thought Issei, surprised. His face then became excited, having realized something. "If I were to cultivate in such an environment, just how much would I progress...?"

As Issei thought so, he didn't forget to marvel at the magnificent city, burning every image into his eyes. Everything around him was simply fantastical, with the aura of Immortals. More than a few times, Issei wondered if this was truly made by the Phoenix Spirit. After all, it was all too realistic….

People flooded the streets, and small children could be seen playing around, their small, scarlet robes fluttering as they ran. Every once in awhile, someone would stop, pointing towards the Phoenix Soldier entourage while murmuring something to whoever was at their sides.

Faced with all that, Issei was more and more sure that the situation wasn't as simple as it seemed. Not only that, the Phoenix Spirit had yet to make an announcement, and he was completely clueless about what should be done in order to finish the second trial.

"Such a complicated trial… I simply have no idea about what should be done," Issei sighed as he walked, his mind wandering around. Without even noticing, he arrived at what seemed to be the entrance to the army's camp.

"Senior, we have arrived at the Army's headquarters," Feng Shu took a step forward and said while looking at Issei. "Would you like to enter, or...?"

"Enter," answered Issei, not really knowing what else he could do. If he didn't follow Feng Shu, it wouldn't be strange if he lost himself in Phoenix City. It was in times like this that he could only go with the flow and hope for the best.

"Alright," said Feng Shu as he clasped his hands, turning around to face the entrance. He then walked forward, and after exchanging some brief words with the soldiers who guarded the entrance, he lead everyone inside, urging his soldiers to move faster. Issei followed after them calmly.

After he entered, he was faced with a large and vast area. It seemed to be a small city in itself, with a section designated for the soldiers' houses in the left side, while in the right side was what seemed to be the headquarters and the houses of the more important officials. Directly opposite of Issei was what he assumed to be the training camps, along with the armory.

All in all, it was neatly organized, with everything in the right place.

"Interesting...," murmured Issei, gazing at the guards that ran around the area, some of them jogging, while others rushing to follow orders. Most of them weren't wearing armor, and instead, tight-fitting black attires, which were drenched with sweat.

Most of the soldiers were men, but an occasional woman could be seen once in awhile.

"Mn?" Issei's eyes suddenly widened, realizing that he was unable to feel their level of cultivation. By using his Spirit Power, it should be something easy to do, but he was simply unable to. Suddenly, an insane thought appeared in Issei's mind.

"Feng," said Issei, calling out to Feng Shu, who stood quietly by his side.

"Senior?"

"What is the cultivation level of your soldiers?"

"Cultivation level?" Feng Shu revealed a surprised expression. He didn't expect that the normally disinterested senior would ask something like that. Despite that, he still answered, "Most of them should be between the Emperor Profound Realm and the Tyrant Profound Realm, Senior."

Emperor... Tyrant...

Issei didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Someone of the Emperor Profound Realm could be considered to be a peak existence in the Blue Wind Nation, with only a handful of them existing there, but in this place... they were only foot-soldiers for an army. Added with the fact that there were also soldiers of the Tyrant Profound Realm in their ranks... Issei wondered how he had actually been able to slash then apart back then.

"Feng, tell me something... in terms of defense, how strong are your soldiers?"

"About that...," Feng Shu suddenly revealed a slightly awkward expression. "The armor all of the soldiers wear, including the ones of the Golden Crow Faction and the Vermillion Bird Faction, are made from a special material, that takes away our defense in exchange for increasing the purity of our flames. In terms of overall defense, we are no different than someone of the True Profound Realm... But, in terms of flame-attack, one of ours Emperor Profound Realm soldiers can equal to someone of the mid-stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm."

After hearing such words, Issei revealed a blank expression. They sacrificed their defense for more flame-power... which happened to be the only power he was completely invulnerable, making the soldiers' defense weak enough to be harmed by his attacks? If this wasn't coincidence, then he wouldn't be able to tell left from right any more.

"Hmm... Senior? Is something wrong?" asked Feng Shu, noticing that Issei's expression had grown blank after hearing his words. He was afraid that he was disappointed with their defenses.

"It's nothing," Issei quickly shook his head, calming himself down. He quickly told himself that since he was in the middle of a trial, it wasn't strange for such coincidences to happen. He was just afraid that the Phoenix Spirit was making it way too easy for him...Well, not that he was complaining.

Feng Shu looked at Issei strangely, but didn't try to touch upon that subject again. Instead, he tried a different approach, "Respected Senior... would you like to meet our superiors? Although you have said that you're only in Phoenix City for sightseeing, I believe that my superiors would like to meet someone of power as great as yours."

From the very start, Feng Shu's aim was to establish some relationships between the Phoenix Faction and Issei. If he did so, then in his view, the Phoenix City would have gained a powerful ally, who was able to butcher the troops of other factions with little to no effort.

"Might as well," Issei nodded, figuring that maybe, the objective of this trial would have something to do with the higher-ups of the army. "Lead the way."

"Alright!" Feng Shu nodded excitedly, and ordered his troops around, sending most of them back to their houses while directing Han Long to a special section, where he would be accessed by some of the higher-ups in order to evaluate his rank in the army. After doing so, he quickly lead Issei to one of the largest buildings in the area, only losing to the Arena, which was not too far away from them, when it came to size.

Feng Shu then excused himself, entering the building. After staying inside for a few seconds, he walked out and asked Issei to follow after him. He would bring him to meet some of the higher-ups.

* * *

"We are here," said Feng Shu as he and Issei stopped in front of large doors. As usual, they were of a deep-scarlet color. On the doors, small and complex drawings of Phoenixes could be seen engraved on it.

Issei merely nodded, not saying anything. Although his expression was stoic and calm, he was actually a little anxious inside. After all, even though Feng Shu was unable to sense his cultivation, this didn't meant that others, who were above him, wouldn't. As such, he was afraid that they would try to search his body for some treasure after Feng Shu tells them about how he was unharmed by flames.

Soon after, he reminded himself that this was only a trial, an elaborate one at that, and everything around him were only simulations and illusions, or even puppets. Everything was also controlled by the Phoenix Spirit, so he forced himself to think that there wasn't anything to worry about.

The only thing in his mind was to get out of this strange Second Trial and move on to the third one already. It wasn't as if he had time to spend, and the sooner he got done with it, the better. Not only that, he felt that this entire situation was somewhat strange, and didn't want to have anything to do with it.

Issei was normally daring and unafraid, but this situation was just beyond his scope of knowledge. Armies of cultivators of the Emperor Profound Realm? Divine Beasts Factions...? Even Issei felt that he shouldn't delve too deep into this situation.

Feng Shu, who wasn't aware of what was going through Issei's mind, simply walked forward, knocking on the door a few times. Soon after, from the other side...

"Come in."

Feng Shu turned towards Issei, and without a single word, opened the door, motioning for him to enter. It was only after Issei stepped inside that he followed after the 'Respected Senior'.

Once inside, Issei found himself in a large, well-lit room with many chairs and a round table in the middle. The room was mostly empty, and most of the chairs were unoccupied, with only the one in the center position and the one next to it with with someone on them.

The one who stood at the center was a young-looking, handsome and seemingly kind man. He didn't wear armor, but instead, wore large, silk-robes, with a deep scarlet sword hanging by his side. By his his set a middle-aged, armor-wearing man, who had an heroic and stern appearance.

"Feng Shu...," the man in the middle spoke softly, his words gentle. Despite that, the moment Issei heard it, his eyes widening, realizing that within that voice were hints of sword intent!

Noticing Issei's gaze, the young-looking man continued as he turned his head towards Issei. "Is this the one you told me about?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Very well," the young-looking man nodded, and after glancing at the middle-aged man by his side, said, "Report everything that happened once more. As for you...," the young-looking man focused his sharp eyes on Issei again, whose scalp became numb under the man's stare. Surprisingly, the young-looking man smiled softly, "Please, make yourself comfortable in one of the chairs."

"A-alright then," Issei took the chair closest to him, trying to keep his calm and stoic facade. Deep within, he was actually glad from the bottom of his heart that the young-looking man hadn't noticed anything unusual about him. He didn't understand why, but he felt a dangerous feeling coming from him.

Feng Shu watched as Issei sat down on his chair, and it was only after Issei had settled himself that he began narrating the events that happened. He gave a brief explanation of everything that had taken place, and by the time he was done, only a few minutes had passed.

"I can see the gist of the situation...," the young-looking man nodded after hearing the explanation. He then shot a glance at Issei's direction before saying, "Alright then, Feng Shu, please go back to rest at your quarters. If your presence is needed, I'll send someone to fetch you."

"Yes, sir!" Feng Shu clasped his hands while bowing politely. After doing so, he turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door after exiting. With Feng Shu out, the only ones that remained within the room were the young-looking man, Issei, and the middle-aged, heroic-looking man.

"So... your name is Issei, right?" begun the young-looking man, his eyes staring deeply into Issei's, as if he wanted to find out every secret about him.

"Yes," Issei nodded faintly, doing his best at maintaining his stoic expression.

"Very well," said Feng Shu, smiling kindly. "I have a proposition to make... From what Feng Shu has told us, you don't have any allegiance to any country... would you be willing to become an ally of the Phoenix Faction? If you do, you'll only have to go through a small interrogation, nothing too serious, and after that, you'd receive the bloodline of the Phoenix... Would that be alright with you?"

"Receive the bloodline of the Phoenix? Isn't this only the second trial?" thought Issei, his eyes widening. Soon after, he reached a conclusion, "Maybe that interrogation is actually the Third Trial...well, if that's the case..."

"Yes," said Issei, looking straight at the young-looking man. "I indeed don't have any connections to any faction, and the Phoenix Faction has caught my interest... I would be interested in joining."

 **Read &** _ **Review~!** **(Next chapter will be more interesting, I swear! And, remember to review~!)**_


	50. Invasion

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 50 - Invasion**

* * *

Inside a large room, laying on his bed, Issei stared at the ceiling, a blank expression on his face. With his ears, he was able to hear the constant sound of slashes and hacks that happened all around him, while his hands played around with the small, red medallion in his hands.

"I still have no idea on what I should do…."

Issei sighed, thinking back to what had happened after being assigned his living quarters by the youthful-looking man, whose name he had discovered to be Feng Huan.

"First, I was brought to this room, then introduced to the city and taken around on a tour, but... just what the hell should I do? I searched every nook and cranny of the city, and yet I wasn't able to find anything even slightly similar to a clue!"

Since Issei was aware that he was in the middle of a trial, no matter how realistic it was, it was still his job to complete it. Despite that, even after searching far and wide, he was unable to find any hint as to what should be done. If Issei didn't know any better, he would have thought that some kind of problem had happened in the Phoenix Trials….

But, it was personally administered by the Phoenix Spirit. How could some troublesome matter actually happen? It was impossible...

...Right?

"Damn it all!"

Issei cursed, throwing the small medallion in his hands towards the ground, where it crashed with a loud thud. Surprisingly, even after being thrown, the medallion didn't show any sign of damage. The floor, on the other hand, was slightly cracked.

Actually, it wasn't that surprising. After all, that medallion signalized the fact that Issei was now part of the Phoenix City, and thus was made of special materials. In a place where cultivators of the Emperor and Tyrant Profound Realm were commonplace, materials were bound to be much more reinforced and resistant than usual.

With a long sigh, Issei got up from his bed, picking up the medallion from the ground and placing it on his robes, deeply hidden. After doing so, he walked over to the only chair in the room, which was right by the window.

"Just how long will this last?" murmured Issei, his gaze focused on the large moon in the sky, a cool breeze passing by his face, giving birth to a refreshing feeling. Outside, even though it was night, the soldiers still ran around, their tight-fitting suits sticking close to their bodies, drenched in sweat.

"And to think that everyone here is at the very least of the Emperor Profound Realm…."

When Issei thought of that, he would always feel a shiver run down his spine. He knew better than anyone how powerless he would be against someone of the late stages of the True Profound Realm, never mind someone of the Emperor Profound Realm, which was a legendary existence in Blue Wind Nation.

If it wasn't for the fat that not only the inhabitants of this world sacrificed their defense for high-attack power, and their only means of attack was by using their fire, Issei would have already been killed a thousand times over. Thinking back, it was simply ridiculous how he managed to slaughter hundreds of Emperor Profound Realm cultivators effortlessly.

"Is this what they call luck?" Issei mused out loud, the corner of his lips curling upwards in a slightly mischievous and somewhat mocking smile. "Or… is it only some ridiculous coincidence?"

After saying so, Issei could only shake his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. This wasn't what he should worry about at the moment; his main focus should be to find the way to clear this trial.

"Alright, tomorrow, after the interrogation, I'll see whether or not my theory is correct," Issei turned his gaze from outside the window, locking it onto the large painting by his bed, in which a gigantic flaming bird soared through the skies. "I wonder how it will go... at the very least, as long as nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to get the Bloodline of the Phoenix..."

Upon reaching that point, Issei revealed an even wider smile than before. "That Feng Huan person certainly got me there, mentioning the bloodline of the Phoenix and all…. I'll have to see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully, he won't go back on his word.

"Also, it would be wise to increase my knowledge of this world... I remember that there was a library near here... If I still can't manage to find the way out of the second trial by the end of the day, I'll definitely have a look at the library. Maybe, by reading about the history of this world, I may be able to find some clues. Geez, I feel like a detective now…."

These past few days, without having anyone to talk to, as Jasmine was recovering her power and Eggy was in coma, Issei had surprisingly grown more talkative when alone, voicing his thoughts whenever musing about his situation. In fact, this was the only thing he could do to entertain himself.

While sighing, Issei went back to his bed, laying down on top of it, trying to ignore the constant sounds of swords colliding and people screaming "Enemy attack!". He then closed his eyes, and was just about to sleep when...

Enemy attack?!

Issei's eyes widened, hurriedly getting off of his bed, rushing towards the window. The moment he looked outside, he was immediately greeted with a terrifying sight. All of the soldiers that had been training not too long ago were fiercely clashing against an army of strange and grotesque monsters, which flooded the training camp.

Many soldiers laid prone on the ground, their whole body riddled with gaping wounds, many limbs flying about. Blood filled the ground, and countless heads could be seen rolling around on the ground.

It was a massacre.

"What?!" Issei's eyes widened, too shocked by this complete change in situation. Not too long ago, everyone had been peacefully training, but now this happens?!

"Damn it!"

While looking at the situation, Issei couldn't help but to think that there was a high probability that this could be a test of the second trial, in which his objective was to deal with the grotesque beasts that appeared all around him. Despite that, Issei was still unwilling to throw his body onto the battle-ground without knowing about his enemies first.

Carefully analyzing the beasts that battled the soldiers, Issei quickly arrived to the conclusion that similar to him, they had some resistance to fire. Many of their bodies were covered with thick and darkened plates, which jutted out of their skin, protecting them against the raging scarlet flames and at the same time, giving them an extra layer of protection.

"Should I go...?" thought Issei, unsure of what should be done next. He wasn't confident on beating even a single of such beasts with his meager power, and even if he went, what could he possibly do? He certainly didn't have the power to turn the tides of the battle around. Even while he thought, many different soldiers succumbed under the vicious attacks of the grotesque beasts.

Just at that moment, up-high in the sky, what appeared to be a blazing Phoenix burst to life, blinding the sky in blinding golden lights and scarlet lights as it descended onto the middle of the battlefield. It was a few dozen meters long, and the wingspan was over a hundred meters.

With a loud cry, it fiercely crashed against the ground.

Soon after, from within the flames, Issei heard the loud voice of the Feng Huan.

"Star Scorching Demon Lotus!"

The moments those words were said, it was as if all of the spiritual power in the atmosphere had grown chaotic. Ripples appeared in the air, and right in the middle of the army, a colossal flame-like dome erupted, burning the normally fire-resistant beasts to cinders.

Soon after, from that gigantic dome, petal after petal, each one of them dozens meters in length, sprung out. They charred the ground and didn't take long for dozens of petals to appear, covering the entire battle-ground. All of the strange and vicious beasts were completely enveloped by the fire, and completely burned down to cinders.

At the same time, the Phoenix Soldiers that had lost their limbs, or even died, were covered with an even-brighter flame, which burrowed within their bodies. The limbs that had been torn were all burnt to crisps, while new limbs, including heads, appeared on their bodies, completely made out of the mighty, scarlet flames.

"Phoenix Godly Revival!"

Next to Feng Huan, the heroic-looking middle aged man from before, whose name was Feng Wei, roared out, dark-scarlet flames erupting from his body. Instantly, the regenerating speed of the fallen soldiers was knocked up a notch, and before long, many of them, who had been dead, regained their lives, being only unconscious.

After this was done, Feng Huan and Feng Wei glanced at each other, and together they roared, "Phoenix Rejuvenation!"

From their bodies, deep scarlet flames erupted, encompassing the entire area around them. Everywhere their flames passed through, the charred ground and buildings would revert back to their deep scarlet color, while the ground and surroundings, which had been tainted red with blood and were covered in gore, were completely cleaned, not leaving anything behind.

By the of it all, it was if a battle had never happened while the Phoenix Soldiers had only lied down on the ground to suddenly sleep, giving birth to the current situation. If Issei had been sleeping back then, it was probable that he would have not even discovered what had happened.

"Senior!"

Suddenly, before Issei could even realize what was happening, Feng Huan, who had been standing in the middle of the training-grounds disappeared. Not even a second later, Issei felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with Feng Huan, who had suddenly appeared behind him.

"Fast...," Issei thought, although his face didn't show any strange in expression, already having mastered the art of being expressionless. Despite his stoic expression, deep within, he was deeply surprised. The distance between the between the place Feng Huan had been at not even a second ago and his original position was more than one hundred meters. To cover such distance in one second... it could only be described as frightening.

"So this is the might of a late-stage cultivator of the Sovereign Profound Realm...," thought Issei, complicated feelings welling up within him. He clearly saw how Feng Huan had used some kind of martial skill to completely eradicate thousands of beasts in seconds... the fact that such a man was actually calling him senior didn't feel good at all.

If anything, it was scary.

"Feng Huan?" asked Issei, containing his emotions deep within. His stoic face didn't reveal his inner thoughts in the slightest; it was as if it was frozen, always set on an unchanging stoic and calm expression.

"Senior, I must apologize for the inconvenience," Feng Huan looked at Issei apologetically, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. Deep within, he was also surprised. Seeing that this seemingly-young cultivator before him was able to keep such a calm expression even after all that happened... it could only meant that he reached an incredibly high level of power, in which he was already used to such things. This only served to further consolidate Issei's image as a peerless expert within his heart.

"Apologize?" asked Issei.

"Yes," Feng Huan nodded. "Due to some problems with our troops, an army of Devil Beasts managed to infiltrate into our camps, thus disturbing your rest. For that, I apologize."

Apologize? He was actually apologizing?!

Initially, Issei had thought that Feng Huan would blame him for not taking part in the fight, and only watching from afar, demanding an explanation, but to think that he would actually be apologizing... Such a thought had never, ever passed through his mind.

Just... just how great was his image within Feng Huan's heart?

At the moment, Issei didn't know how he should feel. A late-stage cultivator of the Sovereign Profound Realm was actually apologizing to him with a respectful attitude, and yet... why didn't this feel good at all?!

When faced with this situation, Issei could only do his best at maintaining a composed and serious expression, and just go along with the flow.

 _ **Read & Review~! **_

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_**(Guys, I promise that starting from chapter 53-54, the chapters will have more content. It's just that right now, I'm having to do a lot of world-building, and because of that, the chapters seem rather lacking in content. However, I have almost finished the process of laying down all the required information for this arc, so we got that going for us...)**_

 _ **(Anyways, REVIEW! I won't expect much reviews on these content-lacking chapters, but from chapter 54 onward, I'll be expecting much more reviews, for you will actually have something to review! Still, please spare some of your time to review on these rather lacking chapters! They mean a lot to me!)**_

 _ **(Finally, one last announcement. Since a lot of information has piled up, I have decided to make your life easier, and every time I mention something or someone from a long time ago, or even some event, I'll write [x] next to the word, in which x is the number of notes that each chapter will have. For example, [1] [2] [3]. Anyways, on the end of the chapter, there will be the footnotes section, where you just need to scroll down, read the footnote, and scroll back up to where you stopped. Since I'll write something like 'This happened in chapter XX, or he is the brother of XXXXX, who was mentioned in chapter XX' in the footnotes, it should save all of you some time.)**_


	51. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 51 - Decisions**

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 **Beta-Note (BN): Hi guys. KryoKon here. I just wanted to wish farewell to a reviewer who decided to drop this story. Bye Fruitloops, and thanks for all the shoutouts.**

After a while of talking, Issei was able to arrive at some conclusions. First of all, he quickly found out that the grotesque creatures from before were actually a type of beast, called Devil Beasts. Devil Beasts were divided in ranks, and the ones from before were the lowest of the lowest of their kind, considered to be foot-soldiers.

At first, Issei was surprised that these Devil Beasts had managed to infiltrate Phoenix City, but Fang Huan quickly explained that the lair of the Devil Beasts was actually quite close to Phoenix City, and once in awhile they would send out a small pack, which sometimes managed to pass through the breaches in the defenses and enter the city. Despite that, in all occasions, they were dealt with, and because of the undying properties of the Phoenix Soldiers, only few causalities would happen.

Issei also found out many things, such as the fact that Devil Beasts weren't created by the Three Fire Gods, and in fact were of mysterious origins, having appeared out of nowhere. Not only that, all of the factions, in some occasions, would group together in order to stop some bigger Devil Beasts Hordes.

According to Feng Huan, some Devil Beasts of the higher-ranks could be comparable to late class cultivators of the Sovereign Profound Realm, or even of the Divine Profound Realm! It was also rumored that the King of the Devil Beasts was actually in the fabled Saint Profound Realm.

After hearing of so many high cultivation realms, Issei was unsure of whether he should laugh or cry. How come he, who was only in the initial levels of the Nascent Profound Realm, actually got involved in this situation?! If it wasn't for the Fire Seed, just from being around Feng Huan, Issei would have already died one thousand times over!

Be that as it may, in the end, there were still some benefits. Since the spiritual power in the area was so dense, it could be said that Issei could cultivate with half the effort and twice the result. Added to the increase in the strength and durability of his fleshly body that he had gained in the second trial, it could be said that so far, he had benefited greatly from the trials.

Not only that, Issei figured that as long as he could observe more battles between fire-attributed martial artists, he could improve his comprehending regarding the Dao of Fire. In the end, the only problem of this entire situation was that… it was just too strange!

After Feng Huan had explained everything he wanted to, he excused himself politely, telling Issei that he would pass by the next day to show him to some places, and left the room. With Feng Huan's exit, Issei could finally relax, laying back on his bed with a strange expression on his face, contemplating over everything that Feng Huan had told him.

"Devil Beasts…," murmured Issei, recalling those strange and grotesque beasts.

"So many strange things… is this really only a trial?"

Once he thought that far, he could only sigh. If he couldn't see that something

strange was going on, then he wouldn't be worthy of calling himself a cultivator. The situation he was in was simply too elaborate and complex to be considered a trial… at the very least, there was something going on behind the scenes.

"Damn, is this _even_ a trial?"

Issei then shook his head, a bitter expression on his face. What he was more worried about was if he couldn't get out. After all, Xiao Luocheng was waiting for him outside, while Xia Mei was back in the Xiao Sect, eagerly awaiting him. He knew better than anyone that he couldn't stay in this place for too long.

From his calculations, he had already been there for two or three days. At the very most, he could be spend more ten or twenty days, but that would be the maximum. If he stayed further than that, Xiao Luocheng would most likely think that he had been sent to an early grave.

"I can't stay here without doing anything… there's something I must try out," Issei suddenly got up from his bed, a determined expression on his face. He then took in a deep breath and said while looking at the ceiling, "I forfeit."

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Nothing happened.

Suddenly, a bad premonition took over Issei. With a concerned expression, he repeated, "I forfeit."

…

Once more, nothing happened.

Faced with such a situation, Issei determined that his guess was correct. If this was still the same trial of before, according to the rules, the Phoenix Spirit would have brought Issei out of the trial. Since nothing had happened, it could only mean that there was definitely something wrong.

"Just as I thought, it seems that I'm stuck here," Issei sighed, and stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. He wasn't the type to freak out in such situations, and instead, decided that it would be for the best to think of the options he had.

With those thoughts in mind, Issei entered a deep and thoughtful state, deeply thinking about every single information he had acquired. A few minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a plan having formed in his mind.

"Apparently, the original Phoenix is resting here. If my guess is correct, it should probably be at that mountain above that palace… then, maybe, if I manage to wake it up, it could probably answer his questions! This was supposed to be the Phoenix Trials, after all!"

"Alright, so my next step is to infiltrate into the Phoenix's resting area!"

Now that he finally had a plan, Issei could worry about other matters. Such as how he should infiltrate into the Phoenix's resting area, and also the reason he had entered the Phoenix Trials in the first place… the Phoenix Bloodline!

"There should be an interrogation tomorrow. If I manage to pass it, then it shouldn't be hard to get my hands on the Phoenix bloodline…," murmured Issei, a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly, a small smile appeared on his face,

"Wait… since the Three-legged Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird are also here, wouldn't it be a waste to not pay them a visit? Mn! That's it! I will get my hands on all three bloodlines!"

As someone ambitious by nature, how could Issei possibly let the chance of acquiring the bloodline of all three Fire Divine Beasts go? Even though he was currently in a strange predicament, this didn't mean that he would ignore the benefits!

The Bloodline of the three Divine Fire Gods… just thinking about it already made Issei excited. He was unsure of what would happen if he were to actually absorb so many bloodlines, of the Three Fire Gods at that, but he didn't really care. He had confidence that the Fire Seed of the Evil God could avoid any troubles from happening.

After some more minutes of thinking about his current situation, Issei finally let out sigh, laying his back on the bed. A few seconds later, he was already fast-asleep. There was much to do the next day, and he required a good-night's sleep to face his current predicament.

* * *

As he walked through the large streets of Phoenix City, Issei looked at the small vial on his hands, unable to conceal the expression of anticipation on his face. Not too long ago, he had went through the interrogation, which was more of a questionnaire, and after passing it, Feng Huan handed him the vial that was currently in his hands.

This vial contained the blood of the Phoenix.

"And to think that it would be that easy…," said Issei with bliss. "Right now, I must head home as fast as possible. There are five drops of the Phoenix's blood here. The sooner I absorb it, the better."

"Still…."

Issei suddenly frowned, his gaze changing from happiness to an uncertain expression.

"This seemed _way too_ easy. I got over five drops of the Phoenix's blood just like that… This certainly seems strange… Hah… if only Jasmine were here, then she would be able to see whether or not this is the real stuff…."

It was in moments such as this that Issei actually desired for Jasmine's presence. However, she was a truly strange being. When you don't need her, she will be there, ready to torment you. On the other hand, when you actually need her, she happens to be unreachable. Issei could only ruefully smile at his luck.

"And to think that Jasmine chose such a moment to sleep… if she were here, never mind validating the Phoenix's blood, she could probably find out just what is happening around me!" Issei sighed, a complex expression on his face, "Even Eggy would be able to help me out, but she's in coma right now. I truly am alone in this situation…." **[1]**

After saying so, Issei shook his head, pushing those thoughts to the back of his head. He needed to get back to his quarters as soon as possible, so he prepared to increase his walking speed, but suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing.

"This..."

Not too far away from Issei, a young man wearing scarlet robes walked through the crowds. He was clearly handsome, with sharp and sword-like features, emanating deep killing-intent and even the air of nobility. Surrounding him was a flock of girls, who swarmed around him with ingratiating expressions, their eyes shining with adoration.

"Poor fellow," Issei sighed, an expression of pity on his face. "So many girls… I can only imagine how hard his life is. And they all seem to have hidden interests… truly, what a pitiful fellow."

It must be said that Issei was no normal male. If any other man were to see someone surrounded by girls, they would probably display envy or jealousy, but Issei… well, he was special.

He could only be described as such.

"Well… better not get involved…," though Issei, moving his body over to the corner of the street, trying to pass unnoticed by the handsome man who was flanked by the entourage of females in heat. He walked hurriedly, and it seemed that Issei would manage to pass by him without any hitch when…

"Oh! Who's that?"

One of the females that followed the handsome youth happened to glance at Issei's direction, and the moment she saw him, she revealed an astonished expression. Interest shone in her eyes, and she also analyzed Issei closely.

"Mn? What?" murmured the other girls, as they also turned around to look at Issei, wondering what their fellow follower had seen that had captured her attention. The moment they saw him, they immediately stopped, startled.

"Huh?"

The handsome man also stopped, surprised. His gaze fixated on Issei, and upon seeing, his eyes couldn't help but to narrow.

As someone who had considered himself to be handsome all his life, he had great confidence in his appearance, and was quite a narcissist. Despite that, when he caught sight of Issei's sharp and deep features, he couldn't help but to feel surprised. This youth who looked no older than sixteen was handsome… much more than him!

But, what had caught his attention the most were Issei's robes, along with the medallion that he wore near his chest area. The design of his clothes signalized that he was part of the Army's faction of the city, and most important of all, that medallion signalized that this seemingly young cultivator was actually a distinguished elder of Phoenix City!

The handsome man's status was quite high and he was also quite handsome, but no matter if it was in appearance or standing, it was obvious that he paled in comparison to this youth, who in his opinion, reeked of his mother's milk.

As for the females by the man's side, how could they fail to notice Issei's medallion? That summed with his handsome appearance ignite the fire of desire in the hearts of many of the women in the crowd. The handsome man clearly noticed that, his features darkening.

"….Mn?"

Issei suddenly halted his steps, noticing the intense look he was receiving from the crowd of female cultivators. They were like hungry wolves, eying a delicious, fat sheep. Immediately, his eyes widened, a bad feeling welling up inside him.

Not good.

Not good at all!

Before the crowd of females could even react, Issei's eyes narrowed, and he rushed forward, leaving the crowd of females in the dust. They stood there, baffled, as they watched the youth they had their eyes on desperately increasing the distance between them, as if his life depended on it.

The handsome man only looked at what had happened with surprise, and he couldn't help but to feel curious towards this strange distinguished elder, who had suddenly appeared. All of the bad feelings that he had towards him seemed to have dispersed the moment he saw him running away, and all that remained was amusement and curiosity.

"Interesting… interesting indeed! When I head home, I'll ask Royal Brother for whoever this unfamiliar face is!" thought the man with a small smile.

Little did he know that at that very moment, he had made a decision that would change his entire life. His life… and the life of the entire royal family.

This simple decision would actually set forth a chain of events, which could cause the destiny of the entire Phoenix City to change. Treachery would be unveiled, plots and scheming would take place, lives would be lost.

Because of this simple decision, the whole world would undergo catastrophic changes. This decision… would hasten the downfall of the Phoenix Nation, and all the others nations. Countries would fall, enemies would surface, and factions would meet their end.

This simple, seemingly harmless decision was something that… shouldn't have been made.

Or perhaps... it could actually save the lives of many?

It was unknown... whether this decision would cause the end of the realm, or actually save it from its imminent downfall.

No matter what the outcome, what was definite was that this decision would forever change the destiny of the entire realm. As for whether it would be for the best or for the worst… it was impossible to tell.

 _ **Read & Review~! (REVIEW MOAR!)**_

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 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1] -** After Issei's fight with the Black Demon Bandits, he wakes up, and Jasmine tells him that she and Eggy used too much of their energy, and she needs to rest for about two weeks. After that, Issei checks on Eggy's situation and discovers that she is in coma. If you want, re-read chapter 40.


	52. Battle For The Phoenix Blood

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 52 - Battle For The Phoenix Blood**

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In a large and luxurious room, two men in their twenties faced each others, sitting in opposite chairs. The first one was slightly younger than the other, having only turned twenty, and had a respectful, and even bashful, expression on his face.

He was none other than that proud youth whom Issei had met before, the one being flanked by his own entourage of girls – Feng Wen.

As for the man across him, he was one of the Princes of Phoenix City, the Seventh Prince and legitimate son of the Phoenix Emperor, Feng Lan.

Feng Lan was handsome, much more than Feng Wen, his half-brother and bastard son of the Phoenix Emperor. Although Feng Lan's status was much higher than Feng Wen, they still had a rather close relationship, with not much prejudice between them.

In terms of cultivation base, Feng Lan appeared to be only slightly stronger than Feng Wen.

"So… what has brought you to my room today, little brother?" asked Feng Lan, gazing at his younger brother warmly, his hands constantly playing around with a glass-cup, in which a clear velvet wine dance around.

"It's not of much importance, but I have something to ask big brother," Feng Wen smiled politely. "Not too long ago, I came across a strange-looking and seemingly young cultivator. He seemed to be only sixteen or so, and was an unfamiliar face."

Feng Wen then paused for a second before continuing, "What caught my attention was the fact that he seemed to be a distinguished elder, since he held the 'Phoenix Order Medallion'. As such, I would like to ask if big brother knows anything about him."

"A new distinguished elder?" Feng Lan's eyes widened ever so slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, which went unnoticed by Feng Wen. After some moments of silence, Feng Lan fished a small stone from his robes. On the stone, a small formation could be seen.

It was a voice-transmission talisman, which could send messages from large distances.

"Let me see what I can find out about him," said Feng Lan as he brought the voice-transmission talisman to his mouth. After murmuring a few words, a dull light flashed on it, and not even a few seconds later, he already had a response.

While Feng Lan listened to whoever talked from the other side, Feng Wen looked at his brother curiously, seeing the many changes in his expression. Some times, Feng Lan appeared to be angry, other times baffled, but most of the times, enraged. Feng Wen couldn't help but to wonder just what was his brother hearing that could actually make him reveal so many negative emotions.

After some time, Feng Lan finally placed the voice-transmission talisman back in his robes, and his face that had once been warm and friendly was now cold, a deep and wretched scowl marring his features. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and his body seemed to be trembling in what seemed to be rage and, strangely enough, anticipation.

With a stare that could freeze over the world, Feng Lan looked at Feng Wen, who flinched under his brother's gaze. Before Feng Wen could even ask what was happening, Feng Lan opened his mouth to speak.

"Feng Wen," said Feng Lan coldly, his voice full of ruthlessness. "Kill that person."

"Mn?!"

Feng Wen looked at his brother in shock, wondering if he had heard anything wrong.

"B-brother… could you please repeat that?"

"Kill him."

"Brother…," Feng Wen looked fearfully at Feng Lan, cowering under his brother's gaze. After mustering up what remained of his courage, he managed to murmur some words, "But… because… of the World Laws… If I were to kill that elder, since he is from the same faction, that would be betraying the Phoenix Faction, and… It's impossible to do that."

Without a single word, Feng Lan fished out a small, bone-colored token from his robes and tossed it to Feng Wen.

Startled, Feng Wen almost let the small token fall to the ground, but managed to grab it in the end. Despite that, the moment he read the small words engraved on them, he almost let it fall down to the ground in shock.

In small, blood-red letters, the words 'Law Breaker – 3' were engraved on the token.

'Law Breaker' were token that one could use to temporally ignore one of the World Laws. Such tokens were extremely hard to find, and it was said that only the Devil Beast King could create them with his immense power. Each of those tokens are regarded as heaven-defying treasures, and the amount of them in the three factions could be counted in a single hand.

And yet… in his hands… there was actually a 'Law Breaker' token! Not only that, it was the token that enabled one to break the third World Law, which is the law that made the quick changing of factions possible, and also prevented people from back-stabbing their allies, along with betraying their factions. **[1]**

"Brother, this-"

Before Feng Wen could continue, Feng Lan tossed one more token to him. In it, the words 'Law Breaker – 1' could be seen.

"Use it to kill him; It appears that he is impervious to fire, but that doesn't necessarily means that he's strong. From my sources, he's not even of the Sky Profound Realm. Kill him and bring back his head for me."

"But-"

"You aren't allowed to ask questions," Feng Lan interrupted Feng Wen before he could even begin. "Just kill him, come back, and I'll explain the situation. Do it tonight, while he's absorbing the Phoenix Bloodline he just acquired."

"..." Feng Wen looked at Feng Lan with a terrified expression, but didn't dare to show any unwillingness. While burying his feelings of doubt deep within his heart, he turned around and exited the room without a single word, while keeping the two tokens close to his chest.

In normal situations, he wouldn't do something like killing an elder from his own faction, but… at that moment, the pressure he could feel from Feng Lan was actually from the… Divine Profound Realm. The realm above the Sovereign Profound Realm.

* * *

"It seems that I must hasten my plans…."

Feng Lan looked murmured, watching the retreating figure of the man he called brother.

"It was supposed to only happen in a few more years, but… the appearance of this boy, who is impervious to fire even though he's weak, was mentioned in the Old Writings. If he's truly the one mentioned there, then after he matures, _we_ won't have a chance to attack… it's best to be strike earlier than to never do it…."

He then got up from his chair, walking towards the end of his room. With a wave of his hands, a formation appeared on the wall in front of him, which slowly transformed into a large, wooden door. Without hesitation, Feng Lan opened it and stepped inside.

"I must warn the Devil King… the Three Factions have reigned for far too long, and have grown complacent and arrogant. Their era has long since faded, and it's now time… for the Devil Beasts to rise!"

As he said so, Feng Lan fully passed through the door, his surroundings darkening until he couldn't even see his own hands. Not minding the eerie darkness, he continued to walk forward. At the same time, a faint light shone from his chest.

If one were to look beneath his clothes, they would be able to see that embedded on Feng Lan's torso were three tokens, the skin and flesh around them almost rotten and putrid, of a black and decaying appearance.

They were three 'Law Breaker' tokens.

One… for each law.

* * *

While plotting and scheming took place behind the scenes, Issei, who was oblivious to the fact that someone was out for his head, was rushing to his quarters, already thinking of how much power he would have once he absorbed the five drops of Phoenix Blood he had been given.

Within minutes, he reached his quarters, thereupon hastily opening the door to his room, entering it and closing it with a bang, not bothering to lock it. After doing so, he just sat down on the floor, not caring for his surroundings, and took out the small vial from his robes.

"Let's begin!"

Issei exclaimed, his eyes shining with anticipation. He then took took out the lid of the vial, and gazed at the blood-red liquid inside.

There was only a disappointingly small amount of blood within, which could be easily separated into five small drops. Despite that, Issei didn't lost spirit, already having been expecting that. He then analyzed the blood closely, paying close attention to the faint scarlet light around them, and the heat wave that surrounded it, distorting the air.

"Good stuff!" praised Issei, sure that what was in his hands was indeed what he had been expecting; five authentic drops of Phoenix Blood. Aside from the blood of Divine Beasts, which blood could possibly emanate such power and presence?

After calming down his mind, rubbing his temples and taking in deep breaths, Issei brought the small vial close to his lips, and let the equivalent of a small drop of blood fall into his mouth. Previously, he had been told that there were two methods to absorb the blood. One of them was to press them against the space between one's brown, while the other was to directly ingest it.

The first method was the safest one, and also the most used one, but happened to have the worse effect. In contrast to it, the second method was much less orthodox, and also more dangerous. At the same time, the effects of assimilating the Phoenix blood by ingestion were much better than sealing it between one's brows.

Issei, being the daring youth he was, obviously opted for the second way, even though Feng Huan had heavily instructed him not to.

 _"Gulp."_

The small drop of Phoenix Blood passed through Issei's throats, leaving behind a searing hot sensation it its wake. Not even the Fire Seed could completely negate the feeling of warmth of the blood of a Divine Beast.

Soon, the small drop of blood reached Issei's stomach, where it surprisingly seemed to have gained life, phasing through his innards and heading towards his blood-veins. Once there, it was about to circulate together with the other drops of blood, but just at that moment, something happened within Issei.

Inside Issei's heart, a small object made its appearance. It was black and shaped like a cube, with faint magical symbols etched on its surface. This object… was none other than the Magic Cube, which had been slumbering with Issei's body ever since it had been first activated. **[2]**

At the same moment that the Magic Cube awakened, the small drop of Phoenix Blood suddenly stopped in place, and if it had a face, it would surely reveal an expression of terror. That was because, in that moment, an overbearing and tyrannical pressure had locked onto it, bringing it towards Issei's heart.

"What?!"

Issei's eyes widened, feeling the chances within his body. At first, he was jubilant, seeing that the mysterious Magic Cube had awakened, but when he used his consciousness to see that the Phoenix Blood was being dragged to the Magic Cube, his expression went from surprise to shock.

"This… don't tell me… that it plans to absorb it!"

He didn't know why, but at that moment, he had a hunch on what the Magic Cube was planning. Even though it had never happened before, it was clear to Issei that the Magic Cube actually planned on absorbing that drop of Phoenix Blood!

"Dammit! This is MY Phoenix blood!"

In that moment, all of the surprise on Issei's face disappeared, being replaced by rage. The Magic Cube had been sleeping for years, not doing anything no matter how much Issei called for it, and now it actually wanted to just wake up and steal his OWN rewards?!

There was no way that Issei would be willing to see that happen!

"I dare you to!"

Issei roared in rage, employing all of his mental forces in battling against the Magic Cube's oppressive power, which had been about to absorb the Phoenix Blood. At that moment, the Phoenix Blood, which was quickly being dragged towards the Magic Cube, stopped. It immediately became joyous, but before it could celebrate, misfortune struck again!

The Magic Cube also happened to be unwilling to let go of its prey! With reinforced power, it blocked Issei's mental forces, once more locking onto the Phoenix Blood with his power.

At that moment, what was happening was a battle between an angered youth and a magic cube. A battle for the drop of blood of a Divine Beast!

 **Read & _Review~! (If we reach more than 40 reviews on this chapter, there will be two chapters tomorrow. By the way, I'll already warn you guys that the next chapter ends in a cliffhanger, so if you don't want to suffer because of it, then I suggest that you review so you can get the two chapters. If you don't... well, good luck with the cliffhanger!)_**

 ** _Also, per a guest's request, I just want to make it clear that this story is based on Chinese novels, and most of the content before this arc was unoriginal, for most of their part, at least. As for this arc, although it was influenced by Chinese stories, it's still something of my own, with the ideas behind it and the plot being thought up by me. I just want to make all of that clear._**

* * *

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** As mentioned before, there are three World Laws. They are:

The First Law - Spiritual power can only be used as fuel for flame-related attacks.

The Second Law - The Saint Profound Realm can't be reached through normal means.

The Third Law - It's the law that enables the quick changing of factions, as well as the one that makes cultivator unable to betray their own faction. Of course, if they are assimilated into another faction after losing a war, that wouldn't count as betraying, but instead as being converted. The moment they are converted, the color of their armors changes, and the bloodline within them of their previous faction would be eliminated, being replaced by the bloodline of the Divine Beast of their new faction.

 **[2]** Issei received that Magic Cube in Book 1. The previous owner of the Sky Poison Pearl, Liang Ye, gave it to him. If you want, re-read chapters 77 and 85 of the first book.


	53. Escape

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 53 - Escape**

* * *

"Dammit! You bastard!"

Issei roared, but no matter how much he tried, he was unable to stop the Magic Cube from absorbing the Phoenix Blood. Issei could only helplessly watch with his consciousness as the Phoenix Blood was absorbed into the blackish-gray cube.

In the moment that happened, Issei's surroundings disappeared, and before he knew it, he was back in that place he had been in the first time he touched the Magic Cube, where the souls of all the experts it had absorbed resided.

Surrounding Issei were countless small shining dots, some small and some big, thousands in total. They hovered around him, like stars in the deep black sky. It was a sight to behold, and Issei had to admit that it truly painted a picturesque scene.

"..." Issei stared at his surroundings blankly, wondering what had happened, but soon enough, he connected the dots, realizing that because the Magic Cube had absorbed the Phoenix Blood, it had brought him back to this place.

At first, Issei was angered, but the moment he remembered that those countless dots were actually ownerless souls, containing all kinds of knowledge and martial skill, all of his anger faded away, as if carried away by the wind, giving birth to endless excitement.

The last time Issei traveled to that place, he had actually acquired knowledge of Inscription Symbols, along with the cultivation skill called 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', which helped him progress to his current point. It could be said that his gains had been enormous!

And now, he could once more choose another soul!

Countless thoughts flashed by Issei's mind, anticipation shining within his eyes, already imagining the multitude of martial skill, cultivation methods and formation knowledge he would be able to acquire. There were endless possibilities!

This place… it could only be called as a treasure trove! Issei's own treasure trove!

A treasure trove that only opened when it felt like it, but a treasure trove nonetheless!

With such thoughts in mind, Issei's eyes swept over the vast ocean of souls, looking at each of them carefully, not daring to approach even a single one of them. He clearly remembered that the first time he had chosen a soul, he had faced a terrifying backslash, his soul almost being devoured, and that was considering that it was only the smallest one.

As such, Issei knew that it would be unwise to try to absorb one of the bigger souls. If anything, it could be considered suicidal!

Issei may be normally proud, but he knew his own limits. Since he was sure that he wouldn't be able to handle a bigger one, he set his sight on the smaller ones, but still bigger than the one he had absorbed before. After all, he was much stronger than he had been back then, and he wanted to aim for one bigger than the one he had absorbed before.

Not too big, but not ridiculously small. After weighing his pros and cons, this was the conclusion that he had reached.

After some carefully thinking, and deeply considering, Issei settled for a small soul, but that also seemed to shine brighter than the ones around it. He assumed that it would be better than the rest, and chose it in the end. At the very least, it fitted his requirements; not too big, but not too small.

"Here I go…," murmured Issei, extending his arm forward and grabbing the small shining dot. In the moment he did that, it was absorbed into his skin, and flew into his Sea of Consciousness, where it immediately begun to devour everything around it.

"Grr!" Issei groaned and forced himself to seat down, ignoring the painful streaks of pain that ran through his body, which trembled all over. While gritting his teeth, Issei begun to counter-attack that seemingly vicious strand of soul, which wanted to devour his mind.

Second after second, time went by. Some minutes later, Issei's eyes opened, and realized that he was no longer in that black, void-like area, and was back in his room. His body was drenched in sweat, and his clothes stuck to his body like glue. His overall appearance was one of tiredness, but his eyes shined with glee.

In Issei's mind, information after information appeared. Conversations he never had, experiences he never went through, and techniques he had never heard of suddenly made their way towards his memories, merging with them. This process was slow, and it would take a few more hours until Issei could finally manage to fully integrate these new memories into his own self.

Initially, Issei had planned on finishing assimilating those memories and after looking through them, he would carry on with his process of absorbing the Phoenix Blood, but the future not always went as planned.

Suddenly, Issei's eyes narrowed, sensing with his Spirit Power that there was someone approaching his room. The person's speed was fast, and the aura around it seemed to seep killing intent. Whoever was heading towards his room… definitely didn't bring good intentions with them!

"Enemy attack?" Issei thought grimly, realizing that this was actually the worst situation for someone to do an assassination attempt on him. Without a second to spare, Issei forcefully sealed the newly acquired memories in his Sea of Consciousness, deciding to assimilate them later. At the same time, he produced a pill from his cosmos sack, quickly ingesting.

In less than a second, Issei's fatigue faded away, and his spiritual power recovered to its peak. All of the weariness faded from his features, and it was as if he had been reborn, brimming with vitality.

That pill had been handed to him by Feng Huan, and served to recover his mental powers and recuperate his spiritual power. It was a top-grade medicine, and Issei would have surely taken his time in immersing himself in the blissful feeling it originated, but he didn't have the luxury to do that at that moment.

There was an incoming enemy, and preparations had to be done.

"Since I can't sense the person's aura, then it's most likely above and beyond mine…Not only that, it seems rather similar to Feng Huan's aura, so it most likely is also someone of the Tyrant or even Sovereign Profound Realm...," murmured Issei as he stood up, a complex expression on his face. "Normally, I wouldn't be worried since I'm impervious to fire, but since this person actually dared to attack me even though they most likely knows about me… then he or she must have confidence in taking my life! I can't let my guard down!"

Issei knew that the situation was far from good, and tried to think of everything he could, but no matter how much he thought, he just couldn't imagine himself dealing with someone above the Emperor Profound Realm. The difference in power was something that not even secret attacks and careful planning and strategizing could overcome.

When faced with someone of power higher than the Emperor Profound Realm, the only outcome possible for Issei was…. Death!

"Dammit! Jasmine, wake up!"

In this situation, Issei tried to rely on the scarlet-haired little monster, but no matter how much he called for her, she wouldn't answer. He was alone in this, with no plans or strategies, and the enemy was getting closer by each passing second.

In the blink of an eye, the door to Issei's room opened, and a person whose body was completely covered in black clothes entered the room like a shadow, its slender and tall frame standing in front of the door, directly opposite of Issei.

From the small gaps in the black robes, Issei was able to see two dark-red iris, with a deep-black sclera. The pupils were slitted, and these eyes weren't the eyes of a human… No, they were the eyes of a monster!

"You are coming with me."

A voice came from the mysterious black-robed monster-eyes cultivator. Its voice wasn't loud, but it thundered in Issei's ears, and if his self-control had been slightly worse, he would have fallen to the ground.

"..." Issei stared a the black-clothed figure without a word, his mind racing as he thought of everything he could do. Even though he knew that it was a futile effort, this was the only thing that he could in this situation.

The black-clothed figure, seeing Issei's lack of answer, was about to take a step forward, but just at that time, the window next to Issei opened, and a scarlet-robed flew into the room. The red-robed newcomer was actually Feng Wen, who held onto the two 'Law Breaker' tokens with clenched hands.

Feng Wen's fist was pulled back, and without even looking at his surroundings, he said while glaring at Issei, "I'm sorry, but you must die-"

Suddenly, Feng Wen noticed that aside from Issei, there was another person in the room, stopping his attack mid-way. His head jerked to the side, and disbelief flashed in his face as he looked at the black-clothed figure.

Before Feng Wen could say anything, Issei's eyes shone with hope, and he quickly exclaimed while facing the former, "Brother Lou, I'm so grateful that you have received my voice-transmission talisman! Please, help me! As I said before in the transmission, this man if after me! You must help me out!"

After saying so, under the startled gazes of the two intruders, Issei rushed towards Feng Wen, patted him in the shoulder and jumped out of the window. While he escaped, he exclaimed with hints of joy, "Please, stall him for me! I'll got get you some help! You mustn't let him live!"

"..."

Feng Wen looked blankly at the place Issei had been at, completely dazed. His eyes were unfocused, and he was still trying to understand what had happened.

Brother Lou? Who the hell is Brother Lou?! Brother Lou your sister!

Voice-transmission talisman? What the hell?! When did Feng Wen ever receive such a thing?!

While Feng Wen looked at Issei's retreating figure dazedly, rendered motionless by the events that had just taken place, the black-clothed man broke out from his stupor, exclaiming, "Reinforcements?! Humph, as if someone like you can stop me!"

The black-clothed figure's words made Feng Wen awake from his daze, and after seeing that the black-clothed man seemed to believe Issei's words, he felt the urge to curse.

"Dammit, can't you see that he was faking it?!" thought Feng Wen with rage and helplessness, and quickly said, "This is a misunderstanding, I…-"

"Don't try to cover it, you're wearing the Phoenix Faction robes!" the black clothed figure snarled, and a small dagger appeared on his hands. It was clearly small, and yet the pressure it emanated was boundless and ferocious, completely tyrannical. "Whoever stands in my way shall DIE!"

Before Feng Wen could explain the situation, the black-clothed figure was already pouncing at him, completely on the offensive. Facing this situation, Feng Wen could only curse endlessly inside. With no other option, Feng Wen brought out a sword from his cosmos sack, preparing to take the black-clothed figure's attack head on.

Since the black-clothed figure wasn't going to listen to him, then his only option would be to fight. Feng Wen had confidence on his own strength, and although he couldn't make heads or tails out of the situation, he had decided that after dealing with this black-clothed stranger, he would interrogate him and then head towards Issei, already thinking of how he would beat him to death.

However, the moment they exchanged the first few moves, Feng Wen's confident expression faltered, having realized that this black-clothed figure was actually strong! Much, much stronger than he had been originally expecting!

"Dammit!"

Feng Wen cursed, and while placing the two 'Law Breaker' tokens on his robes, he took out another sword. It was obvious that he couldn't underestimate this black-clothed figure… he would have to go all out if he wished to defeat him!

"If you are unwilling to listen, then die!" Feng Wen roared, and started to unleash flame attack after flame attack towards the black-clothed figure. Before long, Issei's quarters was transformed into ruins, with no ceiling whatsoever, while Feng Wen and the black-clothed figure continued to fiercely clash against each other.

 **Read and Review~!**


	54. Killing

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 54 - Killing**

* * *

 _ **(This is the second chapter of today. There was one before it.)**_

In the realm where the Three Divine Fire Beasts resided, known as the Divine Fire Realm, aside from the factions belonging to each of the Divine Fire Beasts, there was one more faction, known as the Devil Faction. If one were to look into it, they would find out that in reality, the Devil Faction was divided into many branches, and not all of them were in good terms with each other. **[1]**

One of the groups within the Devil Faction, the 'Devil's Heart Faction', had some misunderstandings with the 'Royal Demon Faction', and they would constantly compete when it came to currying favor with the Devil King, who ruled the entire Devil Faction.

The seventh prince of the Phoenix Faction, known as Feng Lan, was one of the core-members of the 'Royal Demon Faction', who had entered it over twenty years ago, invited by the Devil King. It could be said that Feng Lan was a double agent; a spy from the Devil Faction in the Phoenix Faction.

At the moment that Feng Lan was explaining his plans to the Royal Demon Faction, the members of the Devil's Heart Faction, through some secret means, managed to discover the content of the Royal Demon Faction's discussion. Immediately, it was decided that the Devil's Heart Faction would send one of their members to assassinate Issei, which was the objective of the Royal Demon Faction. The member they sent was none other than that monster-eyed black-clothed man.

As someone of not much status, the monster-eyed man, who was called Huan Ao, wasn't aware of what the Royal Demon Faction was planning, and believed that he would be the only one to make the assassination attempt. Because of that, the moment he caught sight of Feng Wen, he didn't bother thinking too much about it; he went for the kill.

Soon, however, Huan Ao was shocked to discover that he and Feng Wen were actually of similar power-levels, and were evenly matched. As such, the battle that Huan Ao expected to only last for a few breaths of time actually ended up lasting for dozens of minutes.

"Devil's Mist!"

Huan Ao extended his hands forward, and an eerie black mist rose up from his body, covering his surroundings. This black mist had corrosive properties, and whatever came in contact with it would be exterminated.

"Burning Shield!"

With a vicious expression, Feng Wen waved his sleeves, and a large dome of fire appeared around it, shielding his surroundings from the corrosive mist. By this point, Feng Wen's clothes were filled with gaps and holes, and there were various gaping wounds and gashes on his skin, from which blood flowed without stopping.

"This man… he's tough!" thought Feng Wen grimly, a stern expression on his face as he made use of his power to maintain the 'Burning Shield'. Slowly, he adopted a slightly anxious expression, realizing that the only way for him to beat this mysterious stranger would be to make use of his trump cards.

"Should I use it?" Feng Wen weighed his options, but in the end, he decided to wait a few more before making a certain decision. After all, his trump cards weren't something that could be easily taken out. At the very least, he would have to sacrifice a few years of his life.

Not much later, Huan Ao's 'Devil Smoke' dispersed, and Feng Wen immediately took that opportunity to counter-attack. With a wave of his hands, he dissolved the 'Burning Shield' and rushed towards Huan Ao, his two swords in a cross-shape.

"Phoenix Arrow!"

From the middle of Feng Wen's swords, a flaming scarlet arrow flew out, directly towards Huan Ao. It sailed through the air, breaking apart the wind in the region as ruthlessly clashed against Huan Ao's dagger, which had been raised at some point.

"Crap!" though Huan Ao, sending wave after wave of spiritual power into his raised dagger, while trying to keep his ground at the same time. While he did so, his free hand secretly reached into his dark clothes, taking out five needles, holding them between his fingers. On the tip of each needle, a faint black liquid could be spotted.

Successfully blocking Feng Wen's attack, Huan Ao didn't waste time in throwing his other hand forward, the five needles soaring through the air like arrows, creating ripples in their surroundings as they flew towards Feng Wen, whose face sunk.

While grunting softly, Feng Wen managed to twist his body around, narrowly dodging the five needles. At the same time, his other hand flickered through countless motions, his mind already having made his decision.

Feng Wen had decided… to unleash his trump cards!

"Phoenix Sword-"

"Stop right there, brat!"

Before Feng Wen could even finish, an unfamiliar voice filled the air, and a red-figure descended onto the ground, directly between Feng Wen and Huan Ao.

This newcomer, who had a youthful and handsome face, was none other than Feng Huan!

"You," Feng Huan turned around to face Huan Ao, and without a single word, he extended his hand forward. In the surface, nothing happened, but Huan Ao suddenly fell to his knees, an expression of terror on his face. "Die, Devil Beast."

Feng Huan clenched his extended hand into a fist, making Huan Ao whimper a soft moan of pain, his body falling down onto the ground, unmoving. A few moments later, a deep scarlet flame appeared on his skin, and slowly began to devour his body. Before long, nothing remained of him.

With an unchanging expression, Feng Huan turned his head around, eyingg Feng Wen with a cold and apathetic gaze.

"E-elder General!" Feng Wen hurriedly knelt down onto the ground, a subservient expression on his features. "T-thank you for handling the intruder, I-"

"Speak again and you'll be sent to an early grave," said Feng Huan coolly as he took a step forward, a scarlet longsword suddenly appearing on his hand. When he was only a few feet away from Feng Wen, Feng Huan stopped and said, "Tell me, who order you to take Issei's life?"

"What?!" Feng Wen's eyes widened, a look of terror taking hold of his features. Immediately, he tried to explain himself, "S-senior General, this must be a misunderstanding! Taking Senior Issei's life? This one does not dare!"

"Empty words," uttered Feng Huan with vehemence, his gaze almost piercing into Feng Wen's body. "Don't try to pretend; tell me the truth."

"How does he know?!" Feng Wen thought with astonishment, wondering what had given him out. Still, he didn't try to explain himself again. Instead, he begun, "I was order by the seve-"

Bang!

Just as Feng Wen was about to continue, his expression twisted into one of horror, and his body then exploded in a haze of blood and gore. Nothing remained of him, and not even the Phoenix's fabled revival ability could bring him back to life.

Far away in the distance, a figure that seemed to blend with his dark surroundings turned around and walked away, a cruel and vicious grin on his face. If Feng Wen had been there, he would be shocked, since this mysterious person was actually his half-brother, the seventh prince!

"Sorry, Lil' Bro, but... this hand to be done," said Feng Lan softly, his face not showing a single change in expression, his words devoid of heartfelt feelings. "Still… you brought it upon yourself. Who told you to try to sell me out?"

Suddenly, Feng Lan stopped walking, surprise filling his face. Immediately, he jumped onto the nearest shadow, and with a soft sound, his body disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. Soon after, in the place where Feng Lan had previously been standing at, Feng Huan's figure appeared.

Feng Huan gazed at his surroundings, a serious expression on his features. In his hands, he carried the two 'Law Breaker' tokens, which happened to remain intact even after the explosion.

"Strange… I could have sworn I felt someone around here…," Feng Huan looked around carefully, but his trained eyes were unable to see anything out of the ordinary. After a few more minutes, he sighed, "So that person already escaped… and to think that he or she managed to kill my captive right before my eyes… Things will surely become complicated from now on..."

After saying so, Feng Huan cast his eyes at his surroundings one last time before jumping up into the sky, flying in a certain direction. His speed was exceedingly fast, and in a few seconds, he was already hundred of meters away from where he had been at moments ago.

* * *

In a place far away, near the center of Phoenix City, Issei walked around, his expression unchanging and apathetic, as if he had no interest in mortal matters. Despite that, deep inside, he was being overwhelmed by a feeling of dread and anxiousness.

"Just where is Feng Huan?!" thought Issei anxiously. "It has already been a few minutes since I sent him towards those two bastards… could it be that they are stronger than I had imagined?"

Not too long ago, Issei had rushed to this place after escaping from his living quarters. The area he was in was actually the Spells Pavilion of Phoenix City, and also the place where Feng Huan had told Issei where he would be in case the latter needed anything.

After escaping from the black-clothed man, Issei's first thought was to rely on Feng Huan, who was the strongest cultivator he had ever see since he first arrived in Phoenix City. Thankfully, he had managed to quickly find him, and after a brief summary of the situation, Feng Huan rushed towards his quarters.

Obviously, during the explanation, Issei made sure to make clear that the only reason why he was relying on Feng Huan was that he was afraid to destroy the entire training camp because of his power, and in order to give Feng Huan some face, he decided to let him handle everything.

This was obviously a shameless lie, but Feng Huan blindly believed in Issei, and even considered his rather ridiculous reasons to be rather understandable.

"Still, it seems that that Feng Huan guy trusts me way too much… Hmm, I must somehow take advantage of this in the future…," thought Issei with a slightly wicked smile, already thinking of everything he could do with a single sentence of his part.

By that point, Issei didn't really doubt that even if he asked Feng Huan for an insane amount of cultivation resources, the foolish war general would still give it to him with a respectful smile on his face.

It was in moments like this that Issei realized that being so overestimated wasn't that bad. At the very least, if he could play his cards right, the amount of benefits he would be able to get were simply ridiculous.

As Issei immersed himself in his thoughts, a youth dressed in red flew down from the sky, landing directly opposite him. This youth was Feng Huan, who had rushed back to meet with Issei after dealing with everything.

"Sorry for my tardiness; I met with some matters there that delayed my arrival," explained Feng Huan with an embarrassed smile, not bothering to elaborate too much.

"What about the two intruders?" asked Issei, pushing his previous thoughts to the back of his head and inquiring about the situation.

"They were both killed," Feng Huan revealed a regretful expression. "Originally, I planned on leaving one of them behind so I could interrogate him, but someone else killed him before I could make his speak. I tried to follow after this other person, but no matter how much I searched, I wasn't able to find anything."

"I see… well, good job," said Issei, his face unchanging. To say the truth, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he was expecting such ending. In order to keep secrets of their factions, comrades killing captured members of their factions wasn't something unheard of. In fact, it was actually a very commonplace occurrence.

"It's my job, Senior. I must maintain the order of this city."

"Alright then. What should we do now?" asked Issei after a pause, looking at Feng Huan.

"Ah, yes," Feng Huan nodded as he recalled something. "I must report this to the Emperor; after all, one of the intruders was his bastard son. Senior... would you mind to follow me? It would be better if you could personally explain the situation to the Emperor."

"Very well," Issei nodded. "Lead the way."

 **Read & Review~! (Alright guys, sorry for the late upload. Anyways, I have something for you all. If we reach 80 reviews today, forty on each chapter, then there will be 3 chapters tomorrow. I repeat, 3 chapters tomorrow. I'm also counting guest reviews, so please, review! My suggestion: Review on both chapters. If forty of you leave a review in each of today's two chapters, then there will be 3 chapters tomorrow. So... Review!)**

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 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** I have changed the term 'Divine Fire Gods' to 'Divine Fire Beasts'. At the same time, I have also named the realm (which hadn't been named before) as 'Divine Fire Realm'.


	55. Feng Ru

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon, Tortuous Serpent. (Tortuous Serpent is a friend of mine, who helped me with my first story. This is the only chapter he will be beta-reading, as my official beta-reader is KryoKon. Still, a round of applause for both of them~!)**

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 **Chapter 55 - Feng Ru**

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 **(Today's first chapter! Remember to review on each and every chapter~!)**

It didn't take long for Issei and Feng Huan to reach the throne room. As Issei had imagined, it was situated in the center of the large, humongous, scarlet temple that he had marveled on his first day in the city.

Upon walking into the throne room, the first thing Issei caught sight of was a large throne, on which sat a middle-aged man with a serious expression. He wore large scarlet robes with an equally scarlet crown on his head. This man was handsome, and even though he seemed middle-aged, one could see the mirth and youthfulness in his eyes.

It was clear that in the past, this man had been a womanizer. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he had stopped being one. With his handsome looks, nothing was impossible.

"Emperor."

Feng Huan knelt down on one knee, directly in front of the middle-aged man. With a respectful tone, he said, "I have some to report to Your Honor."

"Speak." The Phoenix Emperor looked at Feng Huan plainly.

"There has been an enemy attack on our newest Distinguished Elder, Senior Issei. One of the attackers was Your Honor's illegitimate son, Feng Wen."

"I see..." The Phoenix Emperor merely nodded, his expression unchanging, completely unfazed by this piece of information. After a while, he asked, "Is he still alive?"

"Dead," Feng Huan shook his head, his voice full of regret. "Someone killed him before I could begin the interrogations."

"No matter," said the Phoenix Emperor while shaking his head, clearly not surprised. "Is there anything else?"

"Actually..." Feng Huan looked at Issei out of the corner of his eyes. Seeing Issei's calm and aloof behavior, he hesitated for a while, but in the end said, "I have brought the targeted Distinguished Elder here."

"I can see that." The Phoenix Emperor nodded, locking his sharp, sword-like gaze on Issei, who remained undisturbed and calm. After some moments, the Phoenix Emperor said, "You seem rather young."

"I have used some means to preserve my youth, Emperor," said Issei as their eyes locked in a passive stance between royalty and those just under him, his hands held behind his back in a calm, politeful and respectful manner.

"Oh?" The Phoenix Emperor raised his left eye-brow up, somewhat amused. "Then, tell me, which means can a child in the Nascent Profound Realm use to preserve one's youthfulness?"

Issei looked at the Phoenix Emperor with a blank expression. After a while, he managed to organize his thoughts and resumed his calm demeanor while saying, "I wonder what the Emperor is talking about?"

"Child, you are a thousand years too early to fool this old man." The Phoenix Emperor shook his head with a slight smirk. He then looked at Feng Huan and said, "You may excuse yourself. I wish to talk with him alone."

"As you wish." Feng Huan took a step back, his expression slightly dazed. After casting Issei a side-way glance with a questioning look, he exited the room.

The Phoenix Emperor merely glanced at Issei and rose up from his throne. He then turned around and started walking towards the back of the room. While he did so, he said, "Follow me, child. There's something I want you to see."

The Phoenix Emperor didn't wait for Issei's response, and continued walking, as if it didn't matter whether Issei followed him or not. Issei looked at the Phoenix Emperor questionably, but in the end he followed the middle-aged man.

In the end, Issei figured that since the Phoenix Emperor had figured out his true cultivation base, killing him would be easier than swatting a fly. As such, even if he didn't want to, he had no other choice but to follow after him. Not only that, Issei couldn't discern any ill-intent in the Phoenix Emperor's voice, so although he was rather wary, it wasn't to the point of being frightened for his life.

Eventually, they reached what seemed to be a plain, scarlet wall. Without a single word, the Phoenix Emperor opened his hand, and pushed his palm onto the wall while murmuring a few words.

A soft and faint sound filled the air, and in the next moment, the wall in front of them distorted, giving birth to a long, spiral staircase, with no end in sight.

"Come along," said the Phoenix Emperor, as he ascended the large, serpentine staircase. Issei stayed motionless for a few seconds, but in the end sighed and followed after the Phoenix Emperor.

As Issei continued to ascend the spiral-staircase, he slowly came to the realization that he had completely underestimated the length of the staircase, and what he thought would be a tireless climb to the top was actually rather bothersome and exhausting.

It was only a short while later that Issei finally arrived at the end, entering a large and broad room. There wasn't any decoration, being completely bare and devoid of any attempt to liven the boring room up. Its sheer size was enough to frighten anyone, and the walls, ceiling and floor were of a deep scarlet color.

Not saying even a single word, the Phoenix Emperor walked into the large room, with Issei following after him. A few moments later, the Phoenix Emperor suddenly stopped, and surprisingly crossed his arms and smiled.

"So, when do you plan on showing yourself?" asked the Phoenix Emperor, the corner of his lips curled upwards. "You surely don't think that this trifling illusion is enough to fool me, right?"

At the side, Issei looked at the Phoenix Emperor strangely, wondering who he was talking to, but all of a sudden, the sound of a clear and soft chuckle rang by his ears. Surprised, Issei turned around, but didn't see anything behind him.

"What's happening–"

Before Issei could even continue, a scene that he would never be able to forget took place in front of him. Around him, object after object begun to materialize, and before long, the entire room, which had once been empty, was full of all kinds of structures and objects.

There were countless altars, statues and other miscellaneous things laid around the area. In the middle of the area was a colossal statue of a phoenix with both of its glorious wings spread wide open in magnificence and recognition. Although it was clearly a statue, it seemed to be made of countless flames, and was majestic in every way.

Perhaps most eye-catching of all was that on top of the head of the statue, sitting down while swinging her dainty legs in the air was a young, cute and mischievous-looking girl. She was definitely a beauty, and seemed rather innocent and gleeful, her eyes of a clear and bright scarlet color. Her long black hair scattered on her shoulders, and she looked just like a doll.

"LinLin, you meanie!" The young girl pouted while jumping off the head of the phoenix. Instead of falling to the ground, she simply swayed like a leaf in the wind before swiftly landing, a mirthful expression on her face. "Don't spoil my fun like that!"

"Priestess, please be serious." The Phoenix Emperor sighed as he rubbed his temples, clearly used to this young girl's behavior. "I want you to do me a favor."

"Oh? A favor for LinLin? Whaddya what?" The young girl tilted her head to the side cutely, placing her hands behind her back and slightly leaning her body forward, making her look completely adorable, just like a young, curious child.

"First, please introduce yourself to our guest," the Phoenix Emperor motioned towards Issei.

"Ah! Didn't see ya there! Tehee!" The young girl turned around to face Issei, and with a cute and adorable expression, she lightly tapped on her head with her hand, looking rather innocent. Then, with a rather clumsy bow, she smiled brightly at Issei. "Mister can call me RuRu!"

Issei looked at the girl plainly, too stupefied to say anything. By this point, he didn't know what was happening anymore.

"Brat, introduce yourself properly."

The Phoenix Emperor walked over to the young girl and lightly smacked her on the back of her head with an annoyed expression. He clearly wasn't amused by the young girl's behavior.

"Ouchie! LinLin, you bully!" The young girl rubbed the back of her head a cutely pouted, with fake tears in the corner of her eyes while murmuring something about how bullies should die. In the end, she once more looked at Issei, and after casting an annoyed look at the Phoenix Emperor, introduced herself again, "Alright, my full name is Feng Ru, but you can call me RuRu, FengFeng, Ru'er, Xiao Ru-"

The Phoenix Emperor smacked her on the back of the head again with an exasperated expression, stopping her from her endless rumbles. He then turned towards Issei, and with a slightly more friendly expression, said, "This girl is the Phoenix Priestess, Feng Ru. Call her whatever you want to... as for my name, I'm called Feng Lin."

 _Phoenix Priestess?_

Issei looked at the young girl with bafflement, wondering if he had heard it correctly. This young girl was actually... the Phoenix Priestess?! Initially, Issei had imagined the Phoenix Priestess to be a dignified old-woman with a head full of white hair. But a young, cheerful girl was clearly not within his expectations.

As if noticing Issei's inner surprise, Feng Lin, the Phoenix Emperor, smiled ruefully and merely commented, "Indeed, I was also surprised when I found out …."

Feng Ru's body suddenly straightened upon hearing Feng Lin's words, as if struck by lightning. She then smiled mischievously and said happily while giggling, "You should have seen LinLin's face back then! It was hilarious!"

"Ah..." Issei merely shook his head, still taken-aback by what was happening. Then, out of a sudden, he revealed an expression of shock. From what he had read, Feng Lin had been the Emperor for more than four thousand years already... and they are talking about the day they first met... could this mean that...?"

"Hmm... forgive me for asking, but... just how old are you?"

"I'm going to be thirteen this year!" Feng Ru puffed up her chest and proudly stated.

Issei revealed a smile, and was about to let out a breath of relief when...

"Thirteen thousand!" continued Feng Ru, her expression as joyful as always.

Issei's eyes widened as he stared ahead blankly, not daring to believe his own ears. He then spared a glance at the Phoenix Emperor, only to see him nodding his head, confirming Feng Ru's words. This meant that this little girl, who looked barely twelve, was actually... ….

… Thirteen thousand years old!

It was as if Issei's entire world had crumbled to dust. Issei considered himself as a person who took things in stride, no longer surprised by the intricacies of the world, but this...? This was simply unbelievable! He could accept thousands of kilometers-long beasts, Gods, Divine Beasts and Heavenly Treasures, but a thirteen-thousand-years-old Priestess who looked and acted like a little girl?

Just that thought alone already caused Issei's mind to reel, and he almost couldn't control himself. It took him a long time to calm himself down, and once he did so, the first thing he did was to change the subject. His little heart wouldn't be able to take such amazing things anymore.

"Phoenix Emperor... could you tell me why you have brought me to see this little girl—I mean, the Phoenix Priestess?"

Feng Lin nodded at Issei's words, and turned around to face Feng Ru, "Priestess, I want you to determine whether or not this child... is the one said in the Old Writings."

"Mhm?" Feng Ru's gaze suddenly turned curious, and she scanned Issei from head to toe. She said, "Mister is in the Nascent Profound Realm... Hmmm... well, that should be weak enough. Then... are flames unable to hurt you?"

"Yes." Issei nodded, not concealing the truth.

"Mmm... That fits the requirements...," murmured Feng Ru thoughtfully as she walked circles around Issei, looking at him from each and every angle possible. Some time later, she stopped and for the first time, looked at him seriously, "There's something I must ask... Have you ever heard of the Evil God?"

 _ **Read & Review~! **_


	56. The Old Writings

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 56 - The Old Writings**

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 ** _(Second chapter of the day~!)_**

 _Evil God?_

Issei looked at Feng Ru while hesitating, not sure whether he should tell the truth or not. After some time, he came to a conclusion and sighed.

"I have heard of him."

"Mn, that's what I thought," Feng Ru smiled as she nodded. Then, she circled around Issei one last time, coming to a stop in front of him and saying, "Then I suppose you have acquired its legacy, right?"

"That's right..."

"I knew it! Great!"

Suddenly, Feng Ru lost all of her seriousness, reverting back to her childish, joyful persona. She skipped around happily, jumping up and down in ecstasy as she smiled brightly, able to charm the entire world.

"This will be soooooo cool!" Feng Ru shrieked happily, unable to contain her emotions anymore. Her excitement lasted for a few more minutes, and it took quite some time for her to calm down slightly. Feng Lin had a part in it, as he had smacked her on the back of the head a few times.

Once Feng Ru managed to contain her glee, she cleared her throat, trying to seem like an adult, but only ending up looking cute and innocent. She then smiled at Issei brightly and waved her hands, a thin book materializing out of thin air. Without a single word, she threw it towards Issei.

"Mn?" murmured Issei, surprised as he caught the book from mid-air. Then, he flipped it open, and after reading through it quickly, an expression of shock appeared on his face.

"This... this... this..."

"Surprised?" Feng Ru smiled brightly, "Now that Mister knows the truth, what are ya gonna do?"

"..." Issei kept quiet, glancing at the book in his hands one last time. His expression was thoughtful as he pondered on what he should do. Eventually he sighed and said, "I'll help you out."

"Great!" chirped Feng Ru, a faint rosy sheen on her cheeks as her body trembled, full of excitement.

She then raised her fist forward, and said with what she assumed to be a mighty voice, "It's time for the Devil Beasts to lose! Phoenix Faction, riseee!"

Standing by the side, Feng Lin sighed, and walked towards Issei, his expression much more friendly than before. While ignoring Feng Ru's excited shouts, he began, "Since you have read the Old Writings, then you should already know the gist of the situation. Tell me, are you really planning to go along with it?"

"I am," Issei nodded, a resolute expression on his face. "I have decided to... help you guys out with your war against the Devil Beasts."

In reality, it wasn't as if Issei had a choice to begin with. From what he had read on that small book, titled as the Old Writings, the arrival of the inheritor of the legacy of the Evil God had already been foreseen by the three Divine Fire Beasts. Before they slumbered, they created this small book, which should be passed to the inheritor of the Evil God's legacy should he arrive.

In the book, it actually explained that this entire realm, in fact, was some kind of test, left behind by the Three Divine Fire Beasts. It only had one purpose – to test the abilities of the successor of the Evil God.

From what Issei had read, long ago, the Evil God has helped out the Three Divine Beasts with a common enemy, and because of that, they felt like they owed him a favor. As such, in order to repay him, the Three Divine Fire Beasts arrived at an agreement that if they deemed the successor of the Evil God to be worthy, they would bless him with their legacies.

This realm was the place where the test would be held, while the objective of the tests was simple – To save the realm from destruction. Before they entered their state of slumber, the Three Divine Fire Beasts had brought a race of beings from the Higher Realm, the Devil Beasts, into it. They didn't know how powerful they would grow, but they figured that it would be enough to pose a challenge to the successor of the Evil God.

Once the successor of the Evil God managed to defeat the Devil Beasts, the Three Divine Fire Beasts would awaken and not only would they allow him to exit the Divine Fire Realm, they would grant him all of their legacies. At the same time, if the successor of the Evil God were to fail... then, he would perish, and the entire realm would be conquered by the Devil Beasts.

This meant... that the destiny of the entire Divine Fire Realm now rested on Issei's hands.

Even if Issei didn't want to help out, it wasn't as if he had another option. To begin with, in order to exit this realm, he needed to wake up the three Divine Fire Beasts. And, the only way to do that would be to defeat the Devil Beasts...

As such, because of all of that, Issei didn't have any hesitation towards his choice of helping them out.

….

"Good," Feng Lin nodded upon hearing Issei's answer, clearly feeling the determination behind it. He then smiled and said, "Then, what do you plan on doing now?"

Feng Lin and the Phoenix Priestess had already read the book once, but the words they had seen where different from what Issei had read. There was no information about it being a test for Issei or anything. Instead, it only said that the successor of the Evil God would be their only means of salvation.

Aside from Feng Lin and the Phoenix Priestess, in the entire Divine Fire Realm, only a few more people knew of the content of the book. They were the Vermillion Bird Priestess and the Vermillion Bird Emperor, the Golden Crow Priestess and the Golden Crow Emperor and finally the Devil King.

"We should seek help from the other factions," said Issei after some thought. "After all, the Devil Beasts are a common enemy, and since I have appeared, then they should be beginning their attacks soon. I alone won't be able to defeat them, and we'll have to ask for help from the other two realms."

"I thought as much," Feng Lin nodded, not surprised by Issei's answer. Then, he paused slightly before saying, "Actually, this will be a rather hard feat to accomplish. After all, the three factions have been at odd for the past hundreds of thousands years. The only way to do that would be to have you visit the factions personally, and explain the situation to the Emperors and Priestesses of the other factions. But this won't be easy, since it would be rather hard even for you to enter their territory."

Issei merely nodded, already expecting that. Aside from that, he also knew the hidden meaning behind Feng Lin's words. Before he could make his trip to the other two factions, he must at the very least increase his power so he could defend himself. And, since Issei was in a hurry to get there, he would have to somehow do this very quickly.

He didn't have even a second to spare.

"I must increase my power... then, I think that it would be wise to first absorb the Phoenix Blood...," said Issei after some thought. Feng Lin nodded, and stepped back, giving Issei some space. Seeing that, Issei nodded slightly, and was about to take out the vial with the remaining four droplets of Phoenix Blood when...

"Mister, don't do that yet!"

Feng Ru, who had been cheerfully thinking about how they would win against the Devil Beasts, suddenly stopped upon seeing Issei about to absorb the Phoenix Blood. Then, she ran forward, quickly arriving in front of him and taking the vial from the surprised Issei's hands.

"Don't absorb this rubbish," Feng Ru shook her head, throwing the small vial to the side disdainfully, as if it was crap. After doing so, she took out a small vial from her own clothes, and much to Issei's and even Feng Lin's surprise, cut a wound on her arm, letting her deep scarlet blood fall into the vial. After ten drops had fallen, the wound magically disappeared, and Feng Lin closed the lid of the vial, handing it to Issei.

"Absorb this, Mister," said Feng Ru with a bright smile. "The Phoenix Blood in the other vial is artificial, and only has less than one percent of the Phoenix Blood, the rest of it being water. You see, the way that Phoenix Blood was produced was by dropping a drop of my blood in more than one hundred liters of water. That is the blood giving to the members of the army, and even the officials. My

blood, however, is the real deal."

Issei looked with surprise at Feng Ru, but eventually took the small vial from her hands. By the side, Feng Lin was also surprised, but he didn't say anything, only keeping quiet and looking at Feng Ru with slight bafflement.

"Priestess Ru, since you said that your blood is actually the blood of the Phoenix, does this mean ..." trailed off Issei, not really sure whether or not he should say his next words.

"I'm part of the Phoenix," Feng Ru nodded. "You see, before the Three Divine Fire Beasts closed their eyes to sleep, they left behind a piece of their flesh and spirit, which transformed into the three Priestess. It could be said that we priestess are parts of the Divine Beasts we represent. Because of that, although my blood isn't nearly as pure as the True Phoenix's blood, it's still much better than the one in the vial from before. Also, by absorbing it now, when you absorb the True Phoenix Blood in the future, it will make the process easier."

"Wait, Priestess, you are part of the Divine Phoenix?" Feng Lin widened his eyes, never having heard of that before. As far as he knew, every once in a while – roughly once every one hundred thousand years –, a new Priestess would take on the position of the last.

"Yes," Feng Ru looked at Feng Lin and nodded, a bright smile on her face. "I know what LinLin is thinking... shouldn't the Priestess change every one hundred thousand years? Yes, that's somewhat the truth. You see, since I'm part of the original Phoenix, my body works different from others. Every one thousand years, I'll age the equivalent of one year. Once I reach the age of being one hundred years, which would be one hundred thousand years, I would turn to cinders, and from my ashes, I would be reborn again as the new Priestess."

"So it was like that..." Feng Lin nodded faintly.

"Anyways, that's not the point now," said the Phoenix Priestess while shaking her head to the sides. Then, she turned to Issei and said, "Absorb these ten drops of my blood. Once you do so, I'll bring you to a place where your strength will be able to increase quickly. After that, you can go to the Eternal Heaven Nation and to the Dead Soul Empire." **[1]**

Issei nodded, and without hesitation, opened the vial and let one drop of blood fall into his mouth. In that moment, he was able to clearly feel the difference in quality between the Phoenix Blood he had absorbed before and the current Phoenix Blood. While the artificial one was wild and tyrannical, Feng Ru's blood was much calmer, but at the same time, was tens of thousands of times richer when it came to power.

From what Issei could tell, if Feng Ru's blood wasn't this controlled and peaceful, and actually willing to merge with him, then even with the Fire Seed of the Evil God, he would have died thousands of times. This was simply the difference in power between Issei, a mortal, and Feng Ru, who was born from the blood and flesh of a Divine Beast.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

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 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** Eternal Heaven Nation is the place where the Vermillion Bird sleeps. As for Dead Soul Empire, it's where the Three-legged Golden Crow is situated.


	57. The Phoenix

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

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 **Chapter 57 - The Phoenix**

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 _ **(Third chapter of the day~! Remember to review~!)**_

The absorption of Feng Ru's blood surprisingly succeeded without a hitch. It was unknown whether the Magic Cube was full or had lost interest in more blood, but it didn't act up this time, quietly sleeping within Issei's heart.

When Issei noticed that, he felt some complex feelings. He was glad that he didn't lose any drop of blood this time, but he had also been looking forward to getting more memories, so he didn't know what to feel. In the end, he could only accept his fate.

At the same time, he also made a mental note to begin assimilating the new memories that he had gotten as soon as he could. After all, he was filled with anticipation as to what he would be able to learn this time. Martial Skills, Cultivation Methods, different and abstruse powers... Issei just couldn't wait for it!

Slowly, second after second went by, and a few dozen minutes later, Issei managed to absorb the tenth and last drop of Feng Ru's blood. The moment he did so, surprisingly, his eyes shone with a scarlet light, and what seemed to be a blazing Phoenix appeared in his pupils. While this happened, tribal-like marks appeared all over his body, covering the entirety of his skin.

This only lasted for a second, but in the time it did, although Issei's cultivation base didn't increase, his battle prowess soared to new heights. His body had went through a process similar to Nirvanic Rebirth; he could feel his flesh tougher and more flexible, while the strength he could muster increased drastically. A flame-like imprint suddenly flashed between Issei's brows, but disappeared soon after, as if it had never been there in the first place.

After the process of absorbing the Phoenix Blood was done, Feng Ru, who had been patiently waiting by the side, smiled and cheerfully grabbed his hand, and while skipping around, brought him to a different place in the large temple.

Feng Lin, being left behind, looked at the two of them blankly and sighed. Then, he sat down in the ground, crossed his legs and began to meditate as he awaited for Issei and Feng Ru to finish whatever they needed to do.

"This may take a while..." murmured Feng Lin lightly. His mind began to wander, and before long, he was already immersed in cultivation, his mind focused on the various matters he would soon need to attend to.

After all, as the Phoenix Emperor, there were various things he had to solve and deal with now that the all-out war against the Devil Beasts was quickly approaching.

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"Where are we going?" asked Issei as he was forcefully dragged around by the excited Feng Ru, a strange and complex expression on his face, having realized that he was unable to release himself from Feng Ru's grip.

They had long since left the scarlet room of the temple, and had begun climbing up a flight of steps, heading to the higher levels of the temple.

"You'll soon see!"

Feng Ru smiled mischievously, concealing the truth. She continued to skip around happily, quickly ascending the staircase while dragging the poor Issei behind her.

Eventually, they reached the end of the staircase, entering a higher level of the temple. In front of them was a relatively small scarlet door, only twice of Issei's size, which was significantly smaller when compared to the doors he had seen so far in Phoenix City, which were dozens of times his sight.

"It's in here." Feng Ru smiled brightly, her eyes shining with anticipation. Then, she walked forward and pushed open the doors without a care in the world, revealing the other side.

Instantly, a heat-wave collided against Issei, powerful enough to even make him, who had the Fire Seed, tremble. His eyes closed instinctively, and a while later, they opened again, allowing him to see whatever was in the other side of the door.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a room or anything in front of him. Instead, there was a vast and boundless landscape of lava, fire and flames. It was similar to the first trial of the Phoenix Trials, but at the same time, it was of a much higher quality, being hundreds of times hotter and much more tyrannical.

"This is the resting place of the Phoenix!" Feng Ru chirped happily at Issei's side, her clear eyes shining like the endless river of stars in the vast cosmos. She then turned around to face Issei and continued, "Originally, this was only a normal room, like the one from before, but after millions of years, the aura of the Phoenix had permeated into it, slowly transforming it into a separate dimension of fire and lava."

Feng Ru then turned her head back to the endless landscape in front of them while saying, "At the very end of this place, the true Phoenix sleeps. I'll bring you there later on," Feng Ru then paused and her smiled widened, "Mister, this is the place I had in mind for you to increase your strength. By cultivating here, because of the blood of the Phoenix in your veins, your progress will be extremely fast."

Issei nodded faintly at Feng Ru's words, too engrossed in marveling the landscape in front of him. His mind raced, and he was already thinking of how much his understandings on the Dao of Fire would be able to progress.

"Let's go~!" Feng Ru exclaimed and grabbed Issei's hand once more, happily walking onto the separate dimension in front of them. They traveled quickly, and since Issei was resistant to fire, while Feng Ru was part of the Phoenix, they weren't affected at all by the terrifying scarlet flames.

Time passed by quickly, and without them knowing it, they had already been walking for more than three hours. Feng Ru's speed was overwhelmingly fast, and in that period of time, they had already crossed hundreds of kilometers.

In the beginning, Issei was able to keep up with her, but at some point, Feng Ru couldn't contain her excitement anymore and simply grabbed Issei, using her own power to boost his speed up, soaring through the landscape.

Before long, they reached what seemed to be the core-region of this separate dimension. The air in the region was incredibly thick – almost tangible – because of the sheer density of the spiritual power in the region, and it was of a faint red color.

There was no longer any ground, only an endless ocean of scorching hot magma beneath them. If it wasn't for the fact that Feng Ru was able to hover above the ground while carrying Issei with her, then the latter would have already fallen into the endless ocean of lava beneath him.

"We're almost there~!" Feng Ru smiled brightly, and after stopping for a second, continued to drag Issei through the air, covering hundreds of meters in second. As they flew, the density of the spiritual power in the region only grew thicker, and the scorching-hot waves of heat that clashed against them kept growing more and more intense, soon reaching the point where Issei began to sweat profusely.

When he had acquired the Fire Seed of the Evil God, Issei had originally thought that even the true fire of a Divine Beast would be unable to harm him, but he soon realized that that was not the case. The heat-waves caused by the aura of the Phoenix could already cause him to feel a sense of impeding dread. It seemed that he had completely underestimated the might of a Divine Beast, and somehow overestimated the power of the Fire Seed.

In reality, it wasn't that the Fire Seed wasn't that great. The problem was that Issei was simply fartoo weak, and his understandings regarding the Dao of Fire – although astonishing for his age – were still shallow. Because of that, he was unable to bring out the true potential of the Fire Seed of the Evil God, which lead to the current situation.

Feng Ru seemed to have noticed that Issei was having trouble handling the heat, so she turned her head towards him and said with a smirk, "You know that you can just activate the power of the Phoenix Blood within you, right? It can help you out tons."

"Mn?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, and he felt incredibly foolish at that moment. He then quicklycirculated his spiritual power within him, activating the ten drops of blood that coursed through his veins.

Between Issei's brows, a flame-like mark appeared. It burned brightly with a deep scarlet-color, making a slightly unfamiliar power fill his body. At the same time, Issei's originally dark-brown eyes grew to a crimson color, and the pressure of the heat around him greatly diminished. Not only that, surprisingly... Issei could feel the heat around him permeating into his body, fusing with his flesh, skins, bones and marrow!

The aura of the Phoenix in the atmosphere was being drawn to him, and Issei's body was just like the center of a vortex, greedily sucking the Phoenix's aura in his surroundings.

Next to Issei, Feng Ru could clearly feel the changes in the former's body, and smirked. Then, she increased their speed even further, no longer needing to worry about whether or not Issei would be able to handle the pressure. If anything, the aura in the area could even help him out to increase his cultivation base.

Eventually, Feng Ru stopping flying, having finally reached their destination. In front of her and Issei was a small patch of golden land amidst the overflowing lava. On top of this patch of land was a small animal, which seemed to be made out of flames. It took the shape of a bird, and was currently sleeping.

"That is the Phoenix," Feng Ru explained as she pointed at the small, cute flaming bird, much to Issei's shock and confusion. Noticing Issei's expression, she explained, "The Divine Beasts are able to freely change their shape and form, specially the Phoenix, which is made of flames. As such, instead of using its form, it took this miniature form."

"So it was like that..." Issei nodded, but the shock in his face had yet to fade. After all, even if it seemed small and harmless, the being in front of him was still a Divine Beast, comparable to the Ancient Gods of millions of years ago.

In front of Issei... was a legend.

"I can bring you closer."

Feng Ru smiled brightly, noticing Issei's expression that betrayed his sheer curiosity and amazement. Without waiting for Issei's answer, she slowly flew forward, towards the small patch of golden land. Upon arriving on it, she let go of Issei's wrist, letting him fall on top of it.

After doing so, Feng Ru smiled cheerfully and said softly, "Cultivate here for the time being. Ten days from now, I'll come back to bring you out. By then, you should be able to have the strength to enter the two other factions."

Without waiting for Issei's reply, she turned around and flew back in the direction they had come from, skipping happily in the air, as if strolling in a field of flowers. Her expression was carefree and innocent as she wandered around the endless river of flames, feeling completely at ease in this familiar atmosphere.

As for Issei, he looked at the cheerful Feng Ru, and only smiled softly, not saying anything. Eventually, he turned his head around, catching sight of the sleeping Phoenix. After a moment of hesitation, he walked closer to it, and given the ridiculously small of the patch of land they were in, he quickly reached the small flaming bird.

"To think that this is actually a Divine Beast...," murmured Issei, looking at the Phoenix in amazement. It wasn't noticeable in the beginning, but now that he was closer to it, Issei was able to clearly feel the majestic and boundless aura around the sleeping Divine Beast.

Its power was far beyond his scope of comprehension, and more than anything, it evoked a feeling of awe when other looked at it. Its size may be small, but Issei was sure that no one would dare to look down on it.

From what Issei could tell, just the aura around it was already far beyond the level of power he had felt from Jasmine, whom he had always believed to be an unbeatable existence. Even when compared to Liang Ye, the previous owner of the Sky Poison Pearl who was far above the Saint Profound Realm, the faint aura around the Phoenix was thousands of times superior.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	58. New Powers

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 58 - New Powers**

* * *

 ** _(Fourth and last chapter of the day! There were three more before it~!)_**

After looking at the sleeping Divine Beast by his side for quite some time, Issei eventually figured that he had seen enough, and turned his gaze away, now focusing on the endless ocean of lava that surrounded him. Around his body, countless threads of Yang-attributed spiritual power, present in the atmosphere, circled around, some of them burrowing into the flame-lime mark in the middle of his brows. **[1]**

It was faint in the beginning, but now that he was able to cultivate near the Phoenix, Issei could clearly feel that the quality of his spiritual power was quickly increasing, while the power of Feng Ru's blood was also being nurtured by the atmosphere around him.

If the Yang-attributed spiritual power could be compared to an endless stream of water, Issei was like a black-hole, which greedily devoured everything around him. As Issei cultivated quietly next to the Phoenix, circulating the spiritual power within him according to the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', a small vortex was formed around him, with him as the center. **[2]**

It was said that once Yang-attributed spiritual power reaches a certain density, it could manifest and take form, becoming pure Yang Fire. At this moment, the flaming vortex around Issei was completely made out of Yang Fire, which permeated into his body, fusing with him.

Every part of Issei's body was affected by the constant influx of Yang Fire, and dozens of hours later, an astonishing event took place, and Issei's body, which had only been stronger than average due to his cultivation method, went through great change!

The Yang Fire was completely assimilated into Issei, and the entire structure of his fleshly body changed, giving birth to a legendary constitution known as a pure Yang body. A pure Yang body was a type of fleshly body that could be formed after being tempered by Yang Fire. Normally, it would take countless years for this transformation to occur, but since Issei was completely surrounded by Yang Fire, this transformation took place in only a few hours. **[3]**

There were many means to acquire a pure Yang body. Sometimes, it was possible to be born with it. Another way was to absorb a pure Yang spirit, which would manifest in habitats where the yang-attributed spiritual is rich and dense. It could be said that Issei's method was one of the easiest ones to accomplish, but at the same time, it also had the poorest results.

Pure Yang bodies were divided into grades, and the higher the purity of the Yang Fire within a pure Yang body, the higher the grade. As of this moment, the grade of Issei's pure Yang body was the lowest one. Despite that, the moment it manifested, Issei could immediately feel the change in his absorption rates.

Within seconds, he had been able to absorb the same amount of Yang-attributed spiritual power he would normally take over an hour to. It was as if Issei's degree of familiarity with the Yang Fire around him had greatly increased, and it was actually willing to merge into him.

The moment this happened, Feng Ru, who had been skipping around happily in the ocean of lava suddenly stopped, her big, bright eyes widening. Her head then turned around, gazing at the direction where Issei was, and all of a sudden, she smiled brightly.

Then, she went back to strolling around, but this time, it was clear that she was much happier and excited when compared to before.

* * *

It had already been two days since Issei began cultivating next to the Phoenix, and his cultivation base had risen to the middle-stages of the Nascent Profound Realm, already in the fifth level. This rate of progress was astonishingly fast, and nothing short of terrifying. Not only that, if Issei were to activate the golden lightning, his cultivation base would rise to the sixth level of the Nascent Profound Realm! **[** **4** **]**

Actually, it wasn't that much of a surprise. After all, Issei's cultivation had been stagnated at the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm for far too long, and he had been holding back his breakthroughs into the other realms. It was only that after being stimulated by his surroundings, Issei's cultivation base had begun a steep climb.

This particular day was different from the previous ones. That was because Issei had finally decided to unseal the memories he had acquired not too long ago, since he figured that he had already been postponing it for long enough. Thus, on this day, he unsealed the memories of the elder and begun to assimilate them into his Sea of Consciousness.

This process lasted for a few hours, and it was only a long time later that Issei managed to assimilate the final piece of memory. By this point, his mind was already filled with countless experiences and strange information that certainly didn't belong to him.

This simple fact filled him with a feeling of boundless expectation.

"Alright, let's see what kind of memories I have gotten this time!"

Issei closed his eyes and began to search through his newly-acquired memories, and he quickly became immersed, taking his time in looking through them. Hours later, he opened his eyes again, and his expression was unable to contain the joy and glee that he felt.

Although most of the information he had acquired were on array formations, since the elder he had absorbed the memories from seemed to be an array-master, and there was no cultivation method, Issei had found three superb martial skills. **[** **5** **]**

The two martial skills that Issei had found were called 'Pulse Cutting Palm', 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void' and 'Heretical God Force'. The first one was rather simple; as long as Issei used it against an opponent with less spiritual power in their body that his, he would be able to forever cripple their cultivation, completely destroying one's meridians and Profound Veins. **[** **6** **]**

Even if Issei's opponent was someone of the Saint Profound Realm, if their spiritual power was completely depleted, Issei would be able to use the 'Pulse Cutting Palm' on them, and they would definitely lose their cultivation base. The best part of it all was that the process was irreversible, and not even miracle medicines and materials would be able to heal it.

In fact, even if one were to implant new Profound Veins into their body, they wouldn't be able to use it, since the energy left behind by the 'Pulse Cutting Palm' would once more cripple them.

It could be said that the 'Pulse Cutting Palm' was the best way for dealing with enemies. That way, instead of killing them, Issei would be able to have them live a life without cultivation, which is a much more horrible fate than death for many. Not only that, Issei wouldn't have to be afraid of his enemies coming back to bite him in the future, since they would be forever crippled.

This technique... was definitely the kind of martial skill that he needed the most at the moment!

Additionally, Issei also theorized that as long as he managed to integrate the concept of vibrations into the 'Pulse Cutting Palm', he would be able to make it so that it only took effect hours later after the attack, which would be extremely helpful when dealing with people with strong backgrounds, since no one would be able to trace it back to him.

However, even with all that, the second martial skill that Issei had acquired made him even more amazed. It was a superb movement technique, which was incredibly profound and complex, and if one were to cultivate it, they would gain insights on the Dao of Wind and Dao of Void! This movement skill was none other than the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void'.

The 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void' was a top movement ability, which originated from ancient times. According to the memories Issei had acquired, the one who created the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void' was a mighty elder of the Higher Realm, who came across a battle between a Golden-Winged Roc and a True Dragon.

In the end, the Golden-Winged Roc lost the battle, and in order to escape, it opened a tear in space, shattering the void and disappearing with astonishing speed. Upon seeing that, the elder entered a deep state of meditation, and countless hundred years later, he came up with 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void'.

This type of movement skill was incomparably precious, and one of the best in existence. By mastering it, one would be able to travel thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, and roam through the boundless cosmos leisurely.

Sadly, 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void' was divided into twelve sections, while the person he had absorbed the memories from only knew of eight of them. Hence, Issei would not be able to display its full power in the future. But for the time being, it was already more than enough.

Finally, there was the 'Heretical God Force', the third and last ability he had acquired. In reality, it couldn't be considered a martial skill, and instead, some kind of special power, which didn't fall into any category. It was also the most amazing of all of the three different powers.

The 'Heretical God Force' was divided into six different layers, and it had a single purpose – enhancing one's strength for a short period of time, giving them a boost in spiritual power. The first stage of the 'Heretical God Force' was able to increase one's strength and spiritual power by 50%, while the second one could enhance one's power by 100%, the third by 150% and so on.

According to the memories Issei had acquired, on the sixth stage, one would be able to increase their strength and spiritual power by three times for a certain period of time! It had to be said that although it wasn't that powerful on the beginning realms, once one reached the higher realms, such as the Tyrant Profound Realm, this kind of boost would be completely heaven-defying!

And, the functions of the 'Heretical God Force' didn't stop there. Apparently, once one begins to cultivate it, something called as Heretical God Seed would appear within them. The elder Issei had acquired the memories from didn't really research into the abilities and functions of the Heretical God Seed, but it was mentioned that it was simply mystical and profound.

After reading through all of that, the first thing that Issei did was to begun cultivating the 'Heretical God Force'. Some hours later, within Issei's heart, a small crystal made out of spiritual power began to condense, and it slowly turned into a small crystal-like pellet.

This small crystal was the Heretical God Seed, which was the foundations of the Heretical God Force. In order to use the Heretical God Force, one would compress their spiritual power into the Heretical God Seed, and then would be able to release all of it in a single go, giving birth to the small boost in power that was previously mentioned.

The manifestation of the Heretical God Seed also meant that Issei had managed to break into the first layer of the Heretical God Force.

"So this is the Heretical God Seed?"

Issei used his consciousness to look inside his body, gazing at the small seed that had formed within his heart. After analyzing it for quite some time, Issei was about to retract his gaze, when, all of a sudden, something amazing happened.

The Yang Fire, which had been steadily flowing into Issei's body and merging with him grew chaotic all of a sudden, and all of the Yang Fire in the region suddenly flew directly towards the Heretical God Seed, no longer merging with his body, but instead... with the Heretical God Seed!

More and more Yang Fire was channeled into the Heretical God Seed, but it didn't seem like it would stop at any time soon, as it greedily absorbed all of it into its small, pearl-like body. This went on for countless hours, and by the end of it, it was clear that the Yang-attributed spiritual power in the region was much more scarce and thin.

However, Issei didn't have the time to focus on that, as inside the Heretical God Seed, an amazing scene took place! All of the Yang Fire that it had absorbed condensed together into a single thread of bright red flames.

This was a fire born from the accumulation of all of those Yang Fire that had been absorbed... it was actually a type of flame called Flame Essence. Flame Essences were incredibly rare, and could be found in places with a high density of fire-attributed spiritual power. They would be naturally born, and different from normal flames, they were eternal, and could last forever. **[7]**

All kinds of cultivators desired for Flame Essences, as even Flame Essences of the lowest grades were incredibly powerful, and could be used in processes such as weaponsmithing or pill concoction! It could also be used with fire-attributed martial skills, and they held boundless power! It could be said that they were incredibly rare and difficult to find, and also difficult to assimilate into oneself.

Despite that, at that very moment, after absorbing all of that Yang Fire, the Heretical God Seed seemed to have given birth to an incomparably precious Flame Essence! And, its grade seemed to not be low, and instead, incredibly high!

It was also in that moment that Issei realized that the Heretical God Seed... was much more than met the eye.

* * *

Feng Ru, who had been happily playing around in the lava, suddenly stopped, her eyes widening. Her head quickly turned towards Issei's direction, shock flashing through her beautiful and petite face. Her clear, bright eyes shone with disbelief, while her soft and alluring lips trembled.

"This... this... a middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence has formed?!"

Without hesitation, her body turned into a streak of crimson as she rushed through the landscape of lava, covering hundreds of meters in seconds, heading towards the place Issei was at.

As of this moment, all of the childishness of her face disappeared, being replaced by a never-before-seen seriousness.

A middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence... was no trifling matter!

 _ **Read & Review~! (This time, I want at least 30 reviews in each of the four chapters that I have posted today. I suggest that each of you leave behind one review for each chapter! If you guys fail to meet the mark, there will be no chapters tomorrow! On the other hand, if we reach 40 reviews in each chapter, there will 2 chapters tomorrow!)**_

* * *

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** There are many types of spiritual power, and Yang-attributed spiritual power is a kind of them. It's the opposite of Yang-attributed spiritual power, and should not be mistaken with fire-attributed spiritual power. Most kinds of fire and flames have Yang energy as their core, but not all Yang Energy give birth to fire. There are also cold fires, such as Yin Fires and many others.

In layman's terms, Yang-attributed spiritual power can be described as manly (Yes, manly. Yin energy is also woman-related), exceedingly hot and explosive.

 **[2]** 'Chaotic Combat Virtues Meridians' is Issei's main cultivation method, which he got from the Magic Cube.

 **[3]** Pure Yang body is something that I have taken from the Chinese novel, True Martial World.

 **[4]** The golden lightning is the power Issei acquired after cultivating to the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm. It's a power of his bloodline, and can boost up his cultivation base by a level.

 **[5]** Array formations are different from Inscription Symbols. They are things drawn on surfaces, and normally occupy a large area. They have different means, and can be used for a variety of things.

 **[6]** The Magic Cube, along with these three martial skills come from the Chinese novel Martial World.

 **[7]** Flame Essence is something that I got from Martial World. Something similar to that exists in another Chinese novel, Battle Through the Heavens. Their functions along with everything about them is basically the same in the two series, with the only difference being that they are called as Essence Flame in Battle Through the Heavens, instead of Flame Essence.


	59. Flame Essence

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 59 - Flame Essence**

* * *

As Feng Ru rushed to the patch of golden land where Issei was staying at, the latter was curiously analyzing his newly-formed flame-essence, completely oblivious to the reactions he had caused. This small strand of flame occupied all his mind, filling with him with curiosity and puzzlement.

"Just what type of fire is this…?"

Issei looked at the strand of fire within his heart seriously, but no matter how much he thought about it, he just couldn't quite figure it out. It was clear to him that somehow, the Heretical God Seed had managed to form this strand of fire after absorbing vast amounts of Yang Fire, and although it was clear to Issei that it was something exceptional, he couldn't associate it to anything he knew.

Even though Issei had entered the world of cultivation at the young age of six, there were still many different mysteries of the world that he didn't know about, since he never had the chance, nor the opportunity, to look into them.

Flame Essences were one of the subject he had never studied.

Hence, faced with this new, unfamiliar event, all Issei could do was to study it thoroughly, and try to figure out its uses. Originally, he had planned on analyzing it for a few dozen hours, and try to gain any insights in what it could possibly be, but he never had the chance to do so.

"Mister!"

A loud, clear shout rang by his ears, and a flaming-red streak appeared over the horizon, and within seconds, it arrived in front of him. Before Issei could even realize what was happening, the flaming-red streak of light dispersed, revealing Feng Ru, who had an abnormally serious expression on her face.

"Priestess?" asked Issei, confused at Feng Ru's sudden arrival. "What is the problem?"

Feng Ru didn't say anything to answer Issei. Instead, she walked forward and placed her tender and dainty hand on his shoulder. A dark-crimson light flashed, and Feng Ru's face suddenly grew excited.

"Flame Essence! This really is… a Flame Essence!"

After saying so, she looked at Issei deeply before taking a step back, looking at him with a complex – and even puzzled – gaze, as if she was staring at a strange, unfamiliar wild beast.

"Flame Essence…?" murmured Issei, slightly confused. Soon after, a look of enlightenment flashed on his face, as he quickly associated those words to the small strand of fire that had just recently formed within him.

Just as Issei was about to ask what a 'Flame Essence' was, Feng Ru opened her mouth to speak.

"Mister, tell me.. what happened while I was gone?"

Issei's eyes slightly narrowed at Feng Ru's words, clearly knowing that this was a critical moment. After all, he couldn't just say that he managed to get an ability from a Magic Cube, which allowed him to create this so-called Flame Essence. Somehow, Issei needed to find an excuse.

"About that… You see, some Yang Fire appeared around me, and all of a sudden, it began to converge with me as the center. They then fused together within me, and before I knew it, this thing that you called as Flame Essence appeared."

Although Issei was a cunning and sharp person, he was by no means someone with a glib-tongue. His words weren't convincing, and even slightly ridiculous or even preposterous. Issei knew that better than anyone, but that excuse was the best he could come up with in the smallest period of time.

As for Feng Ru, upon hearing Issei's words, she kept quiet, looking at him with a complex gaze, clearly not believing his words, but at the same time, not saying anything about it. She kept quiet about it for a long time, but eventually, she revealed a bright and wide smile, reverting back to her cheerful personality.

"Ah? If that's the case, then Mister is so lucky!" exclaimed Feng Ru cutely, looking at Issei with what seemed to be excitement. Her smiled widened as she continued, "After all, Mister managed to form a middle-grade earth step Flame Essence! That's heavenly luck-"

Feng Ru suddenly stopped, noticing Issei's confused expression, that lacked any enthusiasm. She looked at him strangely for quite some time, but quickly seemed to realize something, "Wait… Mister certainly knows what a Flame Essence is, right?"

"Actually, no," Issei shook his head with an embarrassed smile. "I have never heard of that before… Could Priestess Ru explain it to me?" "Mn.. Okay then!"

Feng Ru then explained to Issei then ins and outs of Flame Essences, their uses and most importantly of all, how they were divided in grades.

The three most known grades were human-step, earth-step and heaven-step. Human-step was the lowest grade, while heaven-step, in the eyes of many, was considered to be the highest. Going further, one would see that even within grades, there were still some divisions.

Those divisions were low-grade, middle-grade and high-grade.

In other words, the lowest grade of Flame Essence would be a low-grade human-step Flame Essence, while the allegedly highest grade would be a high-grade heaven-step Flame Essence.

According to Feng Ru, the Flame Essence that had just formed within Issei was actually a middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence. Even though it didn't seem to be anything much, it was actually an absolutely amazing kind of Flame Essence.

A middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence was something that even Peerless Experts of the Sovereign Profound Realm desired! As for heaven-step Essence Flames, even low-grades ones, were stuff of the legends, that would only appear once every one hundred thousand years!

Obviously, this was the situation in the Profound Sky Continent, and the same didn't apply to the Divine Fire Realm. Because of the presence of the three Divine Fire Beasts, Flame Essences were much more common there, and they could be found in abundance in nature. Despite that, a middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence was still something amazing.

First of all, Flame Essences were types of fire that would only be formed in places with extremely high fire-attributed spiritual power, and it had to be tempered there for hundreds of years. They were things produced naturally, and couldn't be artificially made. Not only that, it was impossible for a Flame Essence to become of a higher grade.

If a Flame Essence was born as a high-grade earth step Flame Essence, it would keep like that until the ends of time. It could be nurtured, its purity could improve and its destructive power could soar to new heights, but no matter what happens, it was impossible for it to change its grade. This didn't only apply to the bigger grades, such as human-step, earth-step and heaven-step, but also to the subdivisions of low, middle and high-grade.

This was all explained to Issei, along with many other intricacies of Flame Essences. By the end of it all, one hour had passed. After finishing the explanation, Feng Ru didn't say anything more, as she noticed Issei's expression of deep thought. She knew that it would be best to give him some space to think.

Even though Feng Ru was curious as to how this Flame Essence had suddenly formed within Issei, it was obvious that it was something personal, so she didn't pry too deep into it. Everyone had their own secrets, and she didn't want to seem intrusive.

Issei kept his thoughtful expression for a long time, his thoughts known only to him. At the moment, what he thought about wasn't only about his newly-acquired Flame Essence, but also about the Heretical God Seed. After all, only by absorbing the fire in the atmosphere, that small, round pearl-like object was able to actually manifest something as rare and precious as a Flame Essence! If that wasn't amazing, then nothing was.

"It seems that I had greatly underestimated the Heretical God Seed," thought Issei after some time, and although his expression was serious, he was unable to keep excitement from shining in his eyes. "To think that it would have some other function aside from being able to store spiritual power, and releasing it in one go, and to actually be able to create a Flame Essence… without doubt, this is a superb ability! The only pity is that I know almost nothing about it…."

In the memories Issei had acquired from the Magic Cube, it clearly showed that the Elder they belonged to had only acquired the cultivation method for the Heretical God Force only a few days before being absorbed by the Magic Cube, and thus didn't have the time to research into it.

At that moment, this was the only down-side that Issei could find.

"Well, since that's the case…," murmured Issei softly, "it will be up to me to find out its secrets!"

Issei then turned his head around to face Feng Ru, and after some talking, Feng Ru agreed to teach Issei on how he should control and use his Flame Essence. As a part of the Phoenix, Feng Ru had a high-aptitude to all kinds of fire, and naturally knew all about controlling Flame Essences.

Immersed in cultivation, Issei and Feng Ru lost sense of time, and in the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

During this period of time, Issei completely focused on studying his newly-acquired Flame Essence, along with his new powers, such as the 'Heretical God Force' and the 'Pulse Cutting Palm'. As for the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void', it required a wide and vast training space, full of wind-attributed spiritual power. The place where Issei was in didn't meet such requirements, so he postponed it for the time being.

Just like that, he reached the end of his ten-days training period.

* * *

Feng Lin, who had been calmly cultivating in the middle of the colossal crimson hall, right next to the Phoenix statue, suddenly opened his eyes, having sensed two familiar energies. Just at that time, two figures appeared by the end of the room.

One of them was a cheerful young girl, with innocent and clear eyes, who had a dainty and petite body. She skipped around happily, full of youthfulness and joy.

She was obviously… Feng Ru.

As for the other figure, it was a handsome young man, with long, dark-brown hair, that was only one step away from turning into black. His face was handsome, with heroic and calm features, capable of charming countless women. His eyes, which were of a dark-brown color, would occasionally flicker with an ethereal scarlet light.

Most impressive of all was the flame-like mark between the young man's brows, which shone with a beautiful and entrancing crimson-scarlet light, giving him a mystical and exotic appearance, filled with a boundless and majestic aura.

This young man, who looked no older than sixteen, was none other than Issei, who had been brought that to this room after spending ten days with Feng Ru within that separate dimension full of lava and fire.

"You're back…," said Feng Lin, looking at Feng Ru calmly. His gaze then moved to Issei, and in the moment this happened, his eyes widened slightly, surprised.

The aura around Issei had completely changed. Not only was he now in the sixth level of the Nascent Profound Realm, there also seemed to be a hidden, mysterious and dangerous power within him, which was only awaiting for a change to emerge.

Feng Lin then opened his mouth, planning to ask something, but just as he was about to, he saw Feng Ru shaking her head to the sides out of the corner of his eyes. He quickly got the message and close his mouth, keeping his question to himself.

As he did so, Issei walked forward and said, "Emperor Lin… I'm ready to head to the other two countries. I believe that it would be better to head to the Eternal Heaven Nation, and get the Vermillion Bird on our side first. Then, I would head to the Dead Soul Empire, and acquire the trust of the Golden Crow Faction. Once that is done… we shall begin our attack against the Devil Beasts."

While in the realm, Issei had already discussed what he should do with Feng Ru, and that was the conclusion that was reached.

Feng Lin nodded, not questioning Issei's decisions. He then said, "Alright, I'll arrange for an aerial transport for you in one days time. Tomorrow morning, you will depart, and with you, will be the fate of the entire realm. Don't fail me."

"I'll not."

Issei stared at Feng Lin, not even the slightest hint of doubt in his gaze.

 _ **Read & Review~! (There's weren't enough reviews yesterday, so there wasn't a chapter. Let me tell you something: If you want a chapter, review. Don't count on other people to review, since they will most likely will be counting on you to do it. If you want something done, don't expect others to do it for you. Just go... and do it!)**_


	60. Xiao Huo and Vermillion Bird City

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

* * *

 **Chapter 60 - Xiao Huo and Vermillion Bird City**

* * *

Flying above the clouds, a few hundreds of kilometers away from Phoenix City, a small, inconspicuous airship sailed through the air with astonishing speed. In the blink of eye, it would cover hundreds of meters, and it was constantly moving, not showing any signs of stopping.

This airship was small, and although it appeared to be rather compact and simple, it had some advanced defense mechanism, along with some camouflage formations and the like. This was one of the secret airships of the Phoenix Faction, normally used by spies when infiltrating into other countries.

At that moment, sitting cross-legged within the airship was a handsome youth, his face constantly caressed by the wind that blew past him, while his long hair and robes rippled and swirled behind him. The youth's expression was serene, while his eyes were closed, completely calm and collected.

Surprisingly, if one looked closely, they would see that within one of the youth's hands, which were closed over his thighs, there was actually… a small, crimson red flame!

This flame burned violently, filling the air with a scorching-hot Yang energy. Despite that, the hands of the youth didn't seem to be burning at all, and instead, they were still as tender as ever. If one looked at the youth's relaxed and calm expression, they would never be able to guess that he actually held such strong and potent fire in his hands.

"Feng Ru said that she doesn't know your name…."

Issei's eyes opened, and so did his hands, revealing the small strand of fire in it. He looked at with affection, as if looking at his own son or daughter, "From now on, you will be Xiao Huo!" (In Chinese, Xiao Huo would be 小火, which means Little Fire.)

Suddenly, as if reacting to his words, the little strand of flame seemed to burn brighter, as it danced excitedly on Issei's hands, swirling and twirling around it. Issei smiled lightly at it and couldn't help but to marvel at the intelligence that Xiao Huo displayed.

It was said that earth-step Flame Essences, sometimes, could manifest some intelligence, becoming sentient beings. This was rare, but it wasn't impossible. From what Issei could see, it appeared that Xiao Hui was beginning to develop his own consciousness.

Issei stared at the seemingly excited Xiao Huo for a few more moments before saying calmly, "Alright, Xiao Huo, what I told you just now wasn't your type, but instead, your name. According to Priestess Ru, you are a special type of Flame Essence, so there are no records of you. As such, I must also decide on your type of Flame Essence… how about Yang Flame Essence?"

Xiao Hui paused for a moment, but soon after went back to dancing around excitedly, with even more energy than before.

It was clear that it was pleased with that name.

"Good," Issei nodded and raised his hand up, bringing the excited Xiao Huo to his eye-level. He looked at it for a few minutes, and after some time, said, "Before, I didn't have enough time to look into your uses. It should take a few more hours for me to reach Vermillion Bird City… while we head there, how about I practice with you a little?"

 _"Scree Scree~!"_

The stand of dancing fire in Issei's hands released a high-pitched noise, filled with anticipation and excitement. This time, it didn't dance around, and instead stayed put, patiently awaiting Issei's orders.

This was what it had been waiting for the entire time!

"Alright, so first, let's try something out."

Issei got up from his seated position, and after stretching his limbs a bit, extended his hand forth. He then though for a few moments and said, "I don't have much fire-related Martial Skills, but before I departed Feng Ru gave me some. I believe that I should try them out now."

After saying so, he closed his hand, and Xiao Hui flew back into his body, once more merging with him, going into the Heretical God Seed. After that happened, Issei waved his hand to the side, and surprisingly, what appeared on his hands was a chain made out of fire!

"Fire Chains!"

The chains in Issei hand, although clearly made out of fire, were surprisingly dense and solid, and didn't seem like they could easily disperse. They were completely tangible, and he felt like it wouldn't be hard to control them.

Originally, 'Fire Chains' - the ability he just used – wasn't meant to be used with a Flame Essence, and instead was supposed to be condensed out of fire-attributed spiritual power, and to be more specific, Phoenix Flames. Obviously, since Issei did it with Xiao Hui as the base, it was much more powerful than normal 'Fire Chains'.

"Ha!"

Issei let out a breath, and with a low shout, he threw his arm forward, the fire chain in his hands following his movements, extending far ahead of him. Then, with a little bit of manipulation, the fire chain increased in length, reaching an even greater distance!

By that point, beads of sweat were forming on Issei's face. Not from the heat, but instead, from the sheer concentration required to use that ability. In fact, it was a surprise that Issei could manage to use it; any other cultivator of the Nascent Profound Realm would have fallen unconscious the moment they unleashed it.

Despite that, Issei didn't seem to be satisfied, and while sweating even more, he controlled the tip of the chain, making it swirl around in the air, and started to wrap around itself. Before it could completely do so, Issei suddenly fell to the ground with a soft thud, and the fire chain dissolved. In Issei's hands, Xiao Huo appeared once more.

"That's… not… easy…," murmured Issei between breath, trying to stabilize his breathing, but to no avail. He had to admit that although this 'Fire Chain' ability could prove to be extremely helpful in the future, given his current cultivation, it was still more than what he could handle.

"If I can't even use the 'Fire Chains'", Issei sighed, a complex expression on his handsome features, "then I should forget about the other abilities that Priestess Ru gave me. After all, out of all of those, 'Fire Chains' is actually ranked as the lowest."

Previously, Feng Ru had given Issei many fire-related abilities that he could use with his Fire Essence, but their grade was too much for the current Issei to use. In fact, they were most suitable for someone of the Sky, or even Emperor Profound Realm.

In reality, the fact that Issei could barely control the 'Fire Chains' was something considered unfeasible, and it was only because of his thick foundations and Xiao Huo's cooperation that he managed to do it. If Issei had been practicing some normal cultivation method instead of the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', he believed that he wouldn't be able to sustain the Fire Chains for even a second.

"My personal cultivation is still too weak," Issei sighed after some thought, his words filled with regret and, at the same time, desire for greatness. He then took in a deep breath and said resolutely, "Right now, I must focus on advancing on the path of cultivation!"

Issei's eyes closed after saying such words, and he once more entered his state of meditation. He decided that he would take advantage of every little break he had in order to increase his cultivation base.  
 _  
"Scree Scree~!"_

Xiao Hui, noticing that Issei would no longer play with it, used its still-developing sentience to understand what was happening. It then jumped around a few more times, and without waiting too long, burrowed back into Issei's body, no longer disturbing his master.

* * *

Five hours later, in the territory of the Eternal Heaven Nation…

While sitting in his small airship, Issei opened his eyes to gaze at the city that had just appeared over the horizon. It was vast, large and bore an uncanny resemblance to Phoenix City, and was just as majestic as it. It was wide and colossal, and in the air, countless red-colored birds flew around.

Just like in Phoenix City, there was a large temple in the middle of the city, and on top of it was also an inverted mountain. Not too long ago, Issei had discovered that the separate dimension where he had trained at was sealed within the mountain in Phoenix City, so he figured that this mountain in the city in front of him was the dwelling place of the Vermillion Bird.

"So this is Vermillion Bird City?"

Issei looked at the large city only a few miles away from him, and couldn't help but to sigh in amazement. It appeared that no matter where he went in the Divine Fire Realm, he would always see magnificent architecture and colossal structures.

"Well, I should probably decrease my altitude for now," said Issei, looking warily at some of the small, red-birds that flew past him, threatening to clash against his airship. With a wave of his hands, the airship began to descend, and before long, it was only a few dozen meters away from the ground.

At the same time, Issei also deactivated the camouflage function. After all, he had no intentions of breaking into Vermillion Bird City and leading to misunderstandings. Instead, he planned on entering it through the front doors and requesting an audience with the Emperor.

This was the most politically correct way, and would also show Issei's the Phoenix Faction's good intentions.

Once Issei was only a few meters away from the ground, he jumped out of the small airship, softly falling onto the ground without a sound. Then, with a wave of his hands, the small airship started glowing with a soft red light, and began to decrease in size. Before long, it was only as thick as Issei's fingers, and as wide as Issei' hands.

Not saying anything, Issei grabbed the small airship from mid-air, storing it away in the Sky Poison Pearl. Even though there was no need to decrease its size, as the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl was boundless and vast, he still thought that it would be a good idea to do so.

After everything was done, Issei started walking in the direction of Vermillion Bird City calmly. In the way, he met with a few cultivators from the Vermillion Bird Faction that were heading back to the city after an unsuccessful ambush on a pack of high-leveled Devil Beasts. Issei chatted with some of them normally, and they hit it off rather well.

Soon after, this small group of cultivators, which numbered five members, allowed Issei to follow after them in their trip to Vermillion Bird City, which would only take one more hour at most. They calmly chatted along the way, and talked peacefully with one another, completely unaware of who Issei actually was.

As far as they knew, Issei was some kind of wandering cultivator who wanted to pay a visit to Vermillion Bird City.

"Interesting, so it was like that…," thought Issei with an amused expression as he continued to chat with this group of cultivators. While he did so, he would occasionally and tactfully extract some important information from them, such as the name of the Vermillion Bird Emperor, and how everything worked there.

Issei may not be adept in politics, but Feng Lin certainly was. Before Issei left, Feng Lin told him what he knew about Vermillion Bird City, and also advised him to look into their customs and rules, as to not embarrass himself once there.

After all, Issei needed to leave a good expression on the Vermillion Bird Emperor if he wanted to have any chances of establishing an alliance between them. It would not do if he made a fool out of himself by not knowing some crucial and important information.

Thankfully, after some time of chatting and inquiring for information from this small group of cultivators, Issei arrived a the conclusion that in reality, Vermillion Bird City wasn't that different from Phoenix City, and their rules were mostly the same.

As they chatted with each other, time seemed to fly, and before they knew it, they were already standing in front of the gates of Vermillion Bird City, where three armored guards stood. Differently from Phoenix City, their faces weren't covered with a helm, and anyone could see their handsome and heroic expressions.

"Guards, we are from the Devil Beast Extermination Department. We are just coming back from a mission, and would like to enter the city to report our results."

One of the cultivators of the small group of cultivators stepped forward, and looked at the guards respectfully.

"Very well," the guard in the middle nodded. He then turned around to face Issei, and seeing that his clothes were different from that of the others, the asked, "What about you?"

"I'm an Envoy," said Issei calmly, and while under the surprised gazes of the guards and the group of cultivators beside him, he took out a small medallion from his robes, with the drawing of a blazing red Phoenix engraved on it. While holding the medallion out, showing it to everyone, Issei cleared his throat and said, "I'm here to represent the Phoenix Emperor, Feng Lin, and request an audition with the Vermillion Bird Emperor."

Envoy...?

Envoy of the Phoenix Faction...?

The eyes of all the three guards widened in shock, while the members of the group of cultivators that had been chatting with Issei looked at him with disbelief, their minds reeling.

In reality, their shock was understandable. After all, the last time a member from a faction send an Envoy to another one was thousands of hundreds of years ago, and even then, the Envoy sent was an old man, and definitely not a youth who looked barely sixteen!

"Is t-this true?"

One of the guards stepped forward, looking at Issei with disbelief. His words were said in a stutter, and out of the three guards, he was the youngest and the most inexperienced.

"Little Fen, let me handle this," one of the other guards, who looked to be the oldest one, also stepped forward and brought the younger guard back. After doing so, he looked at Issei seriously, full of professionalism.

"Hand me that medallion. I must verify it."

"As you wish."

Issei tossed over the medallion to the guard, who caught it from mid-air with a stoic expression. This wasn't Issei lack of respect, but instead, the fact that the guard seemed rather hesitant to approach him. So, in order to save some time, he threw it to him.

The guard scrutinized the medallion for quite some time, his sharp and sword-like eyes looking at it carefully. Initially, his face was skeptical, but after a few seconds, it turned to disbelief, and in the end, shock.

When he raised his head to look at Issei again, there were hints of fear in his eye.

"Senior, I'm sorry for doubting you," the guard immediately handed the medallion back to Issei and clasped his hands, bowing. His expression was fearful, and his body was slightly trembling.

After all, someone who could be an Envoy of the Phoenix Faction surely possessed some deep and fathomless cultivation base! From the very start, the guard had been unable to sense Issei's cultivation level, but didn't think too much about it. At that moment, however, he was sure that the one in front of him was some kind of peerless expert!

"Don't blame yourself," Issei shook his head, once more adopting his 'Senior Expert' persona from before. His expression was apathetic and stoic, gazing at the guards without a change in expression. He then said, "Can someone bring me to meet with the Vermillion Bird Emperor?"

"Ah, yes!"

The guard turned around and whispered some words to his comrades, who immediately ran into the small building near the gates. While waiting for them, the older guard turned around to face Issei.

"Senior, I must ask you to face for a few moments. We are requesting permission to the higher-ups."

"Very well."

Soon after, the other two guards came out of the small building, and after murmuring a few words to the older guard, they took a step back. While they did so, the older guard turned around to face Issei with a polite smile.

"Senior, please follow me into the city. I'll bring you to the Vermillion Bird Emperor. He has already been informed of your arrival, and is now awaiting you in the royal palace."

"Mn."

Issei nodded, and followed the older guard into the city once the large gates opened. As for the group of cultivators from before, they looked at Issei and the older guard blankly for a few moments, but in the end, followed after them, also walking into the city.

 _ **Read & Review~! (Alright guys, per some users complaints, I have decided to settle on the amount of reviews per chapter. Until the end of this moth (August), I want there to be around 30 reviews per chapter. As long as that's the case, I'll update at the very least one chapter every day. As for double releases, they may or may not come, as my schedule is rather messed up this month, because there will be some really important exams, tests and the like. Next month, however, the number of reviews will change to a different amount **_

**_So, just to make it clear - If there's an average of thirty reviews per chapter, then there will definitely be a chapter every day.)_**


	61. Golden Crow Emperor

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 61 - Golden Crow Emperor**

* * *

Within a large and wide bright-red-colored palace, stood Issei, facing a young-looking man who sat on a throne. There was a red crown above his hands, with countless different jewels encrusted on it. Covering his body was a comfortable-looking robe, with countless drawings of red-colored birds and riches.

This young-looking man, who seemed to be in his mid to late twenties, and had a slightly effeminate and playful appearance was actually Mu Yun, the Emperor of the Vermillion Bird Faction.

"So… you are the Phoenix Envoy?"

Mu Yun gazed at Issei in amusement, as if looking at a strange and peculiar toy. His hands were constantly tapping onto the armrests of his throne, creating a simple yet beautiful melody.

In fact, he looked nothing like an emperor, or even a prince. If anything, he seemed like a mischievous young man.

"I am," said Issei, his expression unchanging, even after personally seeing the Vermillion Bird Emperor. Obviously, Issei knew better than to judge based on appearances, and didn't dare to underestimate him. After a small pause, Issei continued, "I'm here to propose something in behalf of the Phoenix Faction."

"Oh? Continue."

Issei nodded, saying, "I would like to propose an alliance-"

"Wait!"

Mu Yun suddenly raised his hand up, a calm smile on his face.

Issei stopped speaking, not bothered at all by Mu Yun's interruption. He then took a step back respectfully, and waited for Mu Yun's words.

"Before you continue, there's something that I must ask," began Mu Yun, scrutinizing Issei with his gaze, "I would like to know just what is Feng Lin thinking by sending you."

"Ah? What Emperor Lin is thinking?"

"Yes," Mu Yun nodded. "Although I don't know him very well, I don't think he would be foolish to the point of sending a youth in the middle stages of the Nascent Profound Realm. Tell me, just what are you planning?"

"So it was like that…."

Issei shook his head, ruefully smiling. He quickly dropped his previous behavior, and reverted back to his usual self, knowing that there was no longer any meaning in pretending. Then, with a calm expression, he began his explanation.

"You see, actually, there's a prophecy-"

"In which someone who inherited the Evil God legacy will appear, and save the world from destruction."

Suddenly, from behind Mu Yun's throne, a young-looking girl walked out. She was astonishingly beautiful, and similar to Jasmine, was red-haired. If one judged solely by her appearance, she would seem to be in her mid to late teens, with a youthful appearance and body.

This new girl looked at Issei with intensity, her gaze filled with complex and profound meanings. Then, she took a step forward and said while narrowing her eyes, "By chance, are you the one mentioned in the Prophecy?"

"Indeed," Issei nodded, slightly surprised by the arrival of this new girl. However, he clearly knew who it was. With a small smile, he asked, "By chance, are you the Vermillion Bird Priestess?"

"That's right," the girl nodded, her gaze not leaving Issei for even a second. After a few moments, she turned her head around to gaze at Mu Yun. They stared at each other briefly, but during that period, they exchanged many words through their minds. After a while, Mu Yun turned his head back to Issei.

"Alright kid, I already know the gist of the situation."

He then stood up from his throne and took a few steps forward. The Vermillion Bird Priestess followed after him with a serious expression. When they were only a few feet away from Issei, the two of them stopped, and Mu Yun extended his hand.

Instantly, Issei's eyes narrowed, and he knew that something was coming.

"Kid, if what you said is the truth, then even if I use my Vermillion Bird Flames on you, there would be no effect, right?" asked Mu Yun with a sly smile, looking at Issei with amusement. In contrast to him, the Phoenix Priestess had a serious expression, without any signs of joking.

"That would be the case…," trailed-off Issei, looking warily at Mu Yun's hand.

"Well then, let's try it out!"

Without even giving Issei a chance to prepare himself, bright-red flames erupted from Mu Yun's hand, completely covering Issei's body. He didn't hold back at all, and soon, the Vermillion Bird Flames had already reached up to the high ceilings of the palace, covering the entire area in front of him.

A few seconds later, Mu Yun was about to cancel his ability, but upon deeper thinking, he smiled darkly and continued for a few more moments. When he felt that it was enough, he finally canceled his ability, and the endless flames that had been endlessly been erupting from his hands immediately dispersed.

"Oh?"

Mu Yun widened his eyes slightly, a little surprised at the scene in front of him. Not only was Issei standing in front of him alive and well, his expression, although startled, didn't show any hints of pain. Even his clothes hadn't been affected!

"You were actually telling the truth?" asked Mu Yun as he looked at Issei with disbelief, but after a while, began to laugh. "Hahaha! Great! This is awesome!"

"Eh?"

Issei stared at the laughing Mu Yun strangely, wondering what he was thinking about. He then turned his head around to gaze at the Vermillion Bird Priestess, only to see her looking at Mu Yun with annoyance.

After a while, Mu Yun stopped laughing and calmed down. Then, he looked at Issei again with a bright smile and said, "The fact that you are here means that the Devil Beasts will soon begin their attack…. To tell the truth, lately, I had been bored with how calm and peaceful things were, and was itching for some action. Heh! You came just at the right time!"

Mu Yun then took a deep breath, smiled widely and exclaimed, "Tell that old fart Lin that we, the Vermillion Bird Faction, will join the Phoenix Faction in the war against the Devil Beasts!"

After saying so, Mu Yun began to laugh again, unable to contain his excitement. Mu Yun truly was a strange person. Faced with the possible doom of the entire world, instead of being worried, he was actually glad and laughing with happiness!

"Very well then," said Issei, the corner of his lips curled upwards. After that, he chatted some more with Mu Yun and the Vermillion Bird Priestess, whose name was Mu Yan. Once Issei settled all of the matters he had to, he excused himself, and exited the palace.

A few minutes later, he was back at the sky, flying on his airship with a slightly excited expression.

His destination?

Golden Crow City!

* * *

The country where the Golden Crow Faction ruled, the Dead Soul Empire, was different from the Divine Lights Country and the Eternal Heaven Nation. In the Dead Soul Empire, there weren't outposts of the other two factions, like in the Divine Lights Country and the Eternal Heaven Nation, contrary to what many believed.

Within the territory of the Dead Soul Empire, the Golden Crow Faction… reigned supreme.

"So this is the Dead Soul Empire?"

Issei looked at the landscape before him, and couldn't help but to take in a deep breath, marveling at the scene before him. When one heard the words 'Dead Soul', they would automatically think of a barren wasteland, but that description didn't apply to the Dead Soul Empire.

The Dead Soul Empire was large and wide, brimming with life. There were all kinds of vegetating below him, with many cities laid across the colossal country. In the sky, many different colored crows sang, and all kinds of living beings could be seen running around.

This place... was full of life!

"Somehow, I think that its name doesn't really match it…" murmured Issei with a strange expression, shaking his head to the side. In his hands, the little strand of Flame Essence, which was Xiao Huo, seemed to agree with Issei's words, shaking slightly.

As Issei stared at the large territory of the Dead Soul Empire, he sighed. Then, he produced a large map from his cosmos sack, and when he opened it, what was revealed was a drawing of the entire territory of the Dead Soul Empire. This map had been given to him by Feng Lin a few days ago, and it was really handy in this situation.

"Alright, I should be near the White Skeleton Mountain Range at the moment… which means that if I head north from here, I should reach Golden Crow City in a few hours… Alright, that should be it."

Issei then closed the map, and placed it back in his cosmos sack. After gazing one last time at the territory below him, making sure that he was in the right place, he once more activated the airship by injecting it with some of his spiritual power.

Like a blade piercing the skies, his airship dashed through the air, bringing him closer to this destination.

* * *

A few hours later….

Issei finally arrived at Golden Crow City after almost crossing the entire country. His first thought upon seeing it was that it was rather… plain.

Different from Vermillion Bird City and Phoenix City, Golden Crow City didn't have any of that elegance or grandiosity. Instead, it was rather compact and simple, with not excessive decorations or too much colors or details.

It had many buildings, some occasional palaces, and in the middle of it, just like in previous times, was a palace. This time, it was completely golden in color, and above it hovered a golden inverted mountain, not different from the last two inverted mountains that Issei saw.

Apparently, there was some kind of pattern that they were following.

"Alright, let's go down…," murmured Issei as he slowly decreased his altitude. Before long, he reached the ground and after storing the airship away in the Sky Poison Pearl, he continued the rest of the journey to Golden Crow City on foot.

It didn't take him long to reach it, and just like what happened in Vermillion Bird City, he was brought to the large palace after showing his Phoenix Envoy Medallion. Once he was in the large palace, he was made to wait for a few moments, and then was allowed to enter the throne room.

After entering, Issei immediately caught sight of an old-man with who sat alone in a large golden throne.

This old-man seemed to be in his mid to late sixties and appearances, and his hair was unruly and long. A golden cloak covered his body, and a colossal golden halberd was laid next to the throne, leaning on it.

"Are you the Phoenix Envoy?" asked the old-man with a hoarse voice.

"I am."

"Very well then," the old-man nodded. "What brings you here, young man?"

"I would like to establish an alliance between the Golden Crow Faction and the Phoenix Faction," explained Issei.

"So it was like that…," the old-man nodded, not surprised at all. He then paused and asked after a while, "I suppose the Vermillion Bird Faction has already agreed to join?"

"They have."

The old-man nodded, and after some thought, said, "I already know that you are the youth described in the Old Writings, and that the Devil Faction is soon going to begin their attack, and that you are seeking the help of the Golden Crow Faction to secure your victory in the war… Now, let me ask you, what benefits would it bring my Golden Crow Faction to aid you?"

"Benefits?" Issei's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Isn't keeping the life of the members of your faction already a benefit?"

"Maybe," the old-man shrugged his shoulders, looking at Issei plainly. "Still, the Devil King has already offered me a large sum to help them out in the upcoming war… not only that, he promised that after winning, he wouldn't touch my faction. So, tell me, why should I refuse his offer and join your side?"

"..."

Issei stared at the Golden Crow Emperor blankly for some time, coming to the realization that this could turn out to be more troublesome and difficult than he had imagined. Additionally, the fact that the Devil Faction had already made contact with the Golden Crow Faction didn't mean anything good.

"What do you want?" asked Issei after some thought. "What is it that you want in exchange for aiding us in our war?"

In response to Issei's words, the Golden Crow Emperor raised up one of his hands and rubbed his thumb in his index and ring finger with a serious expression.

"Pardon me?"

Issei looked at the Golden Crow Emperor strangely, not understanding his actions. Having noticed that, the Golden Crow Emperor revealed a wicked expression.

"Money. Bring me whatever riches you can offer, and I'll think about your case."

 _Money…?_

 _He actually wants money…?_

Issei's eyes widened in shock, not daring to believe his own ears. Never would he have thought that the Golden Crow Emperor, who looked like an old-man, was actually this… wretched! I

n the Divine Fire Realm, what they used as money were Fire Stones. They were divided in grades, the highest one being the Ultra-grade while the lowest one being low-grade. Fire Stones were basically the currency of this realm, and was acquired from mining Fire Stones Mines.

"How many Fire Stones do you want…?" asked Issei cautiously.

"Offer first, and I'll decide if I like the amount or not."

"..."

Once more, Issei was surprised by the Golden Crow Emperor antics. From what he had seen so far, the only normal Emperor was Feng Lin. Mu Yun was mischievous and childish, while the Golden Crow Emperor was a money-grubber.

With a sigh, Issei said, "Golden Crow Emperor, I'm sorry, but I'm in no position to give you an offer. I don't have such power, and have no way to help you in this situation."

"Ah… what a pity," the Golden Crow Emperor shook his head to the sides with a saddened expression. "Then, I guess that-"

Suddenly, the Golden Crow Emperor's eyes widened, his gaze landing on Issei's clothes and his cosmos sack. A wild light shone in his eyes, and he asked, "Tell me, are you carrying any treasures with you?"

"Ah?" Issei's eyes widened in shock, subconsciously taking a step back, frightened by the predator-looking gaze of the Golden Crow Emperor. "What.. what do you mean?"

A wretched smile appeared on the old-man's face as he said, "As the Envoy of the Phoenix Faction, you must have brought many treasures with you… Hurry and take them out for this old man to see! If I find them to my liking, I'll join the alliance or whatever! Hurry up!."

"Eh..?"

Issei's eyes widened in shock, but in the end, he still opened his cosmos sack, and took out a few pills, along with some life-saving treasures that Feng Lin had given him.

"Good stuff!"

The Golden Crow Emperor rose from his seat, and with a wave of his hands, everything that Issei had taken out appeared on his arms. Not only that, even Issei's clothes, that had been giving to him by the Phoenix Emperor were stolen, leaving him with only his underwear.

"Oh! This is a Divine Phoenix Talisman! Oh oh! To think that you actually had such a treasure! And this is… the flame-increasing pill from the Phoenix Faction! Heavens, such a fat sheep!"

With shiny eyes, the Golden Crow Emperor looked at everything that Issei had, and in the end, with a satisfied expression, he accepted Issei's offer. In the end, he even gave Issei a rough-looking robe of the lowest quality for him to cover his body with.

Even in that point, the Golden Crow Emperor revealed his wretched personality, giving Issei clothes fitting of a servant.

A few minutes later, Issei left Golden Crow City with a slightly strange expression. Even though he had accomplished his objective, and established the alliance, why did he feel as if he had been conned by that old-man?

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	62. Before The War

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 62 - Before The War**

* * *

Side by side, the Emperors and Priestess of the three factions stood. All of them had their head facing the horizon, most of their expressions solemn and serious. Feng Lin, the Phoenix Emperor, grasped the hilt of a scarlet-colored sword, while Feng Ru stood by his side with a small crystal bead on her hands.

Not too far away from them, Mu Yun held a majestic longsword, his expression one of excitement and anticipation, as he itched for the upcoming battle. In contrast to him, the Vermillion Bird Priestess, Mu Xiu, had an incomparably serious expression, occasionally looking at Mu Yun and shaking her head in disapproval.

Finally, the Golden Crow Emperor, whose name was Zuo Yao, had a slightly bored expression, his old and emaciated body standing out in the battlefield. In his hands, there was a large golden halberd, which Issei had seen when he first visited him.

As for the Golden Crow Priestess, whom Issei hadn't met the time he visited Golden Crow City, she had the appearance of woman in her early twenties, while her body was curvy and elegant. Her hair was long, and covered her right eye, only revealing her left golden pupils, which shone with a murderous light.

Suddenly, in this serious atmosphere, a youthful voice in the form of a whisper rang out.

"Xiao Huo, this will be our first battle together… don't fail me now!"

Some meters away from the six Emperors and Priestess, Issei was sitting on the ground, his gaze locked on the cheerful strand of fire on his hands. Currently, Issei wore some special robes given to him by the Phoenix Emperor, made from some special and precious materials.

The battle ahead of them wouldn't be an easy one, as they were against millions, if not billions, of Devil Beasts of all kinds. Although they had the combined forces of the three factions in their side, victory wasn't guaranteed.

"Mister Issei, should we revise the battle plan again?" asked Feng Ru as she turned her head around to face Issei. She had long since lost her playful and carefree tone, but she could still be considered to be one of the less serious individuals in their side.

"Mn, it would be better," Issei nodded, and while sending Xiao Huo back to the Heretical God Seed, he got up and headed to where the six Emperors and Priestesses were at. They weren't too far away, and it didn't take Issei too long to reach them.

"Alright, it's like this," began Feng Ru, seeing that Issei was already close to her position. "The more common soldiers will take care of the low-ranked Devil Beasts. The higher-ranking ones will be dealt by our most outstanding generals, while the Ten Devil Generals, the Devil Beasts who are second only to the Devil King, will be handled by us, the three emperors and priestess."

"Got it. What about me?" asked Issei.

"You obviously will have the job of killing the Devil King," replied Feng Ru with a strange expression, looking at Issei seriously.

"I see… so I have to deal with the Devil King…. Wait… Ah?!"

Issei's eyes widened in shock, disbelief appearing on his features. Did he just hear… that he would be the one to face the Devil King?

"Oh? Kid, is there a problem with that? If there is, then please let me take your place!"

Mu Yun looked at Issei with envy as he said those words. After all, he was probably the only one that felt like facing the Devil King. Just the thought of battling against that monster made him excited.

"That can't do. According to the Old Writings, only the successor of the Evil God has the ability to kill the Devil King," explained Feng Lin as he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Ah… too bad..."

"Too bad? Just do your own business!" reprimanded the Vermillion Bird Priestess with an angered expression, clearly displeased with her partner's behavior. Just a that time, Zuo Yao's old and ancient voice rang out.

"Hey! Since when did we agree that I would be the one to handle some of the Ten Devil Generals? I didn't sign up for this!"

"Fufufu… Old-man Yao's words are right. What's in there for us?" asked the Golden Crow Priestess, Zuo Yan, with a sly and cunning expression, her golden pupils lazily glancing at everyone around her, while her lips were curled up disdainfully.

Feng Lin, upon hearing the complaints of the leaders of the Golden Crow Faction, revealed a troubled expression. But, suddenly, he remembered something that Issei had told him, making the corner of his lips curl upwards as he said, "You may not know this, but the bodies of high-ranked Devil Beasts can be made into treasures… they are extremely precious, and we, the Phoenix Faction, are willing to pay a high price for them."

"High price?!"

Zuo Yao's eyes widened in shock, while the Golden Crow Priestess, Zuo Yan, narrowed her eyes, an excited smile appearing on her dignified face.

"H-h-how high are we talking about?" asked Zuo Yao in a stutter, unable to hold back his excitement.

"Thousands of Fire Stones-"

"Millions!"

Mu Yun, who hadn't said much, suddenly raised his hand and shouted his price, interrupting Feng Lin's words mid-way. Feng Lin stared at him in shock, while the Vermillion Bird Priestess was about to start screaming at him in anger.

"Heh! You fools, you don't understand the true uses of the bodies of a Devil General! Humph! They can be used for a multitude of things, and can even be made to create extremely high-grade weapons!" Mu Yun explained proudly as he crossed his arms, his expression overbearing and arrogant.

"Millions…. Millions… that's it! In this war, leave all of the Devil Generals to me—No! Also leave the Devil King to me! His body can sell for a high-price.. all of those Fire Stones are… mine!"

The six leaders of the three factions continued to discuss various miscellaneous matters, while Issei, who had been the one to start the discussion, stood quietly by the side, his expression serious.

"I'm supposed to kill the Devil King… just how should I do that?!" Issei cried out in frustration, while shaking his head to the sides. "From what I have heard, that fellow should be in the peak of the Divine Profound Realm, or even in the Saint Profound Realm, above all of the emperors and priestesses! While me… I am at the mid-stages of the Nascent Profound Realm! How, just how, should I do that?!"

Issei was someone who rarely met with a troublesome situation, but when he did, it would be exceedingly difficult to take care of. And now, it seemed that he had managed to enter an impossible predicament. The whole fate of the world was hanging on the battle between Issei and the Devil Emperor… which couldn't be won!

" _Scree Scree~!"_

While emitting a high-pitched noise, Xiao Huo seemed to want to say something to Issei, but because of the fact that it hadn't developed the ability to speak yet, it was unable to. In the end, it could only jump around while frantically saying, _"Scree Scree~!"_

"Thanks," Issei looked at Xiao Huo and smiled, knowing its intentions. Then, he turned his head back, and faced the endless ocean of soldiers behind him, separated into three main Factions. There were easily more than millions of soldiers there, the weakest of them in the Emperor Profound Realm.

This sort of power… if taken to the Profound Sky Continent, would be able to conquer everything in their path. This was simply the sheer power of the troops of the three factions, and yet, the chances of dealing with the Devil Beasts… were rather grim.

The Devil Beasts were divided into many ranks. The lowest ranked Devil beasts were the ones Issei had met on his first day in Phoenix City. They were grotesque and of various shapes and sizes, each of them with power equal to soldier in the early Emperor Profound Realm. Then, after these Devil Beasts, there were many other types. The higher their ranks, the more human-like they were.

In the top of all the Devil Beasts stood the highest rank, the Humanoid Devil Beasts. In reality, there wasn't much difference between them and actual humans. By appearance alone, it would be impossible to distinguish them from normal normal people, but once a battle erupts, the difference would become obvious.

Devil Beasts were exceedingly vicious and bloodthirsty, and they slaughter without a thought. They feast on human flesh, and drink their blood. If they were to be described in a word, it would be: Terrifying.

And, Issei, who was only in the Nascent Profound Realm, was supposed to kill the strongest of all Devil Beasts, the Devil King, whose power was unfathomable and boundless.

"Hmm… Kid, your name is Issei, right?"

Suddenly, the soft and alluring voice of Zuo Yan, the Golden Crow Priestess, came from near Issei, who turned his head around in surprise. Not too far away from him, the beautiful Golden Crow Priestess stood with a sly smile on her face.

"Ah? Yes, my name is indeed Issei," answered Issei as he stood up from the ground, looking at Zuo Yan curiously, wondering what she had to say. After all, not too long ago, she had been too engrossed in the discussion between the leaders of the Three Factions, not paying attention to him.

"I have a proposal to make," Zuo Yan took a step forward, a charming yet cunning smile on her face, while her golden pupil shone with an eerie and mysterious light. "You see, differently from the other foolish idiots, I'm aware that you don't have much hope in killing the Devil King… So, with that in mind, I want to offer you some help."

"Help…?" Issei stared at Zuo Yan questioningly, searching her face for any deceit, but finding nothing except for her mysterious and alluring expression. To say the truth, he didn't have a good expression from the members of the Golden Crow Faction from the beginning, courtesy of Zuo Yao. Because of that, he was quite wary of them.

"Yes, help." Zuo Yan nodded as she took a step forward, her long and graceful leg almost being revealed to Issei because of the side-cuts of her robes. Then, she revealed a bright smile as she waved her hands, a small vial appearing on it.

"This is a little something that can help you defeat the Devil King," explained Zuo Yan as she brought up the vial, and held it in front of Issei's face. "Within this vial, there is the blood of the Golden Crow… not the 'good' blood, but the 'bad' one."

"Good? Bad? Is there such a thing?"

"Yes," Zuo Yan nodded. "In reality, this is a secret that no one except for me knows. Differently from the other two Divine Fire Beasts, the Golden Crow actually produces two kinds of blood… one of them is the good and benign blood, which can grant whoever absorbs it the power of the Golden Crow. As for the other blood… it only comes out once every hundred thousand years, and is the condensation of the Golden Crow's Blood exceedingly overflowing destructive power.

"A little drop of this 'bad blood' is enough… to even kill a real God."

After saying all of that, Zuo Yan's gaze temporarily lingered on the vial on her hands before turning her attention back to the surprised Issei, who stared at the small vial with an astonished expression.

"Is… is this the truth?"

"Why would I lie? The Golden Crow Faction has already allied with you, and we are on the same side." answered Zuo Yan with a slightly angered expression.

"Then…," Issei took in a deep breath, and after glancing briefly at the small vial, he focused his gaze on Zuo Yan once more and said, "What's your price?"

"Ara?"

Zuo Yan looked at Issei in surprise, taken aback by Issei's words. Soon after, she started to laugh, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. After a while, she managed to calm down, and when she looked at Issei again, her gaze had a tinge of respect.

"Boy, you sure don't beat around the bush! How interesting… How interesting indeed!" Zuo Yan nodded approvingly, looking at Issei in a new light. Then, she revealed a wicked smile and said, "Since you already know my intentions, then I also will get straight to the point. In exchange for this drop of blood, I want..." Zuo Yan paused dramatically.

"To sleep with you."

"What…?"

With widened eyes, Issei stared at Zuo Yan in shock, unsure if he had heard her words correctly. She actually wanted to sleep with him…? What kind of condition was that?!

Seeing Issei's expression, Zuo Yan immediately understood what he was thinking, and while revealing a sly smile, explained, "Don't misunderstand me. By sleeping, I don't mean intercourse, but to literally sleep. One night. That's all I ask."

"Eh? Only sleeping? Like, really sleeping?"

"Exactly. What do you say?"

"Hmm….," murmured Issei, looking at Zuo Yan strangely. He then narrowed his eyes and asked, "Alright, I accept your terms, but… before we seal the deal, tell me why."

"Simple. There's a poison within my body, and I need your Sky Poison Pearl to help me eliminate it. And the best way to do that would be for me to bathe in your aura at night… so, sleeping." explained Zuo Yan with a sly smile.

"Wait… What?!" Issei's eyes widened in shock. "You actually know about the Sky Poison Pearl?"

"The moment I saw you, I knew it," Zuo Yan nodded. "You see, the Golden Crow, who had been poisoned by a deadly substance, had been searching for the Sky Poison Pearl for millions of years before creating the Divine Fire Realm. As such, how could I possibly not recognize it?"

"Then… since the Golden Crow has been poisoned, why would I sleep with you, and not the original body?"

"Heh, who said anything about that?"

Suddenly, Zuo Yan revealed a mysterious smile.

"Mn?" asked Issei, wondering what Zuo Yan was going on about.

"Well, it will be revealed after the battle," said Zuo Yan as she sighed while shrugging her shoulders. Then, she asked again, "So, are you willing to accept my terms or not? Soon, the Devil Beasts will arrive, so you better decide quickly."

"I agree with your terms," Issei looked at Zuo Yan without any hesitation. After all, it was only sleeping… what harm could it do?

"Perfect!" Zuo Yan revealed a wide smile, and without any further ado, handed him the small vial, in which the 'Golden Crow's Bad Blood' was contained. Then, she explained, "Just throw this at the Devil King while he's not paying attention. Given your cultivation base, he will probably underestimate you… anyways, as soon as it touches him, his death is guaranteed."

After saying so, Zuo Yan walked away, already having accomplished her objectives. Her lips swayed seductively as she walked away, leaving Issei, whose gaze was fixed onto the vial, behind.

"The Golden Crow's Bad Blood… This is my only chance of winning this war," murmured Issei, who after some hesitation mustered up his courage and opened the lid of the trial, peering inside. Within, he saw a minuscule amount of blood, which could at most be separated into the three little drops. "Given this amount of blood… at the very most, I will only have three chances to succeed—No! In fact, I'll only have once chance. If I fail it, the Devil King will already be wary of my action, and will try to kill me before I can give it another try.

"As such… I definitely must not fail in my first attempt! Everything will depend on this."

 ** _Read & Review~! (Remember: 30!... or at least a few. I'll expect more for next chapter, though.)_**

* * *

 _ **A/N: Guys, for some reason, I didn't like this chapter. I don't know if it's because it didn't seem to flow correctly, and the transitions between the paragraph were not seamless, but it felt kinda strange –and even awkward – to me. I tried to re-write it some times, but it ended up the same every time. Well, it must be that today, I just wasn't able to write like I wanted to. (In fact, I never can. It's just that this time, it was more apparent…)**_

 _ **Anyways, in order to make up for this fiasco of a chapter, I promise that the next one will be much better. Things that you can expect: Action! Battle! Slaughter! Blood! Mayhem! Destruction! And… Plot-twists!**_


	63. All Hope Is Lost

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 63 - All Hope Is Lost**

* * *

"Hey Yan, I noticed you were talking with the brat?"

When Zuo Yao noticed that Zuo Yan had finished her conversation with Issei, he beckoned to her, telling her to come closer. The moment Zuo Yan approached him, Zuo Yao's old and wizened features revealed a sly and cunning smile.

"I was talking with him… but what of it?"

"Nothing much, just curious…" murmured Zuo Yao, his smile widening upon seeing the Golden Crow's Priestess slightly strange expression.

"You… Argh!" Zuo Yan shook her head while sighing. Then, she crossed her arms and explained, "Both of us know that the kid has no way to defeat the Devil King. I only gave him a way to kill the old fellow."

"A way to kill him?" asked Zuo Yao as his eyes widened in shock. His expression became anxious as he urged her to continue, "Quickly, tell this old man how!"

"It's actually quite simple. I gave him an extremely strong liquid, which is capable of quickly taking the Devil King's life. As long as a drop of it falls on the Devil King, his death is assured."

"A liquid… what kind of—Never mind, that doesn't matter," Zuo Yao shook his head mid-way his speech, deciding to ask something else. "Actually, I'm more curious as to just what you asked in exchange."

Zuo Yan smiled slyly at Old-man Yao's words. "Nothing much. I'll only have him heal a poison that has been tormenting me for quite some time."

"Mn? A poison? The kid can actually heal poisons?" asked Zuo Yao in bewilderment, looking at Issei out of the corner of his eyes as he spoke.

"Believe it or not, the kid actually has the Sky Poison Pearl," explained the Golden Crow Priestess with an excited expression. Then, noticing Zuo Yao's expression of shock, which soon changed into greediness, she quickly added, "And don't even think of killing him for it. Don't you think that I would have already tried that if it was possible?"

"Ah?! Why not?!"

Zuo Yan sighed and explained with a downcast expression, "Although it's a pity, the Sky Poison Pearl has fully integrated with the kid's body, becoming one with him. He reached the legendary state of the Sky Poison Pearl becoming him… and he becoming the Sky Poison Pearl. Thankfully, I managed to notice that beforehand. Or else, if I tried to kill him and take it for me, it would be akin to destroying the Sky Poison Pearl itself."

"So it was actually like that…. A pity! A pity indeed!" cried out Zuo Yao, shaking his head in distress. He then sighed and said, "Anyways, at the very least, you'll manage to deal with whatever poison is harming your body… Still, are you sure that that liquid you handed the kid will be enough to one-shot the Devil King?"

"Completely sure," assured Zuo Yan as she nodded her head, not even the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation in her expression. Her complexion then turned slightly unsightly as she added, "Now, we can only hope that the kid will manage to do the most difficult, which is to be able to throw the liquid at the Devil King while we deal with the Ten Devil Generals."

"Yes, that should be the most-"

 _Rumble Rumble Rumble!_

Before Zuo Yao could continue his sentence, an intense and deep rumbling noise filled the air. Over the horizons, countless black dots started to appear, in the skies and land alike. The ground began to tremble, and it seemed that everything was beginning to shake.

"This… this means that it will soon be time," murmured Feng Lin as he shook his head, a serious expression on his face. Without another word, he unsheathed his sword from his hilt, holding it parallel to his body.

"So many Devil Beasts… this doesn't seem like it will be easy at all!" cried out Feng Ru in distress, shaking her small and beautiful head to the sides in distress. At the same time she said those words, she also entered her battle position, the crystal bead on her hands beginning to shine with a faint golden light.

"Hell yeah! Fight time!"

An excited shout rang in the air amidst everyone's murmuring. Unsurprisingly, it came from Mu Yun, who was holding his longsword with a savage and wild expression, his eyes shining in anticipation.

"Ugh, so unsightly…" Mu Xiu shook her head, holding back her urge to reprimand the Vermillion Bird King. While she said such words, she also took out her own weapon from her cosmos sack – a small, sharp dagger that shone mysteriously.

"Hehe, it seems that this old man must put his body to use once more," said Zuo Yao with a bitter smile as he stretched his limbs, creating countless cracking noises. "Oh well, since each of those Devil Beasts equal Fire Stones, then I might as well kill all of them!"

"This should prove interesting…." Zuo Yan smiled mysteriously while flourishing her sleeves, but didn't bother with taking out her own weapon. Instead, two thin and beautiful golden gloves appeared on her hands.

As everyone began their preparations, Issei wasn't about to stay idle, and after checking his body a few times to make sure that everything was in order, he eyed the small vial in his hands one last time and smiled darkly. Then, he carefully placed it in his robes, in a place that was of easy access, but that would be able to protect it at the same time.

Then, after some consideration, he took out Heaven's Piercer from the Sky Poison Pearl, along with another sword, which was only below Heaven's Piercer in strength out of his swords. It had a bone-white blade, with a vermillion hilt. Its name was… Heaven's Slaughter!

"Heaven's Piercer and Heaven's Slaughter… I never tried out this combination before, but it must be many times stronger than the current Gan Jiang and Mo Ye…," murmured Issei, looking at his two swords dotingly. At the same time, on his shoulders, Xiao Huo appeared.

"Scree Scree~!"

"That's the spirit," Issei nodded approvingly, glancing at Xiao Huo with a small smile on his face. He then lowered his voice and murmured, "Alright, this will be our first fight… Let's see just what you can do."

"Screeeeee~!"

Xiao Huo gave one last shout before burrowing back into Issei's body. Once inside Issei, instead of heading back to the Heretical God Seed, it flew to his dantian, where it began to pour its own flames and power into Issei's Profound Veins. The moment it did so, Issei could automatically feel that he would be able to bring out Yang Fire Essence at will.

"I'm ready now…. Mn? Is that… the true Devil Beasts army?!"

Suddenly, Issei's pupils constricted while his eyes widened. In the beginning, they were too far away, and Issei was only to see black dots in the distance. But now, after some time had passed, he found himself able to look at the clearly.

Dozens of millions of all kinds of beasts littered the ground and flooded the skies. These millions of different and strange beasts composed the first rank of the Devil Beasts Army. Behind these beasts stood even bigger Devil Beasts, some of them being the size of small hut, while others the size of entire mountains. Their auras were actually comparable to the…. Peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm!

Even farther were the humanoid Devil Beasts, each of them wearing tight-fitting armor and huge weapons, while riding lower-ranked beasts. In their group, ten certain individuals stood out. They looked different from the rest, and the aura around their body was actually equal to the mid to late stages of the Sovereign Profound Realm! In fact, amongst their ranks, there were even some of the Divine Profound Realm!

Finally, behind all of those beasts stood a wizened old man, who wore dilapidated clothing, worn down by the passage of time. His eyes were closed, and he hovered in the air behind everyone else, emanating an old and ancient air.

Most shocking of all was the aura around the old man, which was fathomless and boundless! It was, at the very least, at the peak of the Divine Profound Realm!

"Is that… the Devil King?" murmured Issei, his gaze locked onto the mysterious and wizened old-man. Then, suddenly, the old-man's eyes opened, revealing two pupil-less blank eyes, which stared back at him passively.

"Dammit!" Issei cried out in shock, turning his eyes away. Although it was brief, the moment the old-man laid his eyes on him, an overwhelming pressure came crashing down on him, while his world started to crumble!

"Careful. The Devil King is more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

A hand was suddenly placed in Issei's shoulder, and when he turned around, he found Feng Lin right next to him, his eyes locked onto the vast Devil Beasts army in front of them. Then, he turned his head around to face Issei and smiled faintly, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good," Feng Lin nodded, taking a few steps forward. He then raised up his crimson sword and roared.

"Phoenix Faction…. ATTACK!"

"MAY THE PHOENIX LAST FOREVER!"

All of the soldiers in the Phoenix Faction raised their swords up in the air and charged forward with a loud shout, echoing across the lands.

"It seems that it's also time for us…," murmured Mu Yun with an insane and crazed expression. He then turned his head around, and while mimicking Feng Lin, roared excitedly, "Vermillion Bird Faction…. Let our enemies face the might of the Vermillion Bird! CHARGE!"

"ALL SHALL PALE UNDER THE VERMILLION BIRD!"

Just like with the Phoenix Soldiers, the Vermillion Bird Soldiers brandished their swords and charged forward, rushing into the Devil Beasts alongside the Phoenix Soldiers!

"Hehe, we can't be left behind!" Old-man Yao revealed a nasty grin, and turned around to face the Golden Crow Soldiers. "All of you, kill everyone that enters your sight, but remember to not damage their corpses too badly! We still need them!"

"YES SIR!" echoed the shouts of the entire Golden Crow Faction.

"Then, what are you bunch of dogs waiting for?! CHARGE ALREADY, GODDAMMIT!" Zuo Yao suddenly roared, his saliva flying all around. He then moved his body back, and along with Mu Yun and Feng Lin, charged into the battlefield.

"LONG LIVE THE GOLDEN CROW!"

The Golden Crow Faction roared as they also charged into the battlefield, leaving behind a colossal cloud of dust.

"We should also go." Feng Ru glanced at the other two priestess, and without saying anything else, flew up into the air, following Feng Lin into the battlefield.

Mu Xiu didn't say anything, and also flew up into the skies, following after the insane Mu Yun.

"Oh well, the time has come…," murmured Zuo Yan. Then, her gaze fell onto Issei as she said, "Alright boy, the fate of the entire battle lays on you. Kill the Devil King, and everything's fine. Fail to kill him… well, it would just mean that we were depending in the wrong person."

After saying so, Zuo Yan didn't even glance at Issei again, following the other two priestesses into the battlefield. In the end, only Issei was left behind, who looked at the army in front of him with a complex expression before sighing.

"Let's go."

Issei rose up from the ground and started walking towards the battlefield slowly, not really bothering to rush. After all, his enemy was the Devil King, while the rest would be handled by everyone else. Since it seemed that the Devil King would wait some time to take part in the battle, so Issei was using this time to think about how he would ambush him.

"I must somehow attack him while he's not paying attention… this is hard, but… it can be done!"

Suddenly, Issei raised his head to look far into the horizon, directly at the Devil King. A cool wind blew past, and without a noise, his body disappeared.

* * *

In the battlefield, the Devil Beasts ran amok, killing whoever stood in their way.

Their large and grotesque jaws would bite onto the soldiers from the three factions, effortlessly tearing through their armor and taking out large chunks of their bodies. The soldiers, when faced with that situation, would only laugh cruelly, and without hesitation, crush their cultivations bases, and exploding their bodies, taking the fiendish beasts out with them.

Countless lives were being lost by each passing second, with the two sides of the air suffering from casualties. Despite that, it was obvious that the winning side was actually… the side of the Three Factions!

And this was all attributed to the three emperors and priestesses!

Slash!

A dark light flashed, and a river of flames erupted from Feng Ling's crimson sword as he made his way to one of the Ten Devil Generals, killing every small fly that stood in his way. Hovering around him were countless orbs of flames, that would constantly fly towards a colossal Devil Beast and burn them to death in pressure.

The weaker Devil Beasts, only by being around him, would succumb to death and perish.

While this happened, up in the skies, Feng Ru looked with unnatural coldness and the battlefield below her, her hands flashing through various signs. The small crystal bead in front of her shined with a deep scarlet light, and from it, countless different kinds of attack would come out, sending ripples in the air.

Flame Dragons, Flame Horses and Flame Birds would appear all around Feng Ru, charging towards the various enemies. Each of her attacks would kill dozens, while her strongest ones could kill thousands of Devil Beasts in one breath!

Her might... was even above that of Emperor Lin's!

At the same time, not too far away from Feng Lin and Feng Ru, the two leaders of the Vermillion Crow Faction had an even higher kill-count.

"Hahaha! This is GREAT!" exclaimed Mu Yun with an insane expression, pulling his bloodied sword from the corpse of the Devil Beast he had just killed. Then, without even turning around, his hand struck forth, grabbing another Devil Beast that had tried to ambush him. Without a change in expression, he tightened his grip, and the Devil Beast exploded in a haze of blood and gore!

"More more more! Keep coming!"

Mu Yun lifted his head up to the skies and roared, charging alone into an area with a high concentration of high-ranked Devil Beasts while brandishing his sword left and right. His whole body was covered in blood, and his eyes shone with a wicked and cruel light as he slaughtered his way in the battlefield, killing everything in his path with a sadistic and insane grin.

"That crazy psychopath…." murmured Mu Xiu with an exasperated expression. Surprisingly, during the time she had said such words, she had already struck out with her dagger countless times, taking the lives of dozens of Devil Beasts.

After that, just like a shadow, Mu Xiu disappeared into the battlefield, leaving behind a trail of blood and gore wherever she went. Each strike of her dagger was fast and deadly, quickly and effortlessly killing everything in her way.

In fact, Mu Xiu's current kill-count was higher than the crazed Mu Yun, and… it was now by a small amount!

However, the duo with the highest kill count wasn't Mu Yun and Mu Xiu, but instead… Zuo Yao and Zuo Yan!

In a position slightly far away from the others, Zuo Yao wielded his large halberd, killing countless Devil Beasts with each strike. Every time he did so, he would have the care of collecting all of the corpses into his Cosmos Sack before moving on, and if one looked up from above, they would see that a large area around him was actually devoid of Devil Beasts, be them alive or dead!

"You… You seem to be worth a lot! Die for me!"

"Wait… your skin is shining! How much is that worth?! DIE!"

"Oh oh! That one is really tall… the bones should be worth tones!"

"Ah, so many Fire Stones…. All of them are MINE!"

Excited shouts such as this would regularly come out of Zuo Yao's voice as he slaughtered group after group of Devil Beasts, who in his eyes were only walking treasure chests, full of Spirit Stones. It didn't matter if it was the weakest one or the stronger ones… their corpses all went to his Cosmos Sack!

But, Zuo Yao's attention was actually focused onto a large, humanoid Devil Beast, which stood not too far away from his current position, looking at him with wizened eyes.

This Devil Beast was actually… one of the Ten Devil Generals!

"That crazed old man… just what is he?" murmured the Devil Beast General in shock, taking a step back unconsciously. When he had first seen the three emperors, he had thought that this old man would have been the easiest to handle, but… he was actually the most vicious one!It's as they say, don't judge a book by its cover!

"Wait! Don't you dare to run away!"

The moment Zuo Yao saw that the Devil Beast General that he was after had taken a step back, he revealed an angered expression, while the speed which he used to swing his huge halberd soared to new heights!

"He's the same as always…," sighed Zuo Yan as she watched from up high in the sky. Her cold gaze lingered on Old-man Yao for a moment before her golden pupil locked onto a different Demon General not to far away.

"Oh? That one looks like quite the fat sheep… Hehe… profit!"

And with that, Zuo Yan flew through the air, flying above the countless Devil Beasts. On the way, she didn't forget to cast a few a marital skills, taking out countless of Devil Beasts as she plowed through their ranks.

* * *

"Futile efforts… Why must you all partake in this useless and meaningless struggle, when the future has already been decided…?"

In a secluded area of the battlefield, the old man that Issei had seen before, the Devil King, sat cross-legged while eying the entire battlefield. An archaic and atavistic aura emanated from his body, and his eye shone with the wisdom of time.

Even though he only sat there, not doing anything at all except for watching everything that happened, the pressure that he gave off was nothing short of shocking, with ripples spreading through the air, filling the entire area with his boundless pressure.

It was as if his existence alone… was a defiance to the world!

"And you… for how long are you planning on hiding?"

Suddenly, the Devil King raised up his hand and made a grabbing motion. Then, not too far away from the old man, a shadow flashed by, being pulled straight towards the old man by a strong gravitational force.

This figure that was pulled… was actually Issei!

"Argh!

Issei coughed up a mouthful of blood, his expression one of surprise and disbelief. He was sure that he had been concealing his aura the entire time! Not only that, he hadn't made a single movement since the beginning, so why…. Why was he found out?!

"Is this young one surprised?" asked the Devil King, looking at Issei plainly. Then, he shook his head lightly, "To say the truth, I had already taken notice of your presence ever since the very beginning… Even though you tried to not attract attention to yourself, making your enemies perish within breath of times by use of your swords and your Flame Essence…. Nothing can slip past by me.

"Even if you are the child of the Old Writings… that means nothing to me. Your existence… is only a little fly, which has been mingling within this realm far too much. You have stirred too much trouble already… and now, you shall pay the price of your actions.

"Child… Prepare to experience a fate… worse than death."

As he said so, the Devil King waved his sleeves, and right next to Issei, a tear in space appeared. It wasn't wide or big, and was just enough to fit a grown man inside. Despite that, the moment it appeared, everyone in the battlefield felt an intense pressure crashing down upon them, and many of the soldiers drop to their knees. Some of the weakest Devil Beasts and soldiers actually exploded under that pressure!

"W-what is that…?" Issei managed to say, forcefully ignoring the pressure that flooded his surroundings, threatening to crush his mind, body and soul.

"This… is something that I acquired long ago," began the Devil King coolly, his gaze locked onto the tear in space. "That is a space… in which time and matter lose their meanings. Something left behind by a great Immortal, whose might shook the world."

All of a sudden, the Devil King smiled plainly and continued "But, to you, it will be your grave."

Then, the Devil King threw his arm forward, and Issei, who had been hovering in front of him, was thrown into that tear in space, which swallowed him. After doing so, the tear in space lingered for a few more moments before disappearing completely.

A shocking silence filled the entire battlefield, everyone staring ahead blankly. Despair flashed through the faces of almost all of the members of the Three Factions, while the Devil Beasts revealed expression of joy.

Issei was the last hope of the three factions. His death right now was akin to… the end of the three factions.

"...So he failed in the end..." murmured Zuo Yan, shaking her head to the sides. She then glanced at the Devil King, and while under everyone's surprised gazes, she hovered to where he was and asked, "Devil King… just where have you sent him?"

"Ah? Golden Crow Priestess, is it?" asked the Devil King, looking at her plainly. Then, he merely continued, "That child deserved a fate worse than death. So, I threw him into a realm in which time passes much faster than here. That place is fraught with dangers, and he will be tormented for all eternity…. In fact, even though only a few minutes have only passed right, he should have already experienced more than two hundred years of punishment..."

After hearing the Devil King's words, Zuo Yan sighed. Her eyes then onto a place far away into the distance… and, to be more specific, onto the inverted mountain where the true Phoenix slept.

The other two priestesses also did the same, knowing what would happen now.

Before coming to this battle, it was as if a seal had been broken, and they had been able to see the true contents of the Old Writings. Because of that, they knew that the realm they were in was only a test made for Issei… now that he was dead, there was no longer any reason for the test to exist. Which meant… that this realm would be destroyed.

 _ **Read & Review~! (REVIEW! REVIEW!)**_


	64. Shocking Power!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 64 - Shocking Power!**

* * *

The three priestesses looked at the Phoenix's dwelling, the inverted mountain above Phoenix City, somberly waiting for the Divine Beasts to wake up from their slumber and destroy the entire Divine Fire Realm. However, even after a few minutes passed… nothing extraordinary took place.

"Eh?"

Feng Ru, who had a mental connection to the Phoenix, could clearly feel that it hadn't experienced any changes. In fact, it was sleeping as peacefully as ever, as if nothing happened. This… this could only mean that…

"He's alive?!" cried out Feng Ru in shock, disbelief flashing through her eyes. Then, her expression slowly changed into one of… Hope!

"What?!"

The other two priestesses were also surprised, their eyes widened. After all, they could clearly feel that the Devil King's words held some truth. He definitely wasn't someone to bluff in a situation such as this.

"Could it be…?" murmured the two Priestesses.

As for the Devil King, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Mn? Your expressions… what has happened?" asked the Devil King, noticing the strange expressions on the faces of the three priestess. For some reason, the moment he saw them, he felt a bad welling up inside him.

There was… something wrong.

"He…," began Feng Ru slowly and quietly, only to cry out her next words, "he's alive!"

"He? You mean that child?" the Devil King revealed a surprised expression. Then he sneered and said, "Wishful thinking. Since you do not believe me… let me show you!"

As he said so, the Devil King snapped his fingers, and in the space in front of him, a tear in space appeared, with an endless void area on the other side. Then, from within that fissure, a figure flew out, lifelessly falling to the ground.

"Hmph!"

The Devil King raised his hand, causing the tear in space to disappear, while the figure that had been about to crash onto the ground stopped in the air, hovering next to the Devil King, and allowing everyone to clearly see this new person.

"This is...?!"

Feng Ru's eyes widened, and so did the eyes of everyone from the three factions. That was because, there was an old man in front of them, who seemed to be on his last breaths, his entire body emaciated and ancient, even older than the Devil King who stood by the side. In fact, this new figure seemed to be no different than a pile of bones covered by skin.

However. the most surprising part wasn't that. Instead, it was the fact that that the robes worn by this ancient living-corpse was actually the same one belonging to Issei! They were dilapidated, and no longer had their vibrant aura, but they were , without a doubt, the robes that Feng Lin had gifted Issei before the battle.

Suddenly, before anyone could speak, the almost-dead old man started to move. It was only faint in the beginning, limited to the faint twitch of the fingers, but in the next couple seconds, he managed to lift his body from its laying position, hovering in the air directly in front of the Devil King.

"Oh? So you're still alive?" asked the Devil King, slightly surprised. After all, according to his calculations, the time that Issei had spent inside that different dimension should be nearly five hundred years. And this definitely wasn't an amount of time that a cultivator of the Nascent Profound Realm could live through.

Still, the Devil King was only surprised, with no other significant emotion. In fact, he was only amused by the fact that Issei had managed to live through it, and not frightened in the least. After all, the current Issei was half-step into the grave, and even if he were in his peak condition, he still wouldn't be the Devil King's match.

While sneering, the Devil King revealed a dark expression, "You're just like a cockroach, aren't you? It appears that killing you once won't be enough… So, I shall grant you the pleasure of being killed by me… twice!"

As he said so, the Devil King raised his hand, and was about to cast a martial skill and end Issei's life once and for all. However, before he could, Issei made his move.

He slowly lifted up his finger, pointing directly at the Devil King. Then, with a hoarse voice, he chanted, "Eighth...Demon...Sealing… Hex!"

The moment those words were spoken, a tremor ran through the Devil King's body. Demonic spiritual power made itself visible around them, thereupon charging forward, directly towards the Devil King, sealing his movements… for a single second!

It was only a single second, but… it completely determined the Devil King's fate! And that was because, in this very second that the Devil King couldn't move, a red streak of light flashed from Issei's hand, falling onto the Devil King's body without a sound.

That red streak of light was actually… a drop of the Golden Crow's Bad Blood!

"What?!" cried out the Devil King in shock, surprised by his inability to move. Then, his eyes widened even further, a terrible burning sensation erupting from his body. When he looked down, he saw that, much to his utter shock and astonishment, dark-golden flames had appeared on his body, beginning to devour his entire being!

"What have you done?!"

The Devil King looked at Issei in pure hatred, but no matter how much he loathed the old-looking man in front of him, he was unable to do anything. The dark-golden flames were quickly burning his body and soul, and he was no longer able to move. Its power was something beyond what he could extinguish, and it was clear that he would meet his end in a few seconds.

"You… you shall pay for this," began the Devil King weakly, glaring at Issei in the last moments before his death. Then he suddenly smiled darkly and said in a whisper, "The… the Devil God… has spectated this… in the future… IT… won't let you...off…."

After saying so, the Devil King no longer tried to struggle against the dark-golden flames, and let himself be enveloped by them. In response, they begun to greedily devour his body, and before long, nothing remained of him.

Nothing remained… except for a small piece of green jade that hadn't been affected by those flames. This small, inconspicuous piece of jade began to fall to the ground after being released, causing Issei's expression to flicker.

An excited light suddenly flashed through Issei's eyes, and, without hesitation, he made a grasping motion with his hand, causing the green piece of jade to flow up to him. After placing it in the Sky Poison Pearl, Issei turned around.

In front of him stood the millions of soldiers and Devil Beasts, who had all stopped to witness the Devil King's death. Everyone looked on with expressions of utter shock, not daring to believe their own eyes.

"Mister Issei… is that you?" asked Feng Ru, taking a step forward. Although the person in front of her was clearly an old man, it was clear to her that this old man was none other than the hope of the three factions, Issei!

Instead of answering Feng Ru's question, Issei slowly lifted up his right arm, telling her to not come any closer. Then, he closed his eyes and, under everyone's gazes, took in a deep breath.

 _Swish swish swis_ _h!_

The air from the atmosphere flowed into Issei's lungs, and much to everyone's astonishment, the moment it did so, Issei's appearance began to change. His initial appearance of a half-dead old man quickly turned into one of a middle-aged man in seconds, followed by that of a man in his late thirties. It didn't stop there, and before long, Issei's appearance was back to the state it had been when he first entered the Divine Fire Realm.

Surprisingly, his age regression didn't seem to have reached its limit as it continued up to the point in which Issei looked like a small kid, not older than six. When it reached that point, Issei's lungs were already full, and no further air could be pulled in. Since that was the case, Issei breathed out.

As the air left his body, Issei began to age, only that this time, it was much slower than his age regression that had happened a few seconds ago. Starting as a young child, he turned into a young teenager. He kept growing older, and by the time he finished letting out the very last strand of air, completely emptying his lungs, he looked exactly like he did before being sent to that separate dimension by the Devil King.

He looked like… a sixteen-years-old cultivator!

The moment this happened, cries of shock rang out from the millions of cultivators in front of him.

"What kind of divine ability is that?!"

"How.. how is that even possible?!"

"He became younger… only to age again! He looks exactly like he had looked like before the battle!"

Many cultivators looked at Issei in astonishment, their expressions full of bewilderment and disbelief. In one second, he was an ancient and emaciated old man, and the other he was a young man? No matter if it was the emperors, the priestesses or the soldiers, none of them had ever heard of such a shocking and powerful martial skill.

And, most surprising of all was the fact that it was cast by someone of the… Nascent Profound Realm!

Just at that moment, the eyes of the Golden Crow Priestess suddenly widened in shock as she cried out, "That… that… that's the Dao of Time!"

"What?!"

"The Dao of Time?!"

The eyes of the other priestesses widened even further. When they recalled what had happened to Issei, enlightenment flashed through their features as they also cried out in shock.

"It actually is… the legendary Dao of Time!"

"Mister has… Mister has actually comprehended the Dao of Time?!"

By this point, everyone's eyes was completely locked on Issei, many of them beginning to pant. As for the Devil Beasts, they had long since fallen to the ground, dead. The moment that the Devil King died, they also drew their last breaths, since their lives… had been connected to the Devil King's own life-force.

Issei, under everyone's astonished gazes, simply walked over to where the three priestesses stood, a calm and unchanging expression on his handsome face, completely ignoring the stares he was receiving.

His aura was no longer the same. In the beginning, he had only been faking the aura of an expert, but now… he no longer did so. Issei's poise and bearing, after coming out of the separate dimension, had undergone complete, earth-shaking changes!

Each of his steps sent our ripples in the air, and a great aura of ancientness swirled around his body, giving his surroundings an atavistic aspect. His appearance may once more be that of a young man, but his true self was one that had undergone the refinement of time!

"Hey there."

As he approached the six emperors and priestesses, Issei waved his hands and greeted them with a small and calm smile.

"You… you… what happened with you?!" cried out Feng Ru, looking at Issei in bewilderment. She was the one who had spent the biggest amount of time with Issei out of everyone in the entire Divine Fire Realm, so she could clearly feel the change in his bearing.

"Many things," answered Issei, temporarily revealing a dark expression that faded away as soon as it appeared. Smiling bitterly, he continued, "Many, many things. Things… that are better off not spoken."

Feng Ru, when faced with such an abstract answer, stared at Issei in shock for a few more moments. She then forcefully swallowed down her curiosity and asked, "Mister… Mister Issei, what was that ability you used on the Devil King? Did… did it have to do with your Dao of Time?"

"Somewhat," Issei nodded. Then, after thinking about it some more, he shook his head and corrected himself with a thoughtful expression, "Actually, no."

"Ah…?" Feng Ru let out a small sound in response, puzzled.

"It doesn't matter much," Issei shook his head, not really wanting to explain what had happened. At the moment, there were other things that he needed to do. Much more important things. And so, while smiling, Issei continued, "Priestess Ru, I wish to meet with the Phoenix and the other three Divine Beasts. I have completed their test, and now… I must head back home."

"Oh…? Ah, yes, yes!" Feng Ru revealed a puzzled expression at first, but quickly realized what Issei was talking about and hurriedly nodded. She then turned around to face the other two priestesses, and after a few seconds of mental conversation, said to Issei, "Alright then, follow me. I'll bring you to meet the Phoenix-"

 _Baam! Crash! Boom!_

Before Feng Ru could continue her sentence, the loud noise of something breaking and shattering filled the air. Everyone instinctively looked in the direction from which the sound had come from, only to see, much to their surprise, the inverted mountain above Phoenix City exploding into countless little pieces. From within the falling pieces of rocks, a small bird flew out into the air.

This small bird, which seemed to be made out of flames, suddenly began to expand in size. In a matter of seconds, it was already thousands of meters tall, with a wingspan of dozens of kilometers.

"Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech!"

The flaming bird parted its beak, letting out an ear-splitting cry. After doing so, it started to flow towards Issei at breakneck speed, covering thousands of meters in seconds with its colossal body.

At the same time, over the horizon, two more colossal beasts appeared. One of them was a three-legged crow the same size as the flaming bird. Its body was completely golden in color, and deep golden flames hovered around it.

As for the other bird, it was a majestic bird, thousands of meters in length, and of a deep vermillion color. It was even bigger than the two other birds, and flew along with them, all of them headed in the same direction.

Those three colossal birds were actually… the true bodies of the three Divine Fire Beast!

The Phoenix!

The three-legged Golden Crow!

And... the Vermillion Bird!

 _ **Read & Review~! **_

_**A/N: Guys, I want MANY reviews on this chapter and on the next one (Which will be uploaded tomorrow). So please, review if you can! This chapter, along with the next one, are going to be really special, and I NEED more reviews than usual on them.**_

 ** _Also, there's a reference to ISSTH in this chapter, which has probably been noticed by many of you. As such, I'll be telling you all something: From this chapter onward, countless elements from ISSTH will be officially integrated into this story!_**

 _ **As for those who are wondering, ISSTH stands for I Shall Seal The Heavens, the best Chinese novel out there in my opinion. Amazingly written, fantastical plot and mind-blowing powers.**_


	65. Mysterious Presence

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 65 - Mysterious Presence**

* * *

The appearance of the three Divine Beasts shook everyone to the core. It didn't matter if it was the soldiers, or the generals and the emperors, they had only heard legends of them before. In their entire lives, they had never had the opportunity to see the gods they worshiped in person.

"Is that… the Divine Phoenix?!"

"Wait… isn't that the almighty Golden Crow?! Heavens, is this true?!"

"It can't be! The Vermillion Bird… is actually appearing?! Such a day has come?!"

The soldiers and the generals were all crying out in shock, their hearts full of bewilderment. And, this bewilderment soon gave place to… religious fervor!

The gods they worshiped for their entire lives were finally appearing before them! It was as if a powerful and extravagant flame had appeared within their bodies, burning with intensity! Such was the power of their fervor! Such was… their love for their gods!

"This… this… how can it be?!"

Feng Lin eyes were unnaturally widened, while his heart thumped crazily, sending tremors through his entire body. This man, who had once been calm and collected like flowing water, unfazed by secular matters, suffered earth-shaking changes! The ripples of shock were emanating within his heart, followed by the burning, ardent flames of his religious fervor. An intense feeling of ecstasy overwhelmed his senses, and he could only stand there, panting.

"To think… that I would be able to actually see the Vermillion Bird once…?" murmured Mu Yun, his eyes unfocused, while his internal emotions were in turmoil, akin to the raging tides of the ocean. Ever since he was little, he had heard stories of the Vermillion Bird. In the beginning, they were bedtime stories, followed by the legends and finally, the prophecies. It could be said that the Vermillion Bird had accompanied him for all his live, even if it wasn't in person.

And now that he could actually witness the might of the Vermillion Bird in person… he couldn't even think straight. His thoughts, that were originally muddled, suddenly began to clear, and only a single thought took over his entire being.

This thought was of a single existence… the Vermillion Bird!

"Is that really it? Is that really… the three-legged Golden Crow…?"

Zuo Yao looked on with shock, his pair of old and ancient eyes widened to the extreme. His entire body trembled, and surging tides of emotions flooded his entire being. Out of the three emperors, he was undoubtedly the oldest, and the one with the least amount of time remaining. Hundreds of years ago, he had already given up any and all notions of ever being able to gaze upon the splendor of the three-legged Golden Crow. But now… such a thing was actually happening!

It could be said that three emperors were shaken to the core, their minds akin to the crashing tides on the shore; shaken and unruly. These three figures, that had once been exceedingly proud and mighty, in the time-span of only few seconds, were reduced to fanatical worshipers.

In contrast to them, the three priestess were much more calm and collected. In fact, they could even be considered to be unfazed by what was happening in front of them, and except for the faint expressions of shock on their faces, their complexions betrayed no other emotions.

After all, differently from the three emperors, they were aware that the three Divine Beasts would wake up from the very start. As such, they had already prepared themselves for this, and weren't nearly as shaken as the others.

"Hmm? Wait… what's this?! Isn't that the Phoenix?! And… that is the Golden Crow?! Gods, there's also the Vermillion Bird?!"

Suddenly, inside Issei's mind, a clear and melodious voice rang out. And it actually belonged to… Jasmine herself!

"Mn? Jasmine, you woke up?" asked Issei in surprise. He then smiled bitterly and murmured darkly, "Wait... Didn't you say that you would only sleep for a few days? What took you so long? As far as I know, way more than two weeks passed!"

Instead of answering him, Jasmine cried out in bewilderment, "I have only slept for a few days, and I wake up to this?! Tell this princess right now how this situation came to be! Just how did you find these three Divine Beasts—Wait! How come your cultivation base is now so high?! And… what is this aura around your body?! Isn't this… the Dao of Time?!"

"Some stuff happened." answered Issei plainly. After that, he no longer spoke, not wanting to bother himself with explaining everything that had happened. Not only was he mad at Jasmine, who had slept at the most unfortunate moment and didn't help him out at all, there were other things that needed to be done.

"Some stuff?! Humph! Tell this Princess what happened right now! I'm warning you! Or else, I-"

Issei suddenly snapped his fingers, severing the mental-ling between him and Jasmine temporarily. He knew that this would lead to further repercussions, but at the moment, he just couldn't bring himself to actually care. He just wasn't in the mood to hear Jasmine's complaints.

At that moment, within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine suddenly grimaced darkly, knowing what Issei had done.

"He actually dares to interrupt this Princess' words mid-way?! Humph, after this, he'll get what's coming for him!"

Jasmine then shook her head and humphed a few more times, but in the end, still focused her mind on what was happening in the real world. After all, the appearance of three legendary Divine Beasts was something extraordinary, and not even Jasmine had ever had the opportunity of witnessing them before. As such, how could she possibly miss this chance?

While this small exchange of words between Issei and Jasmine took place, the three Divine Beasts had already reached a position not too far away from where Issei stood. Their colossal and massive bodies covered Issei's entire line of sight, and he could no longer see anything except for three colossal beasts.

If it was the Issei from before, he would definitely be flustered when faced with such a grandiose sight, not knowing what to do. Alas, the current Issei was someone who had endured the hardships of time, and only the Heavens know what he suffered within that separate dimension to cause such heaven-rendering changes to take place.

The current Issei, even when faced with three Divine Beasts, was able to keep a calm and straight face, not fazed at all by their presence. It could be said that even if the entire world was destroyed right in front of his eyes, he would still be able to keep a calm smile on his face.

"The three Divine Beasts… to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Issei with a small smile on his face as he clasped his hand and bowed politely, an air of seniority around him.

In response, the three Divine Beasts kept quiet for a long time, not answering his question. After some moments, the Phoenix parted its beak and spoke in a soft, human-like voice, "It seems you managed to kill the Devil King?"

"That is indeed the case," Issei nodded faintly. He then smiled and added, "According to the Old Writings, as long as I manage to kill the Devil King, you three would grant me your legacies and send me out of the Divine Fire Realm. Is that correct?"

"It is…" the Vermillion Bird suddenly spoke. But, in its voice, Issei could clearly sense what seemed to be… hesitation.

"Ah...? Why does it seem like they are uncertain about something?" thought Issei, slightly puzzled by what was happening. At the same time, a bad feeling was welling up inside him. Although not many hints were given, he could clearly feel that there was… something fishy about this situation.

Nevertheless, Issei still asked, "Then, since that is the case, could the three almighty Divine Beasts bless me with their legacies? I'm currently in a hurry to head back to my own realm, and I would rather do it as soon as possible."

"Actually, you weren't supposed to pass this test," said the three-legged Golden Crow after some time with a voice full of hesitation. "The original plan...was for you to perish."

The moment those words were spoken, the eyes of everyone widened, including the three priestesses and emperors. Only Issei managed to keep a straight face, although he was was feeling quite strange inside.

"Erhm… could the almighty Golden Crow please repeat that? I think that I heard it wrong."

The three-legged Golden Crow didn't say anything for a long time, but eventually sighed and asked, "You believe that this is realm is a trial to test the successor of the Evil God, don't you?"

"That was what was written in the Old Writings… could it be that that isn't the entire truth?"

"Such is the case," the three-legged Golden Crow nodded and continued, "Actually, our relationship with the Evil God isn't nearly as good as it seems. In reality, we don't owe him… instead, we happen to actually loathe him."

"Eee?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting such words.

"The Golden Crow speaks the truth," confirmed the Phoenix, while the Vermillion Bird only nodded. The Phoenix then added, "Long ago, we were at odds with the Evil God, but we weren't capable of defeating him, even after uniting our forces to kill him. As such, we decided that since we couldn't cause him any harm, we would..."

"Find some way to kill his successor," completed the Vermilion Bird. It then paused for a while, but still added, "The original plan was for you to perish when faced with the Devil King. That way, we would be able to end the legacy of the Evil God. It could be considered to be the greatest revenge, but… we never expected that the successor of the Evil God would end up being someone as talented as you."

"Eee…?" murmured Issei again, shocked even further. By that point, even he could no longer maintain his unfazed expression. The words that had just been spoken by the three Divine Beasts were like the surging waves of a tide, crashing onto his mind and shaking his entire being. After some time, he managed to ask with some hesitation, "Then… does this mean that you three plan on killing me now…?"

"No," the Phoenix quickly shook its head. "It isn't worth it to kill someone as talent as you because of our feud with the Evil God."

"Then, what about the legacies…?"

"You can forget about them," the three-legged Golden Crow answered without hesitation. "Although you are talented, you are still the inheritor of the legacy of the Evil God… how could we possibly let our own legacy mix with the one belonging to that… wretched person?"

The Phoenix also took that opportunity to add some more words, "In fact, I'll take back my few drops of blood that circle within you in a few moments."

"…."

Issei looked blankly at the three Divine Fire Beasts as if he couldn't believe his own ears. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out. Behind him, the six emperors and priestesses all had expressions of utter shock and astonishment, also staring at the three Divine Beasts blankly.

Faced with such a change of events, how could they possibly not be surprised?!

"This… this is…," began Issei, mumbling some incoherent words. The only reason that he had persisted through everything all this time was for the legacies of the three Divine Beasts, but… it appeared that it had all been for naught? The actual objective was for him to... die?

How… how could he possibly accept something as absurd as this?

"You-" began Issei, only to be interrupted by another voice.

"Heh, so it was actually like this! I knew that there was something wrong about this situation!"

Suddenly, a strange and unfamiliar voice reverberated through the entire area. It didn't seem to be coming from some place in specific, and instead, from everywhere at the same time. This voice seemed to be youthful and ancient at the same time, and filled with with boundless and vast power.

That voice surprised everyone present. Everyone revealed expressions of shock, completely taken aback by the sudden appearance of this voice. But, the moment their eyes fell onto the three Divine Beasts, they became even more surprised, for they were actually… trembling!

"This voice… how could it be?!" cried out the Phoenix, its bird-head quickly turning around, but finding nothing. If one looked closely, they would see that deep within its eyes, a strange emotion had surfaced.

This emotion was… terror!

The two other Divine Beasts were also trembling uncontrollably, their eyes full of disbelief and horror, as if something unbelievably bad and terrible had just happened.

It was as if… their great nightmare had become reality.

"What? This aura… how could it be?!" Jasmine, who had been quietly observing everything, suddenly cried out in shock. The presence she had just felt was something that she could easily recognize.

As the expressions of shock in the faces of the three Divine Beasts deepened, a black mist started to swirl in the space in front of Issei. Surprisingly, this black mist actually seemed to come from Issei's body. And, to be more specific, it came from… his profound veins and dantian!

Eventually, this swirling black mist started to take humanoid shape. Before long, it had taken the form of a tall man, whose features and body were hidden beneath a layer of dense black smoke. All that could be seen was the outline of his body.

The moment this mysterious and unknown figure appeared, an overwhelmingly strong pressure weighed down on everyone present. It was boundless and tyrannical, full of ruthlessness, and packed with unfiltered evil intentions.

At that exact moment, the Phoenix cried out, "You… you are… the Evil God!"

 _ **READ & REVIEW~! (REVIEW A LOT!)**_

 _ **So, overview of the chapter (Something I'll be doing from now on): The Three Divine Beasts appear, and suddenly reveal that they wanted Issei dead from the very start. Jasmine also wakes up, is shocked by everything, but is ignored by Issei. Finally, when all hope is seemingly lost, the Evil God makes his appearance, shocking everyone present.**_


	66. Good Fortune!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 66 - Good Fortune!**

* * *

The Phoenix's cry of astonishment startled everyone present. The soldiers, although not really aware of what the name 'Evil God' represented, by looking at the expression of fear on the faces of the three Divine Beasts were able to accurately judge that whoever this 'Evil God' person was, it was definitely someone not to be offended.

But, when it came to the six emperors and priestesses, their reactions were completely different. They were initially surprised upon seeing the expressions of shock on the faces of the Divine Beasts, but the moment the words 'Evil God' were uttered, their surprise quickly transformed into… fear.

The Evil God, according to the legends they had read, was an existence of unimaginable power, which surpassed even that of the three Divine Beasts. And now, such an existence had actually appeared right before them… and he didn't appear to be amused in the least.

"You… you are the Evil God?" asked Issei as he stared at the mysterious figure in front of him, astonishment plastered all over his features.

"That's right, my successor," the Evil God turned around to face Issei and nodded. Even though his face was clearly covered with a layer of black smoke, Issei could have sworn that he saw a sly smile on it. The Evil God then glanced at the three Divine Beasts from the corner of his eyes, laughed loudly and continued, "Well, just stay put there for a moment. I'll come back to you in a moment."

After those words were said, he turned around and glared at the three Divine Beasts, who cowered and trembled under his intense glare, despite not being able to see his eyes. Then, with a vicious tone, the Evil God began, "I must admit that I have seen my fair share of despicable and idiot beings before. But, even with all that, you fools were still able to astonish me."

Not giving the Three Divine Beasts time to speak, the Evil God quickly continued, "You three, who would constantly fight for the position of the strongest, and would never, EVER, reach a truce, actually managed to temporarily ignore your foolish, ridiculous contest with the sole purpose of getting back at me? And, if that was not even enough, since you were unable to hurt me, you targeted my successor?! Don't you have any care for face?! You are three Divine Beasts, for Heaven's sake! And him? He's only a MORTAL!"

"But… it doesn't stop there..." the Evil God smiled darkly, although no one could actually see it, "If you three bird-brains wanted to kill my successor, you could have just found him once he appeared and taken his life. But no… Instead of using your little brains, you actually set up a Secret Realm, and waited for BILLIONS of years for him to appear. During this period of time, you could have progressed in power, and possibly even beaten that cocky Azure Dragon God, but you just slept!"

The Evil God paused before continuing, "I swear… it seems that the beating that I gave you three back then wasn't nearly enough," he then sighed as he shook his head, continuing with a tone of disappointment. "Even after all this time have gone by, you give the word 'birdbrain' a whole new meaning. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually created because of you three fools!"

"But… let's focus on something else." The Evil God suddenly made a grasping motion with his hand. Immediately, Issei felt a gravitational force pulling him closer, and before he knew it, he was standing right in front of the Evil God, hovering between him and the three Divine Beasts.

The Evil God then pointed at Issei and continued, "This kid… I have been watching him for the past few months, ever since he managed to get his hands on my Fire Seed, which contained this strand of my consciousness. As such, I have seen everything that has happened so far, and I can say for sure that… your legacies aren't even worthy of being in his body! Never mind his personality or unrelenting will, just his luck alone is ridiculous! Not only does he have the Sky Poison Pearl, he actually managed to get his hands on the Magic Cube, one of the three Divine Treasures!"

The moment those words were spoken, the expression of shock in the faces of the three Divine Beasts deepened greatly. When they looked at Issei again, they gazes held what appeared to be deep astonishment, along with complex feelings.

"The Magic Cube… he actually has the… Magic Cube?!" cried out the three-legged Golden Crow in shock, but before it could ask any further, the Evil God appeared in the space above it.

"Heh, you still dare to harbor ill-intent towards my successor, you greedy mutated bird?!"

The Evil God brought its fist up, and ruthlessly brought it down on the Golden Crow's head, causing a rumbling noise to fill the air. The three-legged Golden Crow immediately plummeted to the ground, and a huge crater was formed, with web-like cracks around it, spanning dozens of kilometers.

If it wasn't for the fact that the army of soldiers had already begun to move away the moment the Evil God appeared as per the orders of the Emperors, then they would have most likely been killed in the spot by the explosion.

Inside the crater, the three-legged Golden Crow laid on the ground, its body trembling and twitching, but unable to get up. There was a huge depression on the back of its head, while blood oozed out of its beak and eyes.

"Humph! That should teach you a lesson!" the Evil God snorted, and brought his arms up, causing the Golden Crow to once more rise up into the air, where it hovered there, supported by the gravitational power of the Evil God. After doing so, the Evil God glanced at the other Divine Beasts, "As for you two, don't even think of thinking of stealing the treasures from my successor. Or else, I'll make sure to pluck out all of your feathers."

The two Divine Beasts immediately trembled. Just the thought of that happening was already enough to give them nightmares.

Then, the Evil God rebuked the three Divine Beasts some more before turning towards Issei. Instantly, he lost all of his sneering tone, and spoke with a caring voice, "My successor… your ancestor has something to gift you."

As he said so, the Evil God flew forward and stopped directly in front of the three Divine Beasts. He then said, "I have noticed that you lack some kind of powerful contracted beast. You may have that Emperor Profound Dragon, but I believe that someone who is my successor deserves something even better. How about I gift you these three Divine Beasts for you?"

"Eee…?" Issei looked at the Evil God in pure shock, not knowing what to say. In fact, he was unsure if he had unheard it wrongly. After all, what he had just heard was simply ridiculous… preposterous, even.

The Evil God, misunderstanding Issei's expression for hesitation, quickly added, "I know that these three Divine Beasts may seem somewhat unreliable and foolish, but I can guarantee you that they would be able to help you out greatly. Not only that, I can easily make it so that they would be unable to revolt… so, what are your thoughts on it, successor?"

"I...I…," murmured Issei, still not able to think straight. Even though he had been through many things, and his mental power had been greatly powered, this situation was still far beyond what he had originally expected. He wasn't even able to follow along with everything that was happening.

"You idiot! Quickly accept it!"

Suddenly, Jasmine's cold voice rang in his mind, and just like a bucket of cold water, it completely woke him up from his stupor.

"Ah… If that's the case, then I will have to trouble ancestor." Issei quickly replied after being reminded by Jasmine, not daring to let this opportunity slip by.

"Great!" exclaimed the Evil God, quite pleased with Issei's answer. Then, he turned around to face the three Divine Beasts and said, "You three have heard everything. From now on, you are my successor's contracted beasts."

"…."

The three Divine Beasts were obviously unwilling to go along with the Evil God's plans, but in a situation such as this, they were in no position to complain. Even though what was in front of them wasn't the real Evil God, and instead only a sliver of its consciousness, it still held enough power to end their lives in a matter of seconds.

The three of them may be Divine Beasts, but the Evil God, was a legitimate God; an almighty, omnipotent being. A sliver of its consciousness was already more than what the three of them could handle.

As such, even if they were clearly reluctant to lower themselves to the status of being the contracted beast of a mere mortal, they could do nothing about it. And, in reality, it wasn't that bad. After all, how long could a mortal possibly live? Even if Issei somehow managed to reach the path of Immortality, his life-span would definitely not surpass a few million years. When considering that a short nap would normally last that same amount of time for them, it could be said that this period of time would be over before they knew it.

It was with those thoughts in mind that the three Divine Beasts didn't express any unwillingness, and only kept quiet, silently going along with whatever the Evil God said.

As for the Evil God, how he could he possibly not know what three of them were thinking? Still, his amount of time remaining was only limited, so he didn't bother with it. At the very least, he wanted to say some last words to his successor before fading away.

"Then, since everything has been settled, I only need to do a few more things before moving on." The Evil God announced plainly. He then made a grasping motion with his hand, causing a wound to appear on the foreheads of the three Divine Beasts, from which countless drops of blood flew out.

Thei eyes of the three Divine Beasts widened in shock, but they couldn't move at all, nor were they able to stop the process. Before they knew it, a great part of their vital blood was stolen from them. The stolen blood was quickly flowing towards the Evil God's hands, where they separated into three areas.

After drawing out even more of their blood, the Evil God snapped his fingers, ending the process. The wounds in the foreheads of the three Divine Beasts closed, and the blood stopped flowing out. At the same time, Issei's body flew over to the place where the Evil God was.

"Don't move. Let me handle this process," said the Evil God as he lightly tapped Issei's forehead with his finger, a small hole forming on it, exactly in the area where the flame-imprint had once been. Surprisingly, Issei was unable to feel anything, and did not even know what was going on.

The Evil God then moved his fingers a little, and ten or so drops of blood flew out from the small hole in Issei's foreheads. Surprisingly, those drops of blood were actually the blood that Feng Ru had granted Issei!

"Rubbish." The Evil God shook his head, and the ten drops of blood burst into flames, quickly disappearing. He then made some movements with his fingers, and the countless drop of Phoenix Blood that came from the original Phoenix shook slightly, thereupon flowing directly into the hole in Issei's foreheads.

Before long, each and every drop of Phoenix Blood was absorbed into Issei's body. If someone were to count, they would have discovered that the actual amount of blood that had entered Issei was exactly… one thousand drops.

In this process of absorption, not only did the Magic Cube not act because of the presence of the Evil God, Issei didn't feel any of the usual burning sensation he felt the previous times when absorbing the Phoenix Blood. The Evil God had somehow aided him through the process.

After that, the drops of blood from the three-legged Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird were quickly absorbed into Issei's body without a hitch. Just like the drops of Phoenix Blood, there were also one thousand drops of each kind of blood.

In normal circumstances, it would be impossible for the bloods of two or more Divine Beasts to co-exist in the same body because of incompatibility issues. But, in Issei's case, because of the aid of the Fire Seed, which managed to control the drops of blood, along with the pressure of the Evil God, this miracle occurred.

Finally, after everything was done, the Evil God closed the hole in Issei's forehead, and quickly explained, "Successor, just now, I gifted you one thousand drops of blood from each beast. Obviously, you aren't able to access all of them at the moment, and with your current cultivation, you can only use two or three of each at very best. The more your cultivation base progresses, the more you'll be able to use.

Suddenly, the voice of the Evil God turned serious as he continued, "Finally, I'll give you one last warning: The blood within your body is dormant. However, the moment you start using them, they'll wake up, and don't be surprised if it causes some permanent changes in your body."

The Evil God then turned around to face the three Divine Beasts, "I'll seal your cultivation bases right now, and limit them to the level of this kid. The more he progresses, the more of your original cultivation base will be unlocked. This means that in no occasion will your level of strength be able to surpass his."

"Ah?" The eyes of the Phoenix suddenly widened in surprise. "I thought that we were supposed to protect him…?"

"No," the Evil God shook his head. "Your function will be to help him out in battle, and to teach him your respective cultivation techniques. Heh, did you truly think that I would want you three to simply protect my successor? If I wanted to give him a Dao Protector, I wouldn't have chosen beasts as weak and as pitiful as you three."

The Evil God's thought process was rather simple. If he were to let his successor, Issei, to live a sheltered life, in which he wouldn't face any dangers, then just how would he progress? No, as his successor, Issei was to rise to the peak of all living beings, and acquire the glory he once had. And, in order to leave such a level, he was required to leave through many life and death situations. As such, the function of the three Divine Beasts was only to provide him some aid in battle, along with teaching him their cultivation techniques. That was also why he would seal their cultivation base.

Not only that, this could also be considered as a punishment for the three Divine Beasts. After all, how could the three of them possibly be willing to go along with this under normal circumstances? In the Evil God's eyes, this was the best way to punish them.

And, just as he promised, the Evil God sealed the cultivation of the three Divine Beasts through some special techniques causing them to drastically drop all the way until they were on Issei's level. Or, to be more specific, equal to his current battle prowess, since Divine Beasts such as them didn't have things such as levels and realms in cultivation.

After doing that, he used some other kind of deep and mysterious power, along with a part of Issei's Deity Enslavement Technique, causing the three Divine Beasts to officially become his contracted Profound Beasts. The moment this happened, three different-shaped marks appeared on the back of Issei's hand. **[1]**

One of them was of a flaming bird covered by ever-burning flames. The second one was of a small three-legged Golden Crow, while the last one was a little image of the Vermillion Bird. Because of this image, Issei would be able to store the three Divine Beasts away, just like he usually did with Ddraig.

By the end of it all, the Evil God only had a small portion of his energy remaining, and he would soon fade away. Since that as the case, the Evil God came closer to Issei and whispered a few words to him in a rushed tone, "Successor, consider this my first gift to you. I'll send you back to your realm in a few moments, but before that, I wish to say a few more words to you."

The Evil God hesitated for a moment before continuing, "My Water Seed is within the Blue Wind Nation. Search for it, and you shall find it. I also left behind another strand of my consciousness within it… once you find it, it should grant you some good fortune."

After saying so, the Evil God didn't wait for Issei's answer. Instead, he tapped his shoulders, and just like that, Issei disappeared, having being sent back to his realm, bringing the three Divine Beasts with him.

With Issei gone, the Evil God could finally finish his last few matters.

"As for all of you…," the Evil God looked at the thousands of inhabitants of the Divine Fire Realm. He then thought for a moment, and after some seconds, said, "Continue to live on with your lives. At the same time, you may still continue to worship the three Divine Beasts. But, while that may be the case, I want all of you to worship me, the Evil God, as your true God."

Without hesitation, the emperors and priestesses of the three factions nodded, not daring to show any hesitation. In fact, after the Evil God's display of power, even if he didn't ask them to, in their hearts, they would still worship him as the strongest.

"Good." Seeing everyone nodding, the Evil God smiled with satisfaction. Then, he turned around, about to start walking away, but suddenly stopped. Turning around, he glanced at the people of the Divine Fire Realm and sighed.

"All of you… one day, the one known as Issei, my successor, will return here. When he does, I expect all of you to treat him well."

Before he could hear their answer, the Evil God's body began to fade away, and before long, he completely disappeared, leaving behind millions of flabbergasted cultivators, who stared at the place he had just been at in shock.

 **Read & Review~! (I want MANY reviews on this one.)**

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** Issei acquired the Deity Enslavement Technique from Liang Ye, the previous owner of the Sky Poison Pearl. Re-read chapter 77 and 85 of Book 1 if you want more info on it.


	67. I'm Back

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 67 - I'm Back**

* * *

For the past two weeks, the Phoenix Village had been submerged in a desolate and dark aura. People would rarely smile, and most would spend their time either frowning or looking with worry at the cave in which the portal to the Phoenix Trials laid.

Half a month ago, Issei had been sent to the Phoenix Trials. After that, more than two weeks passed, but he had yet to come out. By this point, anyone could easily tell that something had obviously happened. After all, spending over two weeks in the trials wasn't something that had happened before, and according to Xiao Luocheng, Issei was someone brave… so much that, at times, he could even be considered foolish.

It was exactly because of that that everyone worried. They were afraid… that Issei hadn't known his own limits, and ended up biting more than he could chew. They feared… that he died.

Most gloomy of all was Xiao Luocheng, who would spend his entire time sitting within the cave, staring blankly at the altar. In the beginning, he hadn't been too worried, but as the time went by, an overwhelmingly frightening feeling began to disturb his mind, and terrorize him in his dreams.

What if… Issei died?

The amount of times that thought had passed by his mind was simply uncountable, and by each second that passed, his imagination would grow wilder, imagining the countless of different situations in which Issei could have lost his life.

Cang Yue wasn't faring much better, but at the very least, her mind didn't wander so much, causing her torment to be much lighter than what Xiao Luocheng faced. Differently from Xiao Luocheng, Cang Yue didn't actually have any real ties to Issei, so she felt more pity than anything.

Pity that such a blessed, colossal genius had perished in such a ridiculous way.

Also, unlike Xiao Luocheng, she had already given up any notion that Issei could have survived. She was someone more down to earth, and accepted the facts, which all pointed towards Issei's death. It was truly a pity, but she knew that nothing could be done about it.

And, it was exactly because of such thoughts that the moment that the altar in the middle of the cave started to tremble, Cang Yue's expression was one of utter shock and astonishment.

"What?!"

Xiao Luocheng rose up to his feet as quickly as lightning, his eyes glued onto the trembling altar in front of him. All of the dismay and mourning in his eyes was quickly replaced by joy and hope. His entire body started to tremble, while his heart thumped quickly, his chest heaving up and down.

Rumbling filled the air as the altar started to emanate a deep scarlet light, casting a red gleam in the entire cave, warning the villagers who all stopped doing whatever they had to.

"This… this… the altar is. . . activating!?" cried out Clan Leader Feng in shock, as if struck by lightning. Then, with breakneck speed, he rushed towards the cave, reaching it in only a few breaths of time. Upon entering the cave, the first thing he saw was the trembling altar, along with the excited Xiao Luocheng and the astonished Cang Yue.

 _Screee!_

A sharp noise reverberated through the air as, right above the altar, a tear in space appeared. It was only a small and thin slit at first, but it began to quickly expand in size, becoming a fissure in the air. In the next moment, from within the fissure, a handsome young man stepped out.

He wore deep scarlet robes, and was incontestably handsome, with heroic features and a body that seemed to have been chiseled from marble. His eyes were sharp and sword-like, while in the middle of his brows, a three-colored flame imprint could be seen.

Alas, despite the fact that he was clearly young, the look in his eyes was ancient and profound, while an atavistic aura swirled around him. Within his eyes shone wisdom beyond his apparent age, while his demeanor was calm and collected, akin to flowing water.

Calmly, this handsome youth stepped out of the tear in space and onto the altar. Then, he leisurely walked down towards the ground, and without even turning around, snapped his fingers, causing the altar behind him to suddenly start to crack.

 _Boom!_

The altar suddenly exploded, but before the splinters and pieces could burst through the air and hit the others, the handsome youth merely moved his fingers slightly, and all the flying pieces stopped mid-air, as if held back by a gravitational force. Then, following that, the power of time descended upon them, and in speed visible to the naked eye, they began to wither and grow dull, and in the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint, they dissolved into dust

A gust of wind suddenly flew by, carrying with it the small particles, which had once been a magnificent altar.

This all may take some time to describe, but in reality, from the moment when the handsome youth stepped out of the portal to the point in which the gust of wind passed by, only a few seconds had gone by.

And yet, this few seconds were enough to shock the three observers, who looked at the handsome youth with flabbergasted expressions.

"I'm sorry for whatever trouble I have caused."

The handsome youth, who was clearly Issei, suddenly turned around to face Clan Leader Feng, who looked back at him in shock and disbelief. Then, Issei clasped his hands and bowed, "Clan Leader Feng, I have destroyed the altar as per the request of the Phoenix Spirit, since it will no longer be of use. Some strange events occurred within the realm in which the Phoenix Trial takes place, and it can longer be reached. I must apologize for that in advance."

"Ah...? A-alright then..."

Clan Leader Feng looked at Issei blankly, only managing to utter a few words. Despite that, Issei was already satisfied with the answer, so he turned around to face Xiao Luocheng and Cang Yue, who stood not too far away from him, still looking on in shock.

"Luocheng, Princess Cang Yue, I'm sorry for taking so long." said Issei calmly as he clasped his hands once more, bowing in apology.

Suddenly, Xiao Luocheng woke up from his stupor, and a wide and large smile made its way onto his face. With an excited shout, he rushed forward and threw his arms around Issei, giving him a manly hug.

"Issei! My brother!"

Xiao Luocheng hugged Issei tightly, unwilling to let go. These past few days, he was simply too worried for his brother in all but blood, and now that he could finally see him again, he just couldn't contain himself any longer, giving him a bone-crushing bear-hug.

"There, there," Issei smiled ruefully, clearly aware that he wouldn't be able to get out of this hug without harming Xiao Luocheng in the process. As such, he endured through it and tapped him lightly on the back. However, Xiao Luocheng kept putting more and more strength into his arms, and it was begging to become unbearable. Faced with such a situation, Issei could only say, "I'm alive now… don't worry… Erhm… if you keep strangling me like that, then I might as well die, you know?"

"Ah!" cried out Xiao Luocheng, quickly releasing Issei and taking a few steps. Then, noticing how Issei was gasping for breath, he let out an embarrassed smile and apologized, "Sorry for that, Issei… It's just that… I saw that you were alive, and—Wait! Why the hell did you take so long in the first place?! What happened there?! And… is that a mark on your forehead…?"

Surprisingly, even after receiving a barrage of questions, Issei only smiled and calmly replied, "Everything will be explained once we get back to the Xiao Sect, Luocheng," he then turned around and looked at Cang Yue, "Princess Cang Yue, I'll apologize again for taking so much of your time. Even though you could have clearly just went out and left me and Xiao Luocheng behind, you stayed behind. For that, I'm thankful."

"A-ah? Oh, don't think too much about it!" Cang Yue suddenly shook, startled at Issei actually talking to her. A blush slowly formed on her face as she quickly replied, "I did that because I wanted to. You don't have to thank me of anything."

"Still, you stayed behind, and that's what matters," Issei continued to smile calmly. He then paused for a moment before continuing, "In fact, if you have any troubles in the future, please tell me and I'll do my best in helping you."

Cang Yue wanted to refuse at first, but after some more thought, she simply thanked Issei. After that, all of them walked out of the cavern, and entered the village once more. A celebration followed, in which the villagers held a party to welcome Issei back.

On the following day, Cang Yue excused herself. According to her, she had to head back to the Imperial City soon, or else her Royal Father would start worrying. Not too long after she left, Issei also told Xiao Luocheng that they would soon be heading back to the clan, but that before they did, there was something that he wanted to do.

Following that, in order to repay the villagers, Issei used some special methods to unseal the Phoenix Bloodline of the villagers, who had been cursed by the Phoenix Spirit to not be able to break through into the Nascent Profound Realm. It was only after doing so that Issei and Xiao Luocheng finally excused themselves, already having paid back everything they owed to the village.

A few hours later, as Issei and Xiao Luocheng used their Profound Beasts to head back to the Xiao Sect, Xiao Luocheng suddenly looked at Issei, who had been quiet the entire trip, and asked, "Issei… there's something that I would like to ask you."

"Mn? If you have a question, then say it."

"Alright then…. It's just that I was curious about something. Just what happened back in the Phoenix Trials or whatever that was…? I don't know why, but you just seem different… in fact, you seem… somewhat older. Not only that, when facing Cang Yue just now, you didn't show any of your usual unwillingness to talk to woman, and was quite courteous."

"Many things happened," Issei shook his head to the sides after hearing Xiao Luocheng's question. He then smiled bitterly and added, "I don't know what you're talking about when you say aura, but… it probably has to do with the fact that my cultivation broke through to the ninth level of the Nascent Profound Realm."

"Ah… so it was actually like that…. Wait!" Xiao Luocheng's eyes suddenly widened as he cried out in shock, "Ninth level of the Nascent Profound Realm!? Doesn't this mean that I'm just one level above you now?!"

"Well, yes," Issei nodded plainly, as if it wasn't anything worthy of note. Then, noticing Xiao Luocheng's expression of shock, he couldn't help but to smile, "Oh? How come you are so shocked…? Could it be that you're afraid that I'll catch up to you?"

"Humph! Catch up to me?!" Xiao Luocheng playfully humphed as he crossed his arms in a mocking manner, "Never!"

"Keep telling yourself that," murmured Issei as he sneered.

"You...You.. Argh! Forget it!" Xiao Luocheng shook his head in distress, no longer willing to continue discussing with Issei. A pause followed, but in the end, he remembered something and asked, "Oh yeah, what about that with Cang Yue? How come you didn't seem to be somewhat afraid of women anymore?"

"That's easier to explain," Issei suddenly smiled and explained, "You see, after some time of thinking, I figured that creating ties is an important path when it comes to cultivation. Although the Xiao Sect is powerful and mighty, it's good to have connection to people of the royal family. That way, we will have more people to rely on as long as something comes up."

"Oh, so it was actually like that…." murmured Xiao Luocheng, an expression of enlightenment flashing across his handsome face.

After that, Xiao Luocheng and Issei chatted some more, but ultimately, nothing of much importance was brought up again, as they were just casually discussing some miscellaneous matters.

Three days later, after passing through some towns and villages, they finally managed to arrive at the Xiao Sect. Immediately, they went to report what happened during their mission, and explained how in the end, they exterminated the entire group of bandits. Obviously, they didn't mention anything about the Phoenix Village or the trials, lest they would bring a calamity upon the villagers.

Since Xiao Luocheng's status in the Xiao Sect Branch Sect was quite high, the elders in charge of the missions didn't ask much, nor did they doubt them or ask for evidence that they had really did as they claimed. The elders then gave Xiao Luocheng and Issei hefty rewards, with quite a sum of contribution points and even some profound coins.

Once everything was settled, Xiao Luocheng and Issei parted ways, each one of them heading back to their courtyard. During their trip back to the Xiao Sect, they had already decided that they would spend their next two months immersed in cultivation, in preparation for the test that would be held by the Xiao Sect Main Sect in two and a half moths, in which they would try to enter the Main Sect. **[1]**

However, it seemed that Issei wouldn't be able to cultivate as soon as he wanted to, for the moment he stepped onto his courtyard, an excited shout of surprise rang by his ears, and before he knew it, an overly excited Xia Mei appeared at the entrance of the house. The moment she saw Issei, tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she immediately ran forward, rushing towards Issei.

"Issei! You're back!"

Xia Mei's arms wrapped around Issei's tall frame, which had already surpassed hers. Then, she rested her head on his chest, embracing him tightly.

"I'm back." Issei looked at Xia Mei with affection and tenderness as he whispered back to her. He then wrapped his arms around her back and held her close to his body, softly pressing her head to his chest.

 _ **Read & Review~! (REVIEW TONS! And remember, I take Guest Reviews into consideration, so Guests, remember to review~! Also, it doesn't have to be too complex (This is meant for both guests and users). Things such as "Good chapter", "Bad Chapter" and the like are fine to me.)**_

* * *

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** This test to enter the Main Sect is explained in chapter 33 of this book. Basically, some elders from the Main Sect will go to Xiao Luocheng's Branch Sect and see whether or not their Core Disciples are good enough to go to the Xiao Sect Main Sect.


	68. Unveiling The Mysteries

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 68 - Unveiling The Mysteries**

* * *

Originally, Issei had told Xia Mei that this mission of his would only take a few days, and at the very most, a week or so. As such, Xia Mei, who had had to wait for him for almost three entire weeks, was full of concern and anxiety, causing her to break down in tears the moment she caught sight of Issei calmly walking through the courtyard's entrance.

Xia Mei wasn't a cold-hearted woman to begin with, and normally acted based on her emotions. Not only that, she was also overly attached to Issei, in a manner similar to her sister's, making her unwilling to let go of him for even a moment after seeing him again.

Faced with such a situation, Issei could only continue to embrace her quietly, softly whispering a few words once in awhile.

It could be said that Issei's relationship with Xia Mei was truly a peculiar one. They weren't lovers, but the feelings they had for each other made them something more than friends. In reality, if Issei wanted to, all that he had to do was to say a few words, and that barrier would shatter, causing them to officially enter a relationship.

Alas, Issei couldn't do so. At least, not at the moment. He knew better than anyone that although he tried to avoid them, new enemies would come knocking on his door one after another. It was something unavoidable, and it was simply a fact that he had to cope with. And, it was exactly because of that that he didn't take the next step, and only kept his ambiguous relationship with Xia Mei.

'On the occasion that someone can't target you, they'll target the ones close to you.' That's a concept that cultivators have to keep within their heart at all times. This was an irrefutable fact, and there's nothing that could be done about it. Loved ones are a person's greatest weakness; their Achilles' heel.

If Xia Mei had been born in a great sect or clan, or even had some kind of powerful backing, then dating her wouldn't be a problem for Issei. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Xia Mei's talent, because of her special profound veins, was only average, while she didn't have any powerful expert or background to rely on. Because of that, she could be said to be the perfect target for whatever enemy Issei might make in the future.

As such, Issei didn't take the next step, and kept their relationship in this strange, peculiar stage, in which they were neither friends nor lovers. This was all that he could do for the time being. In the future, when he manages to reach a level of power where he can protect himself, along with the ones close to him, he definitely won't hesitate in taking the next step. But, until then, this was all that he could afford.

Furthermore, this also explained why he wasn't afraid in establishing a real relationship between him and Xia Qingyue. Xia Mei and Xia Qingyue may be sisters, but their difference in status was too big, like a bottomless ravine. Should any trouble arise, Issei wouldn't have to be afraid for Xia Qingyue, since he knew that she had the backing of a great sect. Xia Mei, on the other hand, didn't have such luxury.

And so, even though Issei wanted to caress her, comfort her and show affection, he could only restrain himself, hugging Xia Mei tightly without a word, while keeping his emotions sealed deep within his heart.

At some point in time, Issei and Xia Mei fell to the ground. There, Xia Mei laid her body against his, resting her on his chest quietly, seeking comfort in his warmth.

Slowly, in this state, time went by, and before long, a few hours had already passed. Although Xia Mei was still unwilling, she reluctantly parted with Issei, and after a long moment of silence, she mustered up her courage, and started asking the questions that had been plaguing her mind ever since she caught sight of Issei.

"Issei… could you tell me what happened in this mission? And… what's that mark in your forehead? It looks like a flame..."

"This mark?" Issei smiled lightly, pointing at the mark between his brows. Then, he simply shrugged and said with a nonchalant expression, "You could say that it has to do with a new power that I have gotten recently."

"A new power?" Xia Mei's blinked her long eyelashes, "What does it do?"

"Well, I now have the power of the Phoenix, the Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird," said Issei plainly, as if it wasn't anything worthy of note.

"Ah… okay then…," Xia Mei looked at Issei blankly, taken aback by his answer. Then, she suddenly shook her head and decided to change the subject, taking Issei's previous words for an odd joke, "Still, just what happened in this mission? Why did it take so long? You really had me worried there, you know?"

"Well, it went like this. After getting to the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range with Xiao Luocheng, we started to search for bandits, and…," after that, Issei began narrating everything he and Xiao Luocheng had gone through, only omitting some particular events, such as how he ended up exterminating all of the Black Demon Bandits after going insane, and the events he went through in the Divine Fire Realm.

By the end of the explanation, it was already late, so after spending some more time together, each of them headed to their separate rooms in their courtyard. Once inside his room, Issei didn't even have the time to lay down in his bed, as Jasmine immediately materialized right in front of him.

Not surprised at all by Jasmine's sudden appearance, Issei merely glanced at her before sitting down on his bed. Then, with a wave of his hand, he cast a sound-canceling array formation around the room, making it so that even if he screamed, Xia Mei wouldn't be able to hear a thing.

"Oh? An array formation? Since when can you do this?" Jasmine's eyes glanced at her surroundings briefly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"It's nothing, actually," said Issei as he smiled mysteriously. Then, noticing Jasmine's soul-piercing gaze, he sighed and explained, "Although you may not know, during the time you were peacefully sleeping, a bunch of stuff happened. In a few words, it could be said that I got sent over to a Secret Realm because I posses the Evil God Legacy. There, some more stuff happened, and I discovered that the Phoenix, the Golden Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird are there. Finally, even more stuff happened, and I ended up fighting the leader of the enemies, the Devil King."

Reaching that point, Issei suddenly revealed a bitter smile as he continued, "Actually, it wasn't much of a fight. To say the truth, before I could even attack him, he simply sent me to a separate realm," Issei suddenly stopped, and a rather strange expression appeared on his face. After a pause, he continued, "There, the real trouble starts."

"Another realm..." Jasmine's eyes widened slightly. Then she frowned, her delicate and tender lips pursing together, giving her a thoughtful, yet beautiful look. After a while, she asked, "Could it be that's where your cultivation base got so high? And you also acquired this Dao of Time?"

"Exactly," Issei nodded. "Even though this may seem surprising, I spent over five hundred years in there."

"Five hundred years?" Jasmine cocked up her left eyebrow, unusually surprised. "Different laws of time? Time passes by slower there?"

"Spot-on," confirmed Issei with a quick nod. "There, time passes differently. A few minutes here equal hundreds of years there… and that's also why, even though I didn't stay in the Divine Fire Realm for too long, I managed to grasp the Dao of Time and also… to fully learn array techniques."

After saying so, Issei noticed that Jasmine was about to open her mouth to speak again, so he quickly explained, "I got those array techniques from the Magic Cube. Along with some other skills."

Jasmine nodded, and then asked after a pause, "Then, what happened within that separate realm that you were sent to? The Dao of Time isn't something easy to understand, and I'm sure that there was something there that aided you in acquiring there. Am I right?"

"You are," Issei nodded, and didn't hesitate to tell Jasmine the truth, "Inside, what I had to face were terrible Demons. They came in all shapes and sizes, and were extremely terrifying and bloodthirsty. The times I almost lost my life were far too many to count. Not only that, they were all poisonous… if it wasn't for the Sky Poison Pearl, I would have long since died.

With a shake of his head, Issei continued, "Anyways, after fighting with them for roughly a few years, I managed to reach a certain location within that separate realm. There, I came across a heritage left behind by a certain expert, who belonged to a certain group. That group… was the League of Demon Sealers."

The moment Issei said such words, although it was barely noticeable, a strange light flashed in Jasmine's eyes. Issei, not having noticed that, continued his narration calmly.

"According to the information that expert left behind, this separate realm belonged to him. In fact, it was originally a trial for people who wished to acquire his technique, and continue the legacy of the League of Demon Sealers. Somehow, this separate realm ended up sealed in a jade-slip, which ended up in the hands of the Devil King, who believed that it was a separate dimension made to torture people. And, because of that, for countless of years, the legacy of the Demon Sealers didn't surface again. However, now that I acquired it, I became the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer."

"Ninth Generation… so he actually became the Ninth," Jasmine's eyes suddenly narrowed as she thought to herself, "To think that the legacy of the Demon Sealing Immortals actually appeared in the Middle Realm. And, the fact that the one in front of me became the Ninth Demon Sealer… I wonder, will the prophecy come true? According to the legends…."

Just at that moment, Issei, who had been explaining all this time, suddenly said, "On the legacy he left behind, not only did he grant me the Demon Sealing Jade, he also left behind his Demon Sealing Hex… Oh yeah, you must not know what it means. You see, each generation of Demon Sealers come up with their signature Demon Sealing Magic. The one who left created this separate realm was the Eighth, and his Demon Sealing Hex was the Eight Demon Sealing Hex."

"Eight Demon Sealing Hex?!" Jasmine suddenly exclaimed out loud, completely surprised by Issei's words.

"Mn? Jasmine… is everything alright?"

"No, no, it's nothing…," Jasmine quickly shook her head, but a second later, suddenly humphed and said, "Humph! Worrying for this princess?! You should worry about yourself, you little mortal! This princess doesn't need anyone to worry about here!"

Surprisingly, upon hearing those words, Issei let out a breath of relief. For some reason, he had been thinking that lately, Jasmine had been just too normal. Seeing that she was finally back to her haughty personality, he could finally be assured that everything was alright.

After that, ignoring Jasmine's previous outburst, Issei continued, "Well, the Eight Demon Sealing Hex has a rather interesting power. In the words used by the Eighth, 'This Hex uses Demonic Qi as its foundation, and can… seal bodies, seal spirits, seal Immortals, seal divinities, seal the luck from the Heavens, seal all living things in the world!'"

Suddenly, Issei revealed a slightly strange expression and said, "Well, what this means is that it's used to seal things. And, this is also where my Dao of Time comes in. Originally, I misunderstood the meaning of the Eight Demon Sealing Hex, and thought that it was used to stop the time around a person, sealing them in their spot. Because of that, I began to focus on that, and slowly started to unknowingly develop my Dao of Time."

"Wait… what you want to tell this princess is that you actually comprehended the Dao of Time… by mistake?!"

Jasmine's eyes widened as she looked at Issei incredulously.

"You could say that," Issei nodded plainly, not surprised at all by Jasmine's outburst, as he knew just how ridiculous it sounded. Then, he shook his head and continued, "Anyways, that should explain how I got the Dao of Time. Also, it's not as if I have full control over the Dao of Time. In fact, I can only barely use it… the most I can do is regressing my age and advancing the age of small objects. With my current understandings regarding it, I can't use it offensively yet."

"So that's why you didn't age at all, even though five hundreds years passed…," Jasmine, although still doubting Issei's claims, nodded nevertheless. Then, her eyes fell on the mark between Issei's brows, and she suddenly revealed a serious expression. "Well, forget about all of that. I have already heard everything that I wanted to. Right now, there's something else that you must do."

"I know."

Surprisingly, Issei nodded, and without even asking Jasmine what she was planning, waved his hands. In the next moment, right in front of him, three differently colored lights flashed. One of them was deep red, the other scarlet and the final one golden.

Then, the lights began to fade away. As they did, three different animals were revealed.

All three of them were small, barely the size of a normal bird, but looked completely majestic. The first one was a flaming bird, while the other two was a proud red-feathered bird, and the last one was a golden crown with three legs.

They were obviously the Phoenix, the Vermillion Bird and the three-legged Golden Crow, whom the Evil God had gifted to Issei on his last moments.

"So you have finally summoned us?" asked the Vermillion Bird plainly, its tone somewhat annoyed.

The Phoenix looked around Issei's room briefly before returning its attention back to Issei and saying, "I suppose you called us out to learn our techniques?"

"Precisely." Issei nodded, getting up from his bed and walking over to them. As for Jasmine, she glanced at the three Divine Beasts for a moment before returning back to the Sky Poison Pearl.

 _ **Read & Review~! (Before you ask, this chapter wasn't shorter than the other ones. I keep most of them at 2.5k words, while I'll release a 3k words once in a while. And... REVIEW~!)**_

 ** _By the way, Profound Currency is the name of the coins used in the Profound Sky Continent, while Contribution Points are what you gain from the sect after completing missions or doing meritorious deeds. With them, you can exchange for things within your sect._**


	69. Feng Xinyi

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 69 - Feng Xinyi**

* * *

The Phoenix looked around Issei's room briefly before returning its attention back to him. "I suppose you called us out to learn our techniques?"

Not answering its question, Issei simply stared at the three miniature Divine Beasts in front of him, a dark smile gracing his features. Not too long ago, they had the power to easily decide his fate. Now, however, he was their master!

If anything, the feeling was exhilarating!

"It's as you say. Teach me your cultivation skills," Issei looked at the three Divine Beasts and plainly said, the corner of his lips curled upwards in a sly smile.

"Teach you our cultivation skills….? You are not powerful enough yet," explained the Vermillion Bird as it shook its small bird-head to the sides.

"Yup. It's as Red says, you just aren't wrong enough," commented the Phoenix, clearly agreeing with the Vermillion Bird's words.b

Alas, Issei was not someone easily convinced. He was clearly aware that the three Divine Beasts resented him, and even though he was now their master, it would be strange if they were to readily give him their techniques. If they didn't make the situation hard for him, just how would they live with themselves?

While thinking that, Issei turned his head around to look at the Golden Crow, who had kept quiet the entire time. Then, he asked, "Golden Crow… could you tell me something? Are you personalities similar to the one belonging to the priestesses?"

"That's indeed the case," the Golden Crow nodded, causing Issei to reveal grin. "But… why do you ask that?"

Instead of answering the Golden Crow's question, Issei channeled a bit of spiritual power into his left hand, and the mark of the Sky Poison Pearl appeared on it. It was only after doing so that he said, "How about this, then? If I recall correctly, you have some kind of poison in your body. So, in exchange for me curing you from that poison, you'll tell me which cultivation technique from you three I should begin with."

Issei clearly remembered Zuo Yan's greedy and wretched personality. Because of that, if the Golden Crow's words from before were correct, then that would mean that the Golden Crow could be considered to be someone whose services are easily bought as long as he offered the right things.

Unsurprisingly, the moment Issei made his proposal, a strange light flashed through the three-legged Golden Crow's eyes. It stared at the mark of the Sky Poison Pearl on Issei's hands for a moment before saying, "Even though no one has ever cultivated the cultivation techniques of more than two Divine Beasts at the same time, I can roughly give you an idea on how you should go about it. In exchange, can you promise to heal me?"

"I swear."

"Very well then," the Golden Crow nodded, excitement flashing in its eyes, much to the chagrin of the other two Divine Beasts, who looked at in anger, but at the same time, helplessness. While ignoring the gazes of the other two Divine Beasts, the Golden Crow properly explained, "The cultivation methods we will give you aren't the ones given from the trials. In reality, hundreds of thousands of years ago, each of us left behind a few trials throughout the universe. As long as a challenger could complete it, they would gain a few drops of our diluted blood, which is far below in quality when compared to our vital blood that had been absorbed by you. Aside from that diluted blood, they would also gain our set of cultivation skills."

As it reached that point, the Golden Crow paused and glanced at the other two Divine Beasts. Seeing their unpleasant expressions, it sihed lightly before continuing, "These cultivation techniques are the 'World Ode of the Phoenix, the 'Vermillion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song' and the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World'. However, those aren't our _actual_ cultivation techniques. Instead, they are only simplified versions of what we practice, and are far below when it comes to quality and power.

"In reality, we, as Divine Beasts, were already born with our cultivation skills in our memories. They were gifted to use by the universe itself, and could be said to have been naturally formed. In all of history, only us three have ever practiced the real versions of our cultivation methods. There had never been someone to practice them, as we would only reveal the crude version, but… since you have our vital blood, it would be much better for you to practice them then to practice the normal version."

As it reached that point, the tone of the Golden Crow's voice suddenly grew mysterious, "In reality, the names of our original cultivation techniques and the crude versions don't change. What's different, in reality, is the content. Anyways, you wanted to know which one you should practice first, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then, choose the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. After that, you can start with the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World' and finally the 'Vermillion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song."

"Is there any reason for that?" asked Issei, curious.

"There is," the three-legged Golden Crow nodded. Surprisingly, it was awfully talkative for a proud Divine Beast. But after some thought, Issei attributed that to the fact that after this, he would heal it from its poison, which should be a really enticing proposal for it. And, while ignoring the stern gazes from the other two Divine Beats, the Golden Crow began, "In terms of difficulty in comprehension, the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' is the easiest. In reality, although it contains some mysterious and esoteric truths, that only appears in the later levels. In the beginning levels, it's actually quite simple.

"As for the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World', it's slightly more difficult in the beginning, since it requires you to have some deeper insights on the concept of fire, but after cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' for some time, it should come naturally. Still, in the later levels, the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World' actually surpasses the difficulty of the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. To say the truth, it's actually so difficult that not even I, after billions of millions of years, have managed to fully comprehend it.

"Finally, there is the 'Vermillion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song'. In the beginning, it's by far the hardest, since one needs to comprehend that although fire can be used to damage, it can also heal. Despite that, once you manage to grasp that, it becomes much more simple. And, to say the truth, in the later stages, it's thousands of times easier than the other two."

After saying so, the Golden Crow glanced at the other two Divine Beasts, but seeing that they weren't refuting its words, it continued, "That's about it for the three cultivation techniques. As for whether or not you follow my advice, it all depends on you. Anyways… I have already told you everything you wanted to know. Now it's your turn."

"Mn," Issei nodded, moving his body over to where the three-legged Golden Crow hovered. Since it had done its part of the deal, it was only obvious that Issei would do his. Issei then moved his arms forward, using his hand to lightly touch the small, golden-colored head of the Golden Crow. Instantly, Issei was able to feel the deep and powerful poison that lived within it.

"This poison… it seems to be a rather tricky one, but it still isn't anything too hard," Issei shook his head, thinking deeply to himself. "This poison is a Yin-type poison, so this explains why a pure Yang creature like the Golden Crow wasn't able to completely disperse it. However, to the Sky Poison Pearl… this only child's play."

A light flashed on Issei's hand, and the power of the Sky Poison Pearl came to live. A few seconds later, he moved his hand back, a calm expression on his face, greatly contrasting with the one belonging to the Golden Crow, which was practically brimming with excitement.

"The poison… it's gone! Finally! After so long!" cried out the three-legged Golden Crow in ecstasy, pleased beyond belief. For the past millions of years, this poison had been plaguing its mind. Now that it was gone, it felt the need to celebrate.

"That damn crow…"

The Vermillion Bird sighed, a strange expression on its face as it thought of how easily it had told Issei their secrets. Although it didn't seem like much at first glance, what the Golden Crow revealed to Issei was extremely important information, known only to the three of them. But now… someone else now knew about it. And the worst part was that that someone was the successor of the Evil God!

"Meany!" the Phoenix cursed out loud, puffing its cheeks out in anger. In the beginning, it appeared calm and dignified, but the moment something like this happened, a childish personality surfaced, much like how Feng Ru normally behaved.

"Well, now that I know what I should do, I'll rather have some alone time with the Phoenix," said Issei after some thought. Then, with a wave of his hands, the three-legged Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird transformed into two streaks of light that flew into his hands.

"Ah? You want to speak with me alone?" the Phoenix looked at Issei in surprise, puzzled at Issei's actions.

"Yes," Issei nodded. "You see, I want to learn the original 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. Could you please teach me it?"

"No," replied the Phoenix without hesitation. Then, it seemed to think for a while before saying, "If you want the simpler version of the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', I can give it to you. But the original version… no."

"And why's that?" asked Issei again, unwilling to give up.

"Because it's mine!" exclaimed the Phoenix with annoyance. "And I won't hand it over to anyone!"

After hearing those words, Issei could only sigh. Even though the Evil God had clearly told them to teach Issei their cultivation methods, Issei had known from the very start that it wouldn't be as simple as that. He may be their master at the moment, but that only meant that they couldn't revolt or run away from him. Ordering them to give him their cultivation methods was something above what he could do.

"Then… is there something that I can exchange for it?"

"Exchange?" the Phoenix stopped to think for a few moments, but still shook its head in the end. "No! Not going to trade it for anything!"

Issei shook his head upon hearing that, but didn't lose hope. Instead, he tried a different approach.

"Alright, let's forget about the cultivation method," said Issei, much to the surprise of the Phoenix. Then, he smiled softly and said, "Since we're going to be together for a long time, we must get to know each other first. How does that sound?"

Not too long ago, Issei had already come to the conclusion that although it tried to hide it, the Phoenix's personality was the same as Feng Ru. It may try to act maturely, but that facade was easily seen through by Issei. Since that was the case, Issei believed that as long as he could earn its trust, then it wouldn't be a hard matter to acquire the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'.

And, what better way is there to gain the trust of another than to get to know them?

Issei may be young in appearance, but in terms of thought-process, he was far above his peers, surpassing even those expert cultivators. Even though his cultivation base hadn't progressed much during the time he spent within that separate dimension, only reaching the ninth level of the Nascent Profound Realm because of the thin spiritual power there, his gains when it comes to mentality were simply overwhelming.

During those five hundred years he spent trapped inside there, aside from cultivating, developing his Daos and honing his skills, he also separated some of his time to think about his past mistakes, and his rash personality. Many of the things that he had done before were impulsive, and he would rarely think before he acted. He got a new view of the world, and also changed one of his most important life lessons.

Originally, he would think that 'The higher the danger, the higher the reward', and that because of that, he could risk everything, including his life. Now, however, he added two new sentences to that phrase, 'The higher the danger, the higher the reward. Still, rewards can only be enjoyed as long as you're alive. If you're dead, they are meaningless'.

This didn't mean that Issei would stop doing risky things. No, this just meant that before doing that, he would carefully think whether or not it was worthy, and also do preparations beforehand. This was was the proof of his recently-acquired maturity.

Furthermore, it was exactly because of that that Issei had been able to come up with this new strategy of getting more familiar with the innocent Phoenix first.

"Get to know each other?" the Phoenix stared at Issei strangely, as if he had grown another head. It stayed like this for a long time, but in the end, all it could do was to shake its head and go along with Issei's words. "Okay then… what do you want to know?"

Issei thought for a bit before answering, "I believe that your name would be a good way to start. After all, I can't keep calling you 'The Phoenix' all the time, right?"

"Name…?" the Phoenix looked at Issei strangely, but in the end, said, "The last time I used my name was so long ago… but, if I remember, it's….Xinyi!"

"Xinyi? So Feng Xinyi?" asked Issei, amused. At the same time, he noted that it was a female name. That fact, added with the Phoenix's soft and high-pitched tone of voice, led him to believe that its gender was actually female, just like Feng Ru.

"Mn, I'm Feng Xinyi…," murmured Feng Xinyi with a slightly bashful voice. Apparently, the moment she told Issei her name, it seemed as if she had become more friendly with him.

Issei didn't find it too surprising. After all, Feng Xinyi's personality was supposed to be rather similar to that of a child. And, after knowing each other names, children tend to be more open with others.

Feng Xinyi may be the Phoenix, who is billions of years old, almost the same age as the universe itself, but some aspects of the being, no matter how much time passes, just don't change. It appeared that such was the case of Feng Xinyi.

After that, Issei and Feng Xinyi talked some more, slowly getting to know more about each other. In reality, when they had only began talking, Issei was the one who spoke the most, telling Feng Xinyi about his life-experiences. However, as time went by, Feng Xinyi began to open up, and started telling Issei her own stories.

"...And this one time, I was about to get that super rare fruit, but just then… that meany Golden Crow appeared! It stole the Heavenly Jade Fruit from me, and because of that, got much more powerful! After that, we didn't talk for three thousand years…."

"… There was also this time when I was fighting against another Divine Beast. But, it was a really mean one… It was a big, white tiger, who liked to roar at everything around it! It was also really annoying, so I decided to teach it a lesson, but… two more Divine Beasts appeared, and started to beat me together. Ah ah! It was so painful.."

"….Oh oh! I just remembered something! Not too long ago, a few million years or so, I was searching for another Heavenly Jade Fruit so I could beat the boring Vermillion Bird and the mean Golden Crow in our next battle, right? But just then, a huge snake appeared, the size of various universes, and tried to swallow me up!"

Feng Xinyi didn't stop speaking for even a moment, telling tale after tale without stop

It was rather dull in the beginning, but as time passed, Feng Xinyi started to get increasingly excited, and before long, she would gesture with her wings, flying around the room as she constantly told Issei her various stories. By that point, Issei was sure that if she had a human form, her face would be flushed red with excitement.

Surprisingly, Issei's thoughts were spot-on. Feng Xinyi, who had focused in cultivation her entire life, and never had time to spend with others, was incomparably joyful at this moment. After all, she had many life experiences to tell, but no one to share them with. But now that she had found Issei, she could finally boast about her mighty deeds and tell another person what she had been through.

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	70. New Objective

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 70 - New Objective**

* * *

Not too long after saying finishing his story-session with Feng Xinyi, Issei got up and walked over to his bed, laying down on it. Once he got himself in a comfortable position, a calm and serene smile appeared on his face, his eyes filled with a strange, indescribable emotion. At the same time, he slowly brought his hands to the area above his hand, two small green jades appearing on them. They were roughly the same size, and looked similar in appearance. In fact, the only difference between them was that one of them seemed to emanate an aura of ancientness, while the other held some kind of strange power.

Those two pieces of jade were rather special to Issei. After all, one of them contained his Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, while the other was the Ancient Demon Sealing Jade, which marked his status as the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer.

From what Issei was able to understand, starting from the First, each Generation would pass on their techniques, along with this Ancient Demon Sealing Jade, down to their successor. When the Eighth left behind his separate realm, used as a trial to determine his successor, he obviously made sure to place the Ancient Demon Sealing Jade there. After all, only by having it could one consider themselves to be a Demon Sealer.

The origins of the Demon Sealing Jade were unknown. The information the Eighth had left behind only mentioned that it was something that belonged to the First Generation, and that it had been passed down since then. Aside from that, nothing more was disclosed, much to Issei's annoyance.

"I know practically nothing about these Demon Sealers aside from the fact that I'm the Ninth…," murmured Issei, deep in thought. "I'm not even sure of what my role as the Ninth is. No place to start, and no idea of how I should go about being a Demon Sealer… the prospects of my career as a Demon Sealer aren't too bright."

After saying so, Issei kept his gaze focused onto the two pieces of jade for a while longer, but sighed in the end, storing them away within the Sky Poison Pearl. After doing so, he turned around in bed, tucking his body beneath the covers, preparing to do something he hadn't done for a long, long time – Sleeping.

Slowly, Issei began to close his eyes. As he did so, the corner of his lips curled upwards and he sighed with emotion, "I have already gotten much closer to Feng Xinyi in only a few hours… it seems that before long, it wouldn't be too hard to get my hands on the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. Not only that, I have to admit that the stories she has told me so far rather interesting… Indeed, someone that has lived for billions of years is bound to have been through a lot."

As Issei recalled everything that Feng Xinyi had told him, his consciousness began to waver, and before long, he drifted into a deep, well-deserved, sleep.

* * *

The next day, after spending some hours with Xia Mei, Issei went back to his room, and not even a few moments later, Feng Xinyi appeared in front of him, her flaming wings flapping happily, while her face was brimming with happiness.

As it appeared, she was truly excited by the fact that she could continue her story-telling session with Issei again.

"Issei!" Feng Xinyi chirped happily, long gone her previous wariness and awkwardness of the day before. If anything, she was extremely happy to be able to see Issei once more.

It could be said that in all of Feng Xinyi's life, Issei was the only friend she had ever had. As such, she had a rather special attachment to him, something that was deep and profound.

In contrast to Feng Xinyi's excitement, Issei was much calmer, but the traces of a happy smile lingered on his face. Then, he unceremoniously sat down, prepared for yet another session of storytelling from Feng Xinyi.

"Xinyi, how are you?" Issei smiled at her and asked calmly, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yup," said Feng Xinyi as she nodded her bird-head in affirmative, doing her best to contain her excitement, but miserably failing at that. "What about you?"

"The same."

"That's good. I have heard that sleep is good for mortals," said Feng Xinyi after some thought. Then, she did something that completely astonished Issei. "Oh yes, let me just change this form…."

In the next moment, a blinding light enveloped Feng Xinyi, and before long, Issei had to close his eyes, lest he would be blinded by it. When he opened them again, the sight that he saw completely surprised him.

In front of him no longer stood a flaming Phoenix. Instead, it was a young girl, barely in her early teens, who had an ever-present joyful expression on her face. Her hair was long, and was a mixture between various tones of red and golden, giving it a flame-like feel to it. As for her eyes, they were big and golden, naive innocence shining within them.

Although the girl in front of him may appear to be young, she could be said to be completely stunning. Her small and petite features were by no means below that of Jasmine and Eggy, two peerless beauties, and could be said to be even above them.

"Feng… Xinyi? Is that you?" asked Issei, slightly shocked.

"Yup!" Feng Xinyi nodded, cutely stretching her limbs. "That other form was really strange. I felt so little… I like this form much better! With this, I can move more freely!"

Upon hearing those words, Issei understood what had happened.

"So that was the case," he nodded after some thought, quickly regaining his cool. After all he had been through, it wouldn't be like him to be surprised over something as small as this for too long. He then smiled lightly and said, "So, what do you want to do today? Telling stories or trying something else?"

"Something else?" Feng Xinyi tilted her head to the side, strands of her falling to her shoulder.

"Yes, like playing, for example—"

"Playing?! Like, a game!?" Feng Xinyi exclaimed in shock, and not even a moment later, she began jumping around in ecstasy, as if she had just heard the best thing in the world. And, truth be told, it wasn't, what Issei had told her could indeed be considered as such.

"Ah? Is everything alright?" asked Issei, looking at the excited Feng Xinyi strangely, startled by her actions. As far as he was concerned, he had only suggested that they would play a little… could it be that she was so excited because of that?

And, as Issei would soon find out, that was indeed the case.

Feng Xinyi, as mentioned before, had always led a life of solitude, and the concept of friend was rather foreign to her. And, most of all, she had never actually taken part in the action of 'playing'. It could be said that ever since she was born, she had wholeheartedly only pursued the path of cultivation, not bother with other, miscellaneous, matters.

It wasn't that she didn't want to play with others, but more of a case that no one would play with her. Existences of her level were normally mature, while the ones below her would be too afraid to even think about playing with her. Because of that, the act of playing was completely alien to her…. But that didn't mean that she didn't know what it was.

Even though she had never 'played' before, she surely knew what it meant. And it was exactly because of that that she was unable to contain her excitement.

Issei, when faced with Feng Xinyi's situation, obviously decided to let her experiences the joy of the childhood she never hand. Firstly, after an awkward conversation with Xiao Luocheng, he managed to get his hands on a few dolls, which were then gifted to Feng Xinyi. Aside from that, he also played some of the most common games with her on his room courtyard while Xia Mei wasn't looking, such as hide-and-seek and many others.

Soon, however, Issei would discover that many of the conventional games, when played with Feng Xinyi, simply lost their meaning. Because of her monstrous physical prowess and terrifying mental powers, each and every game that Issei could come up with would quickly be won by Feng Xinyi in a matter of seconds. Despite that, she still seemed to enjoy the various games, and would keep asking to play them again and again.

Just like this, a few weeks went by. During this time, Issei would only cultivate at night, his day-time spent either with Xia Mei or with Feng Xinyi. However, even though he didn't experience much progress on his cultivation during that time, his relationship with Feng Xinyi improved by leaps and bounds.

In less than a dozen days, they managed to go from strangers to close friends.

And, Issei's relationship with Feng Xinyi deepened so much that one day, without he even needing to ask for it, she walked up to him as he cultivated the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' and said after some thought, "Issei, your current cultivation skill is just too low-graded!"

"Mn?" Issei opened his eye to stare at Feng Xinyi, and sighed, "Well, but this is the best I have right now..."

"Ummm…. Then…. How about… I give you mine?" said Feng Xinyi after some thought. Seeing Issei's surprised expression, she added, "I have the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' with me. Since you have some of my blood, then you should be able to cultivate it! It should be much above your crappy cultivation skill! How about it? Do you want to?"

Issei, upon hearing that, stared at Feng Xinyi blankly, not daring to believe his own ears. She was actually… offering him her cultivation technique?! Something that, not even a dozen days ago, she wouldn't give him no matter what?! And, most unbelievable of all was that it actually was for free!

"Ah? Issei? What's wrong?" Feng Xinyi, seeing that Issei wasn't saying anything, got worried.

"No, no…. it's nothing," Issei quickly shook his head and added with a calm smile, "If Xinyi is willing to teach me it, then I obviously have no complaints!"

"Great!" exclaimed Feng Xinyi happily. Then, without another thought, she sat down on Issei's bed, motioning for him to come closer. "Come here! I'll give it to you!"

Issei obviously complied, and once he sat down on it, Feng Xinyi slowly lifted up her index finger, and lightly tapped it on Issei's forehead. Following that, an influx of information filled his mind. This information was, without a doubt, the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'!

And, not only was it the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', given the sheer massiveness and profoundness of the content, Issei was able to quickly determine that this wasn't the crude version of it, and instead, was the actual, complete version, which should originally only belong to Feng Xinyi herself!

It took Issei quite some time to assimilate everything into his mind, but in the end, he managed to absorb all of the information Feng Xinyi had imparted on him. He obviously didn't pay attention to the extremely later stages, sealing them within his mind, and only looked at the early stages.

However, the moment did so, he immediately felt a headache coming his way.

Issei's talent in cultivation, along with his perception, may be something peerless within the Middle Realm, but the true 'World Ode of the Phoenix' was one of the strongest cultivation methods of the Higher Realm. Not even Issei, who was supposed to be extremely talented, was able to breeze through it. In fact, he was having some serious difficulties in understanding the concepts and truths behind the words in his mind.

Thankfully, Feng Xinyi took notice of Issei's confused and thoughtful expression. Following that, she quickly suggested, "Issei, how about I personally teach you?"

"Personally teach me…?"

"Yes! I have been practicing it for a long time, and I can teach you what I know! That should be easier for you!"

Issei's eyes suddenly widened. Being personally taught by the Phoenix herself? Truly, this was a thought that had never went through his mind. And, the more he thought of it, the more excited he became.

His comprehensive abilities may be lacking when it comes to cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', but with Feng Xinyi's aid, he was sure that he would be able to succeed! After all, she had been practicing that technique for billions of year… it's only obvious that her understandings on it will would be perfect!

However, before Issei could get too excited, Feng Xinyi dropped a cold-bucket over his head, "Still, before that, we must get to a more fitting environment. This place won't do for cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. We need fire! More fire!"

"Fire…?" Issei stared at Feng Xinyi somewhat dazedly. Then, he broke out of his stupor and nodded faintly. He didn't know of places with high concentration of fire, but he certainly knew someone who did.

Just as he thought, upon asking Xiao Luocheng, Issei learned that although there were no such places in the Xiao Sect Branch Sect. However, it was another matter in the Xiao Sect Main Sect.

According to Xiao Luocheng, within the Xiao Sect Main Sect, there were specially-created array formations, made for cultivators that specialized in a certain element, where they could cultivate. There were areas with a high amount of fire energy, along with the energy of the five other elements.

When Issei heard of that, he was incomparably excited. After all, not only would this aid him in cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', if what Xiao Luocheng said was indeed the truth, there was also a wine-attributed area in which he could practice. Because of that, there was a chance that he would finally be able to start using the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void', which required a wind-attributed area to be cultivated.

Because of that, Issei's resolve to join the Xiao Sect Main Sect got even stronger. No matter what happenes, he would definitely pass the test in a few months time, and enter the Main Sect!

 _ **READ & REVIEW~!**_


	71. Formations

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 71 - Formations**

* * *

There are countless of different types of cultivation skills. Some of them focus on strengthening the body, others on the mind, but most of them have their focus on spiritual power. There are many more types, but these three are the most common ones, and also the most well-known.

Each of those three types have their disadvantages and advantages, but it is clear that those that focus on spiritual power are much more famous and popular amongst cultivators. For example, more than fourth fifths of all cultivation skills in existence are of that type.

Issei's 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' focuses on refining the fleshly body, making it a terrifying weapon of mass destruction. It obviously also served to improve one's cultivation base, but that is only secondary. Its main focus, without a doubt, is the fleshly body. On the other hand, the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', although having thousands of different functions, has spiritual power as its primary focus. The same could be said about the 'Vermillion's Bird Consoling Spirit Song' and the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World'.

In spite of placing great importance on cultivating his body, Issei still believed that his main focus should, in fact, be increasing and purifying his spiritual power. Because of that, he didn't hesitate in his decision to set 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' as his secondary cultivation skill, while keeping the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' as his main cultivation skill. The fact that they are of different grades also influenced that decision.

'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' may be a superb body-cultivation technique, but that was only in the Middle Realm. When it came to the Higher Realm, where it originated, it was low-tier at best, if not lower. The 'World Ode of the Phoenix', on the other hand, was a superb cultivation skill, even in the Higher Realm, and was desired by True Gods and even Immortals.

Not only that, Issei didn't have someone to teach him how to cultivate the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', and could only go along according to the memories he had acquired from the Magic Cube. But, if he wanted to, he could have Feng Xinyi teach him the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. This, without a doubt, influenced, played a great part in his decision.

It was normal learn a technique alone, and slightly more rare to be taught by someone who knew it. But, to be personally taught by the Phoenix? That was something that had never happened before in the history of the universe, and definitely wouldn't repeat itself again.

The Phoenix, Feng Xinyi, had studied the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' for all her life, and her understandings regarding it were simply mind-blowing. If Issei could be taught by her, then he would be able to get twice the result with half the effort.

However, before this could happen, there was a requirement that had to be met – He must first arrange for an area with a high-concentration of fire-attributed spiritual power. And, the easiest way to get something like that would be, without a doubt, to join the Xiao Sect Main Sect.

But, to do that, he needed to pass the upcoming test first.

Xiao Luocheng had explained to Issei everything he knew about the test so the young genius could prepare himself, but in reality, Xiao Luocheng didn't really know much to begin with, so his words hadn't been of much use. Nevertheless, Issei was still able to ascertain from what Xiao Luocheng had told him that the elders from the Xiao Sect Main Sect would have a good impression on someone adept with Inscription Symbols.

The Heavenly Sword Villa was famous for their swords, while Frozen Cloud Asgard was well-known for their ice-attributed arts. As for the Burning Heaven Clan, it was known to posses ruthless and tyrannical fire-attributed arts. Finally, there was the Xiao Sect, which was famous for their Inscription Masters and Array Masters.

Inscription Symbols were miniature formations that could be carved onto weapons and armors, granting them a great boost in quality and power. Additionally, depending on the grade of the Inscription Symbol, it would be able to grant the armor or weapon a powerful martial skill. As for Array Formations, they had many uses, such as sealing large objects, or even creating special areas and places. There were also miniature Array Formations that could be used to gather spiritual power from the atmosphere, along with thousands of different functions.

It could be said that when it came to Inscription Symbols and Array Formations, they all are based on the principle of formations. Formations are, in reality, symbols that can be drawn onto materials, or even on the air, which could give births to thousands of variations. In fact, it could be said that as long as it was related to formations, imagination was the limit. That was also the reason why although it didn't have much battle-purpose, the Xiao Sect was still famous because of their expertise in formations.

Aside from formations, the Xiao Sect was also known for possessing a large amount of World Spiritists, which was much higher than that of the other three great sects of Blue Wind Nation. Because of that, not only would the elders from the Main Sect be looking for disciples that have some knowledge on formations, they would also be in the look-out for disciples born with Spirit Power, which was a requirement for being a World Spiritist.

When Issei heard of that, he was obviously overwhelmed by joy. After all, not only was he a White-cloak World Spiritist that would soon become a Gray-cloak, he also had some deep understandings regarding formations.

The first time he got a batch of memories from the Magic Cubes, aside from the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', he had also gotten great knowledge in Inscription Symbols. Then, on the second time he absorbed memories, he also got thousands of information and abilities regarding Array Formations.

Not too long after that, he got trapped in a separate dimension for five hundred years, one hundred of which were used solely to develop and hone his abilities in formations, be it Array Formations or Inscription Symbols.

Even thought Issei hadn't had access to precious materials there, which are used to draw formations, and hadn't been able to practice the more complex ones, his prowess in formations improved by leaps and bounds. During that period of time, not only did he fully assimilate the memories regarding Array Formations and Inscription Symbols into his mind, he also had the chance to practice the most basic versions of formations, and could be said to have thoroughly grasped and mastered them.

Furthermore, as long as he wasn't required to draw some large and complex formations, which he had not experience with, and could show his theoretical knowledge, then there was no doubt that he would definitely be accepted into the Main Sect.

At the same time, however, he knew that only being accepted wasn't enough. No, he needed to somehow bring Xia Mei along with him. And, if he was only accepted, he wouldn't be able to do so.

Issei had decided that he wouldn't be 'only' accepted. He would make them beg him to join them. He would make them get on their knees, and agree to whatever wish he had.

But, in order to do such a thing, he needed to make them somehow believe that he was some kind of heavenly genius. A genius that would only appear once every a hundred… no, ten thousand years! A genius that not only excelled in cultivation, but also in formations and World Spiritist techniques.

How would he do that?

He would work hard. Harder than he ever had.

There were still two more months until the day of the test, and Issei would make sure to use every second he had. He had pledged that he would enter the Xiao Sect and bring Xia Mei along with him.

And so he shall.

* * *

"Damn it!"

Issei cursed under his breath as he watched as the formations hovering in front of him suddenly dulled, losing their previous shine, and becoming dust. Just like that, the equivalent of the income of a small family was turned into dust in less than a second.

It is said that in order to nurture an Inscription Master or an Array Master, large amounts of resources are needed. Not for their cultivation, but because in the beginning of their training, they are bound to fail countless times.

Every time an Inscription Symbol is drawn, it would require various materials. After all, it wasn't something that could be made out of thin air.

For example, just now, what Issei had used were various kinds of precious plants, such as Grim Roots, Twilight Heaven Flowers, and Vermillion Vines. Each and every of those plants can be considered to be rare and expensive, but in Issei's hands, they were wasted in a matter of seconds.

The failure rates of amateur Inscription Masters and Array Masters are something extremely high, terrifying even. Additionally, once a material has been used in the making of a formation, it can no longer be salvaged. So, if the formation fails to form, it would only lead to loss of money and resources.

Issei knew that clearly, but there was nothing he could do about it. While grinding his teeth, he took in a deep breath, and began to work again. His arms were slowly raised, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes as countless of different plants and materials flew into the air.

Suddenly, his fingers began to move in the air, just like flowing water, and various changes appeared in the plants front of him. Some of the materials were grounded into dust, others were liquified, while others kept their original shape and size. As this happened, each of Issei's fingers began to shine with a faint, blue light, which then formed into ethereal strings, connecting them to the various objects.

A faint bluish glow filled the area, and Issei's stern and focused expression was completely drawn to the constant changes in the materials in front of him. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, but he paid it no mind. As of that moment, all of his mind was focused on controlling the materials in front of him.

Spiritual power pulsated within him, feeding the constant strings of blue light with its energy, becoming fuel for them. At the same time, Issei rotated his cultivation base, absorbing the spiritual power of heaven and earth of his surroundings, which were quickly used to maintain the strings of light.

Slowly, in front of Issei, the materials began to disappear, leaving behind only their refined form. Once that process was done, Issei could move on to the second part, which was forming the symbol.

If the movement of Issei's fingers from before were akin to flowing water, they now seemed like countless raging beasts, ravaging their surroundings with vehemence. The expression on Issei's face was also affected, becoming increasingly savage and dark.

At the same time, in front of Issei, the strings of light that originated from his fingers were converging in a single spot, bringing with them what remained of the plants and materials, and causing a symbol to form in mid-air, hovering in front of him.

This symbol was crude and simple, pulsating with a deep-blue light. As soon as it was formed, it floated to the side, and Issei begun working on a new one.

This process lasted for hours, and by the end of it, there were dozens of differently-shaped symbols hovering all around him, pulsating with different tones of blue. Some were cerulean, others turquoise, and some were even of a deep-blue, almost black color. Issei, bathed in the glow from these countless symbols, closely resembled an immortal divinity in that moment.

"Ha!"

A low shout erupted from Issei's already dry throat, causing the dozens of glowing symbols around him to stir and twist. Then, with a graceful yet savage movement, they clustered together, overlapping into each other and created many layers of symbols.

The moment this happened, Issei quickly exclaimed, "Xinyi, bring me the sword!"

"Hai!"

Xinyi, who had been watching Issei's actions from the very start with an intoxicated expression, quickly jumped up from the ground upon hearing Issei's orders. In her hands was a small, exquisite sword, which was quickly placed in front of Issei.

A wild light shone in Issei's light, and his hands suddenly came together, forming an incantation symbol. A low 'boom' sound resounded, and the layered Inscription Symbol fell down as if struck by a sledgehammer, clashing against the blade of the sword.

 _Sizzzz_

The Inscription Symbol quickly merged with the sword upon collision, engraving itself on it with a soft, sizzling noise. The sword suddenly turned blue for a split second, but quickly became normal once more, only that this time, on its blade, was a strange marking.

"It worked!" exclaimed Issei as he grabbed the sword from the ground, analyzing the mark on it with great satisfaction, clearly pleased with his work. His excitement was understandable. After all, this was his first success in condensing an Inscription Symbol after countless attempts.

This Inscription Symbol may be of the lowest grade, called as the 'Crude Strength Symbol', which could only barely increase the power and sharpness of a weapon, but in Issei's eyes, it was cute and charming, just like a young girl. His gaze was one of affection, and there contained a loving look in his eyes.

It may only be a 'Crude Strength Symbol', but to him, it marked the start of his career as an Inscription Master.

 _ **Read & Review~! (I want 40 reviews for this chapter! Let's try to reach 2k reviews today! So, everyone, REVIEW~!)**_

 _ **(Obviously, since this chapter didn't have much content, as long as there's the usual 30 reviews, there will be another chapter tomorrow like always. The only reason why I'm asking for 40 reviews is because I'm exactly 40 reviews short of 2k reviews, really.)**_


	72. Two Days

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 72 - Two Days**

* * *

 _A/N: I had originally been planning on uploading two chapters today in celebration for 2k reviews, but some stuff came up, and I was out of home for the ENTIRE day and barely had time to write this single chapter. Because of that, the quality is rather lacking, and there's not much content, but that's all that I could manage with the little amount of time that I had. So, I apologize in advance for the slightly-more-boring-than-usual chapter and for the lack of two chapters. Still, I promise that tomorrow's chapter will be much, much more interesting! This is my way to make it up to you guys!_

For the past month, the amount of times that Issei stepped out of his room could be easily counted with a single hand. Day and night he would sit there, continuously drawing inscription symbols without stop, as if his life depended on it. He would only stop for his most primal necessities, which were basically eating and sleeping.

Most likely, if it wasn't for the fact that he had yet to reach the realm in which he could simply nurture his body with spiritual power, no longer having a need for food and rest, he would keep practicing it without stop for day and night.

During this period of time, it could also be said that Issei almost emptied the Xiao Sect Branch Sect's treasury. In order to draw inscription symbols, he required a large amount of resources, most of it being far from cheap. If it wasn't for the fact that Xiao Luocheng was the son of the Patriarch of the Branch Sect and allowed him to use as much as he would like, Issei most likely wouldn't have been able to draw a tenth of what he did.

However, it must be said that hard effort is rewarded. In the beginning, out of ten tries in drawing an inscription symbol, he would fail nine of them. But after one month of constant practicing, if he tried ten times, then, at the very least, he would complete six of them.

It must also be said that Feng Xinyi had been helping Issei a lot during that period of time. Because of the fact that she was fascinated by the beautiful colors and images that were created in the process of forming inscription symbols, she quickly volunteered to be Issei's assistant. Although she couldn't do much, she was still in charge of bringing him the necessary materials, along with food, water, and talking with every once in a while.

Obviously, because they would spend almost their entire time together in the same room, Issei and Feng Xinyi's relationship increased greatly. They became much closer to each other, and they seemed to share a special bond that hadn't been there before,

Feng Xinyi was even more friendly towards Issei, and no longer had her past hesitations. She would always speak what was in her mind, and trusted him completely. In fact, even if Issei were to ask her for more of her blood, it wouldn't be strange if she gave it to him without a shred of hesitation.

However, not all things were going well.

Even though Issei had advanced his understandings regarding formations by leaps and bounds, and was much more confident on passing the test than before, there was also something that had been greatly troubling him – Eggy had yet to awaken.

During the fight against the Black Demon Bandits, back in the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, Issei's last ability, Heaven's End, would have greatly warmed his body if it wasn't for Eggy and Jasmine. In that very moment that Issei was most vulnerable, they had employed all of their power to shield him from his own attack. In the process, they had had overused their own power, and both of them entered a state of slumber.

Jasmine had already awakened, but Eggy showed no signs of waking up, which greatly worried Issei.

After all, this was clearly his fault, and Eggy had sacrificed her power solely for his own sake. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Issei was the cause of Eggy's current predicament. And, more than anything, he knew that clearly.

Jasmine had tried to tell him that Eggy was alright many times, but by everyday that passed, even she was beginning to doubt her own words. From her calculations, Eggy was supposed to have awakened a long time ago, but she had yet to do so. If she failed to notice that there was something wrong, then she wouldn't be able to call herself a cultivator.

Still, there wasn't much that could be done about the situation. His only option was to wait and hope for the best. At the very least, Issei made sure to check on Eggy everyday during his sleep, and made sure to spend some time with her in the World Spirit Space, telling her what happened each day, even though he knew better than anyone that she couldn't hear him.

Slowly, time went by. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and hours into days. Even more resources were spent, and Issei's progress in making inscription symbols continued to increase at frightening speeds. Compared to his ability the moment he first began drawing them to his current state, the difference would would be akin to heaven and earth.

* * *

"Issei, are you there?"

Suddenly, Issei, who had been about to start drawing yet another inscription symbol, stopped mid-way, startled by the voice that came from outside his room. He quickly turned to look at Feng Xinyi, who nodded and turned into a streak of scarlet light, flowing into the palm of his hand.

"Coming!" Issei got up from his seated position and walked over to the door, thereupon opening. Unsurprisingly, Xiao Luocheng waited for him on the other side.

"Heavens! What happened to you?!"

Xiao Luocheng had been about to greet his friend, but the moment he caught sight of Issei's completely disheveled appearance, along with bloodshot eyes. and roughed-up robes, he took a step back in surprise. At the same time, he wrinkled his nose at the disgusting odor emanating from Issei's body.

"Issei, bro, have you not bathed in how many years?! Have you been keeping corpses inside that room or what?!"

"Sorry for that," said Issei, shaking his head apologetically. Just as Xiao Luocheng had said, he indeed had not bathed in a very long time, so his friend's reaction was actually understandable. "But, anyways, what did you call me for?"

"I'm here to tell you that the test is in two days," explained Xiao Luocheng, trying to ignore Issei's disheveled appearance and repugnant smell. Then, after a little of hesitation, he said, "Try to sleep a little… No, sleep for the entire day. Get rid of those bloodshot eyes and the dark-circles… also, take a bath, please."

"In two days?" Issei was slightly surprised, but upon remembering that there had already been quite some time since he last exited his room, he figured that it was possible. After some thought, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "Alright, might as well head to the baths now."

"That would be for the best," Xiao Luocheng nodded. "For the entire Xiao Sect, I may add."

Issei simply ignored Xiao Luocheng's words, and continued walking towards the baths. On the way, many cultivators would look at him strangely, and every time he passed by someone, they would quickly take a few steps back, frightened by his smell and appearance.

Not too long after, Issei was back in his courtyard, his appearance a far cry from what he had been not even an hour before. His hair was now tied behind his back, completely clean, while he was no longer covered in sweat. His clothes had also been changed, and if it wasn't for his slightly bloodshot eyes and the dark-circles under them, then he would have looked completely normal.

When Xiao Luocheng saw Issei again, he let out a breath of relief, "Bro, it's as they say, baths do wonders to you!"

"Thanks," Issei tersely acknowledged Xiao Luocheng's words, not really bothering with them. He then walked entered his room, closing the door behind him, too tired to care for Xiao Luocheng. He had been working too much these days, and he really needed a rest. As for Xiao Luocheng, he looked at Issei's room for a while, but in the end, shook his head to the sides, knowing that his friend was truly tired. Since it seemed that he was no longer needed, he turned around, intending to finish whatever business he had left for the day.

However, just as he was about to walk away, Issei's voice came from inside the room.

"I'm going to sleep for the rest of the day. Tomorrow I'll meet you at your courtyard and we'll go to the test together… also, tell Xia Mei to also get some rest. Oh yes, go to my practice room and get all of the weapons with inscription symbols on them. You might as well sell them to make up for everything that I spent."

"Will do," Xiao Luocheng nodded. After waiting for a response for quite some time, but receiving none, he simply shook his head and sighed, smiling at the same time. Then, he made his way to Issei's training room, and after making sure to hold his breath, entered it. Once inside, he quickly located a pile of weapons with inscription symbols on them, and unhesitatingly stored them in his cosmos sack.

After exiting the room, Xiao Luocheng was finally able to breathe again. Obviously, he didn't dare to breath inside the room where Issei had been before. At the same time, the corner of his lips curled up in a smile as he recalled the huge pile of weapons in the room.

"There must be a few hundred weapons with inscription symbols… ah ah, with this, Father will finally stop punishing me for wasting the resources of the clan," murmured Xiao Luocheng, quite pleased with himself and Issei. These days, his father had been really angry with him for giving so much resources for Issei. Now that he would finally be able to get some of it back, how could he possibly not be glad?

Xiao Luocheng quickly went through some of the weapons, and after confirming that the number was indeed in the hundreds, he walked to Xia Mei's courtyard and conveyed Issei's message to her.

When Xia Mei was told that Issei would finally stop his intensive training period, the poor girl revealed a bright smile. In the past two months, she had not seen Issei at all, and was starting to get rather lonely without the company of the one she held affection for. Now that she knew that they would finally be reunited again on the following day, a bright smile took over her features. And, at the same time, she also prepared to cheer for Issei during the test the following day.

"Well, I guess that's all," said Xiao Luocheng, already having finished all of his matters for the day. He quickly made his way to his own courtyard, and upon reaching, threw himself in his bed, also intending to sleep through what remained of the day.

Just like Issei, he wanted to be in top-condition for this test. He wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, he would be able to follow Issei to the Xiao Sect Main Sect. It could even be said that in his heart, Issei's entrance to the Main Sect was already guaranteed.

* * *

Two days later, Issei was awoken by a knock on his door. He had slept with his robes on the previous day, and didn't need to change clothes or to get ready, so he simply walked over to the door and opened it, seeing Xiao Luocheng on the other side, waiting for him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," Issei nodded, and after talking for a few moments, he followed Xiao Sect out of his courtyard. On the way, Xia Mei, who had been about to see if Issei had already gotten up from the bed, saw them, causing a huge smile to appear on her face.

"Issei! You are finally out!" Xia Mei looked at Issei excitedly, and after some hesitation, grabbed his arm, boldly locking it with hers.

Issei was slightly surprised by Xia Mei's unusual behavior, which was completely different from her reserved one, but did nothing to stop her actions. Without him even noticing it, the corner of his lips curled upwards slightly.

Not too far away, leading the way, Xiao Luocheng glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes and revealed a knowing smile. His expression was calm, and he continued on walking as if he hadn't seen anything.

However, even though his expression may be a relaxed one, deep inside, he was rather jealous.

"That damn bastard, not only does he already Miss Mei, it seems that Princess Yue is also interested in him," thought Xiao Luocheng as he shook his head to the sides. Then, with a sigh, he concluded, "Truly, brother Issei is someone amazing... I must ask him for tips later on."

When Xiao Luocheng had brought Issei to the Xiao Sect, he had initially thought that he would have to teach a few of his secrets techniques to his women-avoiding junior, but upon seeing Issei's current situation, he realized that his thoughts had been ridiculous.

Help him with women? If anything, Issei should be the one to give Xiao Luocheng a few tips!

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	73. First Test - Battle!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 73 - First Test - Battle!**

* * *

The Xiao Sect Branch Sect occupied a large terrain, which was divided into many different areas. One of such areas was the Grand Hall, situated in the exact center of the Xiao Sect, and also where the most important meetings were held. This was also the place used to host the test for entering the Main Sect

The Grand Hall was actually a vast area covered by a majestic buildings, with high-pillars and breath-taking architecture. Normally, it would be filled with chairs and tables, where the elders of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect would discuss important matters, but that wasn't the case in the moment. All of the chairs and tables were gone, and in their place was what seemed to be a large stage, along with some other miscellaneous objects.

Near the stage, two middle-aged man stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, their green clothes fluttering in the wind. Both of them were tall and had imposing, dignified features. They also seemed to resemble one another, and it wouldn't be strange if they were brothers or cousins.

The Sect Leader of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect, Xiao Luocheng's father, stood a few meters away, his gaze one of reverence and respect as he looked at the two middle-aged elders. By his side were some even more men and women, of varying ages. They were the Elders of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect.

In front of the two Elders and kneeling in the ground were Xiao Luocheng, Xiao Zhang, and Xiao Wei, the core disciples of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect. Obviously, Issei was also in the group, kneeling in front of the two elders. However, his appearance was slightly different, as the flame-like mark in the middle of his forehead was no longer there. Before meeting with the Elders of the Xiao Sect, he had forcefully concealed his three Divine Beasts bloodlines, causing the mark to temporarily vanish.

Aside from Issei, the core disciples and the elders, there were still more disciples in the grand hall. They formed crowds in the distance, watching from afar. Most of them were inner disciples, who came to cheer on the core disciples. Obviously, Xia Mei was within that group.

However, their gazes weren't focused on the core disciples they practically worshiped, but instead on the two Elders from the Main Sect, who seemed to be about to begin the ceremony.

"You four… state your names."

The Elder to the right suddenly opened his eyes, glancing at the four young men in front of him.

"This one is Xiao Zhang," a skinny-looking youth opened his mouth and spoke, his expression serious and resolute.

"Elders, you can call this little one as Xiao Wei," said he youth who knelt next to Xiao Zhang. Differently from the latter, he had a slightly chubby face, and was rather bashful.

"This little one is Xiao Luocheng," declared Xiao Luocheng in a respectful tone. At the same time, he glanced at Issei out of the corner of his eyes, silently telling him to introduce himself.

"This one is Issei," said Issei plainly, much to the surprise of the Elder, who narrowed his eyes at him, his brows furrowing. The other Elder, who was by his side, didn't make any movement, keeping his eyes closed, completely silent.

"Family name?"

"None," Issei shook his head.

"So you're not a member of the Xiao Family, but managed to reach the status of core disciple," said the Elder said plainly, "This means that you must have some talent."

Instead of answering, Issei only kept quiet, neither refuting, nor confirming the Elder's words, which caused the middle-aged man to narrow his eyes slightly. But, soon after, the corner of his lips curled upwards. He had already deemed Issei as someone 'interesting'.

"Alright. All of you, follow me."

The Elder turned around and walked towards the stage calmly, his steps fluid and graceful. The other Elder followed after, but still hadn't opened his eyes, as if he couldn't care less for this test.

Upon reaching the stage, the same Elder from before turned around to face the four core disciples. Then, after some thought, he said, "Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wei."

"Yes, Elder?"

"Step on the stage."

The two young men nodded, and without a shred of hesitation, jumped up, directly landing in the middle of the stage. Even though the Elders had yet to say what they wanted, they already assumed their battle stances; it was obvious to them that what would follow would be some kind of spar.

The Elder didn't disappoint. With a plain and apathetic voice, he said, "Both of you, show me your skills. You are to clash against each other with all you have… If I deem your performance satisfactory, you man proceed onto the next test."

Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wei exchanged a glance, and in the next moment, weapons appeared in their hands. Xiao Zhang wielded a longsword, while Xiao Wei held two short daggers in his hands.

Without needing the Elder to give the command, they lunged at one another, employing their best martial skills and using their ability to their best.

Spiritual power rippled around the stage, and countless colorful and brilliant martial skills were cast, astonishing the crowd of inner disciples, who looked at the two core disciples in amazement. As for the Sect Leader and Elders of the Xiao Sect Branch Sect, they nodded their heads in satisfaction, pleased with the performance of the two youths.

The Elders from the Main Sect, on the other hand, didn't seem to be amused. The Elder who had been speaking before didn't reveal any change in expression even though the battle was nearing its end, while the other Elder had yet to open his eyes.

Soon after, the battle came to an end, with Xiao Wei barely claiming victory. Of course, since their relationship was close, akin to that of brothers, they didn't launch any of their killing-strikes, nor did they target vital areas. In fact, aside from a few cuts and bruises, they weren't harmed at all.

"Both of you, you may get down," said the Elder plainly, seeing that the battle had to come an end. He didn't even announce whether or not they had passed the first test.

Xiao Zhang and Xiao Wei were obviously anxious, dying to know if they passed or failed, but there was nothing that they could do about it. They had given their best, and if they still were unable to pass, then that only meant that they truly weren't destined to enter the Main Sect.

Once they got down from the stage, the Elder glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes before turning his attention to Issei and Xiao Luocheng. After some thought, he said, "Xiao Luocheng and Issei, get up on the stage. The rules are the same as the match before."

"Yes!" Xiao Luocheng nodded, channeling his spiritual power to his feet and using his enhanced strength to leap onto the stage. Issei did the same, landing directly in front of him.

Immediately after, Xiao Luocheng took out his two swords from his cosmos sack, one green and one black. As for Issei, he merely stood there, not bothering to take anything out.

"Where is your weapon?" asked the Elder, his brows furrowing slightly.

"I have no need for one," Issei shook his head, and afraid that Xiao Luocheng would misunderstand his words, he shot him a deep look before continuing, "I would like to spar with Brother Xiao with only my hands."

In reality, Issei was doing this on purpose. Since the very beginning, he had already determined that he would catch the attention of the two Elders, so even though he was normally against attracting attention to himself, it was the time to show his powers.

Xiao Luocheng clearly understood that, not resenting Issei at all. At the same time, he was rather glad, for he knew that if Issei were to take out his swords, he wouldn't stand a chance. When the difference between them had been of almost an entire realm, they had been evenly matched. Now that the difference was of only one level, Xiao Luocheng believed that he was far from Issei's match.

The Elder seemed to notice Issei's intentions, and simply nodded.

"Very well then. You may begin."

 _Clank!_

Before the Elder could even finish speaking his words, Xiao Luocheng had already begun his attack. He brought his two swords together, and exclaimed, "[Green Lotus]!"

Behind Xiao Luocheng, spiritual power began to converge, causing a colossal green-colored lotus to appear. It had nine, sword-shaped petals! At the same time, on the tip of Xiao Luocheng's green sword, the same lotus appeared, only that it was considerably smaller in size.

This move was the same one that Xiao Luocheng had used against Issei months back, in the exchange of pointers in the New Moon Profound Palace. However, differently from last time, Xiao Luocheng's move had yet to end.

"[Green Lotus – Flowers Wilting in the Autumn!]"

The green-lotus behind Xiao Luocheng suddenly began to change color, becoming of a blackened, ash-like color. At the same time, the green lotus in the tip of his green sword wilted, while a new lotus appeared on the tip of his black sword. However, differently from the initial green-colored lotus, this new one was completely black in color.

In reality, this was a move that Xiao Luocheng hadn't dared to use at the banquet, since he didn't have much control of it at the time, and could end up harming his own body if he wasn't careful. However, after two months of intensive training, he had finally perfected it!

At that moment, the Elder who had originally seemed uninterested narrowed his eyes slightly, a strange gleam flashing in them. In contrast to him, the Elder next to him had yet to open his closed eyes.

"A new move?" murmured Issei, slightly surprised. Still, he was only surprised, and not scared. If it was the him of a few months ago, then he would have surely feared Xiao Luocheng's new attack, but the current him had already reached the level in which he could simply ignore it.

Not only had Issei's cultivation base risen dramatically, his own body, because of the first few stages of the Phoenix Trials, had been refined and nurtured beyond belief, as if he had been born anew. It wouldn't be wrong to say that his fleshly body was akin to a mighty treasure! **[1]**

In response to Xiao Luocheng's actions, Issei straightened his body, and similar to a sword that had been unsheathed, he began to radiate a dangerous, sharp area. At the same time, the fingers on his hands were straightened, resembling sharp blades.

"Ha!"

Suddenly, Xiao Luocheng lunged forward, his two swords piercing towards Issei like hungry tigers. The lotus behind him spun and trembled, emanating deep killing-intent.

"[Wilted Lotus Shower!]"

From the tip of Xiao Luocheng's two swords, countless black and green-colored sword beams condensed out of spiritual power, filling the area around Issei with countless sword energies. If one looked closely, they would see that each of those sword beams were, in reality, lotus-shaped!

Without saying a single word, Issei merely raised up his arm, taking a step forward. At the same time, he pulled his arms back, parallel to his body. Just as the countless lotus-shaped sword beams were about to strike, his hands were thrown forward.

"Illusory Palm!" **[2]**

With swift movements, his hands moved back and forth in the air, each of those actions creating illusory palms, that clashed against Xiao Luocheng's countless lotus-shaped sword beams. With each of Issei's movements, the air in the area would be sent into disarray, making his robes and hair ripple around him.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

A breath-taking scene took place, as each time a sword beam would collide with the illusory palms, they would suddenly bloom, just like lotuses, greatly increasing in size and diameter. Before long, the entire area around Issei was covered with hundreds of black and green-colored lotuses!

However, this scene didn't last for long. Issei's illusory palms were vicious and seemingly endless, being sent one after another without stopping, causing breaches to be made in the river of lotuses that surrounded him. In a matter of seconds, all of the lotuses were completely destroyed.

Xiao Luocheng revealed a grim smile and raised his hand, preparing to send another attack.

Alas, Issei's countless illusory palms were like hungry beasts that were out for blood, not stopping for anything. Even though they had clearly shattered Xiao Luocheng's attack, they continued forward, completely messing with his rhythm and ending his momentum. Before he could even cast more attacks, the countless illusory palms were already upon him!

"Dammit!"

Xiao Luocheng cursed, but he had no martial skill that could be cast instantaneously. All that he could do was to slash and hack with his words, taking the attack in front of him head-on!

 _Booms!_

The countless illusory palms shattered his defenses, and like a kite without a string, his body was sent flying back, leaving behind a trail of blood in the air. While still airborne, he managed to twist his body around, swiftly landing on the other side of the stage. Upon landing, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Then, after emptying his mouth, he raised his head again. After deeply looking at Issei's calm and stoic expression, he laughed somewhat bitterly, "I concede. Brother Issei could have ended me with that attack, but opted not to. It's his victory."

Xiao Luocheng clearly knew that while he was flying through the air, he was completely defenseless. If Issei felt like it, all that it would have taken was a few more illusory palms to render him unconscious.

"Both of you, you may come down."

Suddenly, the voice of the Elder reached their ears, only that this time, it contained hints of surprise and excitement, while his appearance was completely different from how he looked after the previous fight, no longer stoic and bored. Still, the Elder at his side had yet to open his eyes, as if that battle hadn't been worthy of his attention.

Once Issei and Xiao Luocheng were out of the stage, the Elder looked at the four core disciples deeply before saying, "All four of you have managed to past the first , for the second test, you are to show me your knowledge on inscription symbols!"

 _ **Read & Review~! (This chapter was interesting(hopefully)! Come on, review more!)**_

* * *

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1]** During the first trial of the Phoenix, every time Issei killed a golem, their body would transform into energy, which would then nourish Issei's body. If you want, re-read chapters 44 and 45 of this book.

 **[2]** Illusory Palms is one of the three martial skills that Issei got from the Heavenly Might School in Book 1. The other two were 'Heavenly Double Swords Migh't and 'Four Ways of the Thunder'.


	74. Test Of Knowledge

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: KryoKon**

 ** _Beta-Note: Hi._**

* * *

 **Chapter 74 - Test Of Knowledge**

* * *

"Inscription… symbols?"

Issei's eyes lit up, and although his face was the same as before, his heart was almost bursting apart with excitement. He had known from the very start that there would be a test with inscription symbols as the main point, but to actually hear it being announced filled him with endless joy.

All that hard work… hadn't been for naught!

However, out of the four core disciples, Issei was the only one looking forward to it. The other three, Xiao Luocheng included, had almost no knowledge in inscription symbols since they would spend all their time cultivating.

And, in reality, the three core disciple weren't the only ones dispirited. The two Elders from the Xiao Sect Main Sect didn't have any expectations for the following test. After all, not only was a large amount of time necessary to become an Inscription Master, something that youths like them would want to spend on cultivation, it also wasn't easy to learn inscription techniques.

Inscription techniques weren't something that could be bought in a store, or even acquired through normal means. In most cases, it was passed down from master to disciple, while in rare cases, a clan or sect would have an archive with them. Because of that, it was hard to get your hands on inscription techniques, and the amount of time required to learn them was simply absurd, never mind the resources required to draw them.

In fact, the only reason why they still bothered with having such a test was because it was a tradition of the Xiao Sect Main Sect; if it wasn't for that, they wouldn't even think about spending their time with this.

Little did the two Elders know that they were in for the surprise of their lives.

* * *

"Alright, all of you, take a seat."

The same Elder that had spoken before pointed to an area near them, where a couple of pale-green mats mats were. There were four of them in total, and in front of them were various different kinds of materials, perfectly aligned.

The core disciples, with the exception of Issei, glanced at each other, and after a few moments of hesitation, made their ways to the mats. While sighing in their hearts, they sat down on top of it, hoping to get through this quickly.

Once the core disciples were in their places, the same Elder swept his eyes over them briefly before waving his hands, causing three white-colored streaks of light to fly towards them, stopping directly in front of the mats. Once the light faded, the core disciples discovered that those streaks of light were actually white-colored jade slips.

The Elder then said, "There are two parts in the second test. The first part is a test of your theoretical knowledge on inscription symbols, while the second one is your ability in casting inscription symbols. In front of you are different kinds of materials, along with a jade slip. As for the materials in front of you, they'll be used later."

Suddenly, the Elder paused, glanced at the Elder who had yet to open his eyes, and continued, "Within that jade slip are various questions regarding materials, inscription symbols techniques, and also theories regarding that same subject. All of you know that in order to become an Inscription Master, only knowing of inscriptions symbols isn't enough. One must also know of the materials they are using."

Reaching that point, he took a step back and said, "You may begin. The time-limit is of three hours."

The second the words left the Elder's mouth, the four core disciples hurriedly grabbed the jade slips in front of them. Following that, in the area directly in front of them, an illusory screen suddenly materialized, with a single question on it. Below it were a few dozen options that they could choose from, with only one of them being the correct answer.

"Mn? What's this?" murmured Issei in astonishment, staring at the screen in front of him in surprise. Then, after some thought, he stealthily glanced at the core disciple who sat by his side, Xiao Zhang only to see that the content of his screen were blurry, completely unreadable.

He immediately understood how it worked. A screen would appear in front of each disciple, and they were supposed to write their answer to the question shown on it. In order to avoid cheating, only the disciple who sat in front of the screen would be able to read its content; to the others, it was completely unreadable.

"This must be some kind of formation… probably an advanced array technique," thought Issei, turning his attention back to his own screen. After thinking for a few more seconds, he suddenly shook his head, his eyes becoming concentrated, "It isn't time to worry about such things. I must immediately start answering the questions!"

Following that, Issei quickly read the question. Then, after a few minutes of thought, he raised his hand and used his finger to choose one of the options on the screen. Soon after, a small 'beep' sound rang from the jade slip, and the screen in front of him suddenly changed, a different question appearing on it.

"Ah? Already?"

The fore core disciples, upon hearing that sound, revealed expressions of astonishment, turning their heads to look at Issei and his screen. When they saw his concentrated expressions, they felt a bitter feeling welling up within them. They hadn't even been able to think about the question, but someone had already managed to answer it!

A look of determination flashed in their eyes. In their minds, they though, "If someone can do it, so can I!". With their fighting spirit rekindled, they turned their attention back to the screen, intending to answer the question as quickly as possible. However, before they could even read it again…

"Beep."

Another sound rang from Issei's jade slip, and a different question appeared.

"Again? How can this be-"

"Beep."

Before Xiao Wei could even finish speaking, another 'beep' sound rang. The eyes of the disciples were filled with astonishment, and their gazes were focused on Issei. At the same time, the Elder's eyes flashed with a strange light, his eyes also focusing on Issei. On the other hand, the Elder by his side had yet to open his eyes.

"Dammit! Three questions already… I can't fall behind" Xiao Wei cursed in his heart, and without paying attention to Issei anymore, turned his attention back to his screen. Even though he had no hope of answering many questions, he believed that it wouldn't be impossible to answer some of them. After all, although he had never truly studied inscription techniques before, he had read some information of it before.

Similar thoughts flashed flashed through the mind of the other three core disciples, and just like Xiao Wei, they focused their attention on their screen again.

Soon after, a 'beep' sound rang from Xiao Wei's jade slip. However, before he could celebrate, the same 'beep' sound also rang from Issei's jade slip. In the following thirty seconds, six more 'beeps' rang from it.

Even thought these 'beep' sounds were faint, barely audible, each of them seemed like thunderclaps in their ears, sending tremors down their bodies.

"Ten… he has answered ten questions already! Not even two minutes has passed since the beginning of the test!"

By this point, not only were the other three core disciples flabbergasted, the Patriarch and Elders from the Xiao Sect Branch Sect were also amazed. Farther in the back, the inner disciples revealed expressions of disbelief, beginning to pant.

"Ten questions in a minute… This child isn't simple!" the Elder from the Xiao Sect Main Sect widened his eyes slightly, the way he looked at Issei completely changing. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he glanced at the Elder by his side, but was disappointed, for he had yet to even open his eyes.

A few seconds later, a 'beep' sound rang from Xiao Luocheng's jade slip. He had finally managed to answer the first question. Surprisingly, Xiao Zhang still seemed to be struggling on it, even thought all the others had already answered it.

After that, a few more dozens of seconds passed, but no other 'beep' sound rang again, which caused some surprise to appear in the faces of the three core disciples.

"Hmm… it seems that he's stuck in the tenth question," thought Xiao Wei, glancing at Issei out of the corner of his eyes. A happy feeling rose in his heart, and he turned around to look at his own screen, going back to thinking of an answer for the second question. He deeply hoped that Issei's continuous answers would come to a complete halt.

However, unknown to him, Issei wasn't in the tenth question. In reality, he was already in the thirtieth question!

For some reason, the moment that Issei managed to finish the tenth question, that 'beep' sound stopped ringing. Issei would have probably noticed that, but he was too immersed in the questions to notice it. His eyes were completely focused in the screen in front of him, and only a few seconds after reading the question, he would be able to come up with an answer.

There were a variety of questions. Many were directly related to inscription symbols, their properties and uses, while others would require on to have knowledge on various theories, finding answers to various puzzles that would appear. Not only that, there would even be questions related to materials, in which they would described a material and their properties, and Issei was required to name it. At the same time, the opposite also appeared.

In reality, this test was basically custom-made for Issei. Although he was rather lacking when it came to drawing inscription symbols, if it was related to theory and such, he could easily rely on the memories he had gained from the Magic Cube to answer them! Still, that alone wouldn't be enough to enable him to breeze through the questions effortlessly. There were questions related to materials, after all.

However, it wasn't as if Issei only had the memories from the Magic Cube. It was exactly in questions like that that the memories Issei acquired from Liang Ye, the previous owner of the Sky Poison Pearl, made themselves useful! Years ago, before perishing, Liang Ye had given Issei his medical knowledge, which included information of all kinds of plants, materials and treasures!

It could be said that with the memories he had acquired from the Magic Cube and Liang Ye summed together, this test was simply child's play to Issei!

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take Issei long to reach the fiftieth question. The moment this happened, Issei immediately noticed a change in the way the question was displayed.

In all of the previous times, when the question was displayed, there would be a few dozen options below it to chose from. If one answered wrongly, the question would change, but no 'beep' sound would be emitted. If it was answered correctly, a 'beep' sound would rang, and a new question would appear.

But, upon reaching the fiftieth question, Issei was shocked to see that below the question, instead of the few dozen options that he could choose from, there was only a blank space! Puzzled, Issei raised his hand, and lightly tapped on that area with his finger, causing what seemed to be a dot to appear on it.

"Oh? This is… I'm supposed to write the answer?"

Issei's eyes suddenly narrowed, realizing that from that moment onward, the difficulty of the test was kicked up a notch. At the same time, he couldn't help but to frown.

The expert he had acquired the memories from belonged to the Higher Realm, and he was only able to answer the previous questions by choosing the answer that seemed the most similar to the one he had in his mind. However, the moment that he was supposed to actually write down the question, he was faced with a difficult problem.

After all, the fiftieth question required him to find a solution to the problem shown on it. His solution would obviously include methods used in the Higher Realm. Since he was Middle Realm, and this jade slip was made by people of the Middle Realm, how could it possibly understand Issei's methods?

Not only that, it isn't possible to explain an answer to a jade slip. If it hadn't been a person, Issei believed that with some effort, he would be able to explain how he would solve it. But, if the question was analyzed by the jade slip, then he would have no way of doing so. Obviously, the jade slip would only accept the traditional, most common way of answering that question, which meant that Issei's answers wouldn't be accepted!

"Oh? It seems that someone has actually managed to go so far…."

Suddenly, the very Elder that had kept his eyes closed the entire time opened his eyes, revealing two purple-colored irises. They contained an aura of power, and boundless wisdom shone within them. The Elder who stood by his side revealed an astonished expression upon seeing him open his eyes.

"Exalted Senior, what has happened? Has a disciple caught his senior's attention?"

Even though they were both Elders from the Xiao Sect, the difference in status between them was akin to the difference between clouds and a pile of mud. The Elder who had done all the speaking, Xiao Wang, was one of the weakest out of all the Elders of the Xiao Sect Main Sect. As for the other Elder, he was an existence considered to be at the very peak of all the Elders! His status was something completely unique in the entire sect, and he could speak on equal-terms with the Great Elders of the Xiao Sect. According to rumors, he was friends with the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect!

When Xiao Wang first heard that these other Elder would be accompanying him in his trip to the Branch Sects to administer the tests, he had almost fainted from a heart-attack. Even to this point, he didn't know why this special Elder had decided to accompany him.

The Elder didn't bother answering Xiao Wang. Instead, he simply walked over to where Issei stood, thereupon sitting down across of him.

The core disciples, noticing that, widened their eyes in surprise.

"That other mysterious Elder, who hadn't opened his eyes ever since he arrived, finally moved! But why… why is he sitting across Junior Brother Issei?" thought Xiao Wei in surprise, taking his attention away from the illusory screen in front of him. Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind, "Could it be that because Junior Brother Issei has been struggling on the tenth question for so long, he has taken pity on him and decided to help him…?"

The other core disciples also arrived at the same conclusion as Xiao Wei. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on Xiao Zhang's and Xiao Wei's faces. Seeing someone that had left them in the dust in the beginning having so much trouble that even an Elder had taken pity on him… simply felt wonderful!

Even though they were usually friendly with Issei, this was a test, and everyone could be considered their enemies. Although not many people knew this, the Xiao Sect Main Sect would only be accepting two disciples at most from this Branch Sect this year. Not even Issei and Xiao Luocheng knew of this, since this was classified information that their masters had only been able to obtain through some hard-effort and many connections.

So, in a situation such as this, they could only immerse themselves in the blissful feeling of schadenfreude.

Xiao Luocheng, on the other hand, had a grim expression, his brows knitted in a frown as he thought, "Dammit Issei, weren't you supposed to be a genius of inscription symbols? What's happening right now!?"

 ** _Read & Review~! (Review tons!)_**


	75. Proposal

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 75 - Proposal**

* * *

Issei's eyes suddenly narrowed, noticing that the mysterious Elder had sat in front of him. This Elder, who hadn't done anything worthy of note ever since the beginning of the test had suddenly sat in front of him without a single word. At the very least, that was rather strange.

"Elder… is there something wrong?" asked Issei with his eyes slightly narrowed, albeit his expression was still a respectful one.

The Elder, instead of answering his question, looked back at him with his deep-purple eyes and said without emotion, "Answer the question in front of you. I'll personally correct it."

"He wants me to answer the question?" thought Issei, his brows knitting together. He then glanced back at the question, and after some thought, raised his finger and wrote his solution on the illusory screen. The moment he finished, the Elder who sat in front of him waved his hands, and the same screen appeared in front of him. In it was Issei's answer.

After sweeping his eyes over Issei's answer, the Elder seemed to be deep in thought, his expression complex. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, "Explain to me why you'd use this method."

Issei, seeing his opportunity, didn't hesitate to explain his answer, trying to make the Elder comprehend his line of thought by using elements from the Middle Realm. Once Issei finished to explain the answer, the Elder nodded approvingly.

"Your methods are strange and unorthodox, but they work nonetheless. It seems that I made the right choice by personally administering this question…. From now on, you are to explain all of your answers to me."

As he said so, he snapped his fingers, and the illusory screen in front of Issei changed, a new question appearing on it. Upon reading it, Issei discovered that it was similar to the last one; it was a question that contained a puzzle, and he had to find some way to solve it.

Immediately after reading it, Issei began to think.

"According to the question, an Inscription Master has to draw thirty inscription symbols within a month, but all of them require Creeping Weed, which he doesn't have… on the other hand, he has a few stalks of Devil's Hemp and Glowing Wheat…. Alright, it also mentions a furnace… Then, if he heats the Devil's Hemp for a few minutes, and mix it with Glowing Wheat, it can result in something similar to Creeping Weed, but it would have a much higher temperature, which would mean that instead of being processed last, it would have to be first, otherwise it would revert back to Devil's Hemp and Glowing Weed. But, because of that, it would also need to change the temperature and amount of the Ash Clover, otherwise it would lower the quality..."

After deeply thinking about the information provided, and making use of his own knowledge regarding inscription symbols, Issei was able to arrive at a solution. However, there were a few problems. The main problem was that Issei had previously discovered that heating an ingredient was something only used in the Higher Realm, and had never been tried before in the Middle Realm, which meant that he would either have to find some alternative to that or to explain how it worked. In the end, Issei went with the latter.

"Elder, it's like this…." Issei slowly explained his theory, making sure to mention the aspects of heating a material, along with the way they should be properly cut in order for his method to work. By the end of his explanation, the Elder in front of him was wide-eyed.

"Heating a material? The way they should be cut and processed?" murmured the Elder, his gaze unfocused as he thought about Issei's words, simulating his method in his mind. A few moments later, the normally cold Elder suddenly laughed, "So it was actually like that! Who would have thought that it was possible to use ingredients like that?!"

The Elder then paused briefly, and after some more thought, asked Issei with an earnest expression, "Tell me, what's the name of your master? He should be some kind of unrivaled Inscription Master to be able to come up with such methods, correct?"

However, much to his surprise, Issei shook his head to the sides. Then he said with an awkward smile, "Actually, Elder, I have don't have a master. All of these were things that I personally came up with… I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"What? No master?" the eyes of the Elder widened in shock, while his expression was one of disbelief, with his sword-like brows forming arcs above his eyes. Then he thought some more and said, "I sense no deceit in your words… For now, answer the remaining questions."

After that, the Elder waved his hand, and the question displayed in Issei's screen changed once more, becoming a completely different one. Upon reading it, Issei quickly realized that it was of an ever higher grade when compared to the previous questions. Much, much more complex and difficuly.

"This Elder… could it be that he's challenging me?" thought Issei, his eyes narrowing. He then glanced at the Elder's expression, and seeing the strange light in his eyes, he was able to confirm his doubts, "That's definitely it. Given the way the questions were increasing in difficulty, it should have taken a dozen or so questions for one of this level to appear.

"There's no doubt about it… he wants to see my limit!"

A mysterious smile appeared on Issei's face.

"You want to see how far I can go? I'll f**king show you what I can do!"

* * *

"The answer is… because..."

"Oh, this is simple. All you have to do is to… And then… yes…."

"...child's play. He simply needs to change his… for…. And..."

Issei answered question after question, not taking a single break. He would only have to glance at the screen for a brief moment, and he would provide the Elder with an answer soon after. In the beginning, he would need to think for a few moments, but after dozens of questions, he seemed to have developed a rhythm. The answers came as soon as he read the question.

One answer, ten answers, thirty answers… before long, over two hours had gone by, and Issei had already provided the Elder with more than two hundred answers!

If the Elder had been interested in Issei in the beginning, he was absolutely shocked by the end. He had initially thought that Issei had a rather solid knowledge on inscriptions, but he was soon proven wrong. Deadly wrong.

'Rather solid'? How could this kid possibly have a 'rather solid knowledge'?! If that was 'rather solid', then someone of the Sovereign Profound Realm would have a 'rather solid' cultivation base, dammit!

A monster.

He was simply a terrible, evil monster.

This was the only way that the Elder could possibly describe Issei.

"Just where the hell did this freak come from?!" thought the Elder as he listened to yet another unorthodox, yet possible answer to an extremely difficult question, filling him with disbelief and shock. "Even if he had begun learning Inscription Master techniques in his mother's womb, he still wouldn't have nearly as much knowledge, dammit!"

Issei's answers were all said without hesitation, and it was clear that he was completely certain that they were correct. Not only that, although they seemed wrong at first sight because of their complex and unorthodox methods, upon closer inspection, everything explained was always plausible and possible! Up to this point, Issei had yet to give a normal answer, but they would always be correct!

From what he had seen so far, Issei's knowledge was simply unprecedented, never mind rivaling his own knowledge! It was so deep to the point of being ridiculously terrifying!

The more the Elder listened, the more shocked he became!

"...And this is how one should avoid a combustion under this circumstances," concluded Issei, effortlessly answering yet another complex question with a calm expression. He felt extremely pleased deep inside. This test, not only would it allow him to show his mastery over inscription symbols, it could further consolidate his own knowledge!

The memories he had gained from Liang Ye and the Magic Cube weren't his own, and couldn't be as easily used as his own memories. However, with this kind of test, these memories were stimulated, further integrating with his own mind, slowly becoming his own, personal memories.

As such, how could Issei possibly not be pleased with his current situation?! This was simply a heaven-sent opportunity for him!

In reality, Issei wasn't the only one excited. The Elder in front of him, who had been shocked throughout the entire time, suddenly revealed a flash of anticipation on his eyes, as he seemed to have just thought of something that brought him great happiness.

"Kid… no, Junior, I have no more questions for you," said the Elder after some thought, much to Issei's surprise. Then he revealed an ingratiating smile and said, "You told me that you have no Master… as such, I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal…?" Issei's heart started to pound.

The moment had finally come!

Everyone else also had their attention focused on Issei and the mysterious Elder. In fact, ever since Issei began answering the Elder's question, all of the core disciples completely forgot about their test, their eyes completely locked onto Issei and the mysterious Elder.

"Would you like to… marry my daughter?"

Silence.

Complete and utter silence filled the entire Grand Hall as everyone looked at the mysterious Elder with expressions full of shock and disbelief.

First he mentions Issei not having a master, then he offers him his daughter's hand in marriage?!

Everyone was unsure of whether they should laugh or cry. Shameless… this Elder was completely shameless!

In the crowd of Inner Disciples, Xia Mei eyes widened, while a bad feeling overwhelmed her heart. It would be a lie if she said that she wasn't afraid of Issei's answer. This question may be sudden, and completely random, but she was still afraid of the possibility accepting it.

After all, she knew clearly how Issei was someone who was in a constant pursuit of power. This Elder seemed to have an incredibly high status. If he were to marry his daughter, then his status in the Xiao Sect Main Sect would also sky-rocket!

But, the moment she saw Issei's expression, she realized that her worries had been for naught.

Surprisingly, not only was Issei exceedingly calm, he was even smiling at the Elder with a slightly embarrassed expression, "Elder, I'm sorry, but I already have someone in mind. I'll have to decline your proposal."

In his heart, however, Issei was cursing, "Marry your daughter?! I don't even know your daughter, old man! How do you possibly expect me to give you an answer?! Also, if I were to marry a new girl, I wouldn't be able to keep my little life! The moment Eggy wakes up, she would most likely instantly kill me! And then there's also Qingyue! I have got more than enough women, thank you!"

The Elder revealed a down-cast expression upon hearing Issei's answer, and after murmuring, "Well, I tried..." to himself, his expression became ingratiating once more as he said, "That's a pity, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Then, I have yet another proposal for you."

The Elder paused dramatically before continuing.

"As long as you can draw an inscription symbol, I'll accept you as my apprentice. How does that sound to you, Junior?"

Instantly upon hearing it, Issei felt boundless joy in his heart. This was the 'proposal' that he wanted to hear all along!

Issei suddenly rose up from the ground and clasped his hands towards the Elder, "Junior thanks the exalted Elder. Junior promises to not disappoint!"

"Good!" the Elder nodded, also getting up from the ground. Then, with a wave of his hands, all of the other core disciples, including Xiao Luocheng, were swept by a gust of wind, gently moving them away from the center, leaving behind only him and Issei.

Then, with another wave of his hands, a bigger mat appeared in the center of the area. After this was done, the Elder looked at Issei and said, "What materials do you require? I can provide them right now."

After some thought, Issei answered, quickly listing all of the materials he needed. The Elder nodded, and with a wave of his hands, all of these materials, along with a dagger, appeared in front of the large-sized mat.

"You may begin. Good luck," said the Elder as he took a step back, his purple-colored eyes never leaving Issei.

"Thank you," Issei clasped his hands and bowed to the Elder once more before walking over to the mat, thereupon seating on it. Getting into a cross-legged position, he took in a few deep-breaths to calm his mind and heart. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them.

Issei's fingers began to move in the air, causing the materials in front of him to rise up into the air. A blue-colored light suddenly appeared on his hands, and the materials hovering in front of him began to change their shapes, bending according to Issei's will.

Each of Issei's fingers were like belly-dancers, swinging in the air and making countless symbols and patterns with utmost grace and beauty. Lights of all tones of blue shone from them, and the materials in front of him were quickly changing their shape and form.

This scene was extremely mesmerizing, and many of the female disciples of the Xiao Sect were looking at Issei with intoxicated expressions, unable to take their eyes off the beautiful show in front of them. Xia Mei was no exception.

The mysterious Elder, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly shocked. In the beginning, he had thought that Issei had spent all of his time studying the theoretical knowledge of inscription symbols, and couldn't have possibly have the time to truly start drawing them.

However, upon looking at Issei's masterful movements, which were clearly practiced and filled with grace, he realized that he had deeply underestimated Issei once more! Although his movements were still amateurish, they had possessed inherent beauty and grace, which obviously meant that Issei's technique was far from ordinary. It was in moments like this that the Elder understood the saying 'There's a mountain beyond a mountain, and a sky beyond a sky'.

He had simply been too ignorant!

 _ **Read & Review~! (I want more than thirty reviews for this one~!)**_

 _ **Also, if there are any mistakes, please point them out so I can correct them.**_


	76. Xiao Sect Main Sect

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 76 - Xiao Sect Main Sect**

* * *

Issei's hands moved at breakneck speed, leaving behind countless after-images as they danced in the air, drawing symbol after after symbol. Before long, countless differently-sized symbols hovered before him, shining brightly.

Suddenly, Issei's hands formed an incantation gesture, and the symbols began to tremble, and just like magnets, they rushed at each other, merging into a single, majestic symbol. The eyes of the mysterious Elder flashed with astonishment, and before he could say anything, Issei moved his hands down, sending the inscription symbol into the dagger in front of him.

"It worked!" though Issei cheerfully, relinquishing in the feeling of success. There was always the chance that he could somehow fail in forming the symbol, so seeing that it was successful in the end, he was incomparably joyful.

Then he turned his head around to look at the mysterious Elder, only to see him looking back at him in shock, with his purple-colored eyes widened, and his mouth agape, as if he had seen a ghost. Looking at that expression, Issei asked tentatively, "Elder? Is there something wrong?"

The Elder's head slowly moved from the dagger in front of Issei in order to face the young genius himself. He stared blankly at him for a long time before saying, "Junior… do you truly have no master?"

"That's right-"

"You idiot! Who are you trying to fool here?!" Jasmine's voice suddenly rang in Issei's head, interrupting his answer-mid way. It was then followed by an advice, "Don't say that you don't have a master; there's no way that Elder will possibly believe you. Instead, he will start doubting you, and reach the conclusion that you hold some deep secret. Instead, just tell him that long ago, a mysterious expert appeared before you, and decided to teach you all he knew by some secret methods….

"Otherwise… humph! That Elder will probably try to skin you alive for your secrets!"

After hearing Jasmine's words, Issei immediately changed his answer, "T-That's right, I don't have a master right now. However, long ago, a peerless experts, for reasons not even I can't fathom, personally taught me his inscription master techniques."

"Oh?" The mysterious Elder's eyes lit-up upon hearing Issei's answer. "And, pray tell, what is the name of that master?"

"About this…," Issei revealed an awkward smile, "Not even I know. He only taught me his abilities and left. His stay was ephemeral, just like the spring. In the end, he didn't tell me anything about himself."

"So it was like that," the mysterious Elder nodded his head, an understanding expression on his face. He then asked after some thought, "Since your master has indeed passed away, and you have more than met my requirements… I ask you, what do you think about becoming my personal disciple?"

Issei didn't even need to think; he immediately knelt on the ground, surprising the mysterious Elder, and said, "Disciple greets Master!"

"Good, good, good," the Elder revealed a pleased expression, nodding thrice. Then he glanced at Xiao Luocheng and the other core disciples and said, "Although none of you meet the requirements for joining the Main Sect…," he then pointed at Xiao Luocheng, "You are slightly above the other, and seems to be friends with my disciple. In order to give him face, you are hereby accepted as an inner disciple of the Xiao Sect Main Sect."

"Elder is too kind!" Xiao Luocheng immediately knelt on the ground, constantly saying fawning words to the mysterious Elder. At the same time, he felt extremely grateful to Issei in his heart; he knew that if it wasn't for his friend, he wouldn't have been able to make into the Main Sect.

"Alright, that should be all," the Mysterious Elder glanced at the other Elder, and after nodding, he turned around and began to walk away. As he did so, he said, "My disciple, follow me. Child of the Xiao Sect, follow Elder Wang."

"Yes!" exclaimed Xiao Luocheng, hurrying after the other Elder, Xiao Wang. However, as he did so, he noticed that Issei had yet to move. And, just then, Issei suddenly stood up.

"Master, I'm sorry, but I have a request to make…."

"Mn?" The Elder that was walking away suddenly stopped, turning around to face his new personal disciple. Then he smiled and asked, "What is it, my disciple?"

"Master, there's someone here that I wish to bring with me."

"Someone?" The mysterious Elder swept his gaze on the crowd of many inner disciples, and after a few seconds, asked, "Who is it?"

"Xia Mei, the girl in the middle," Issei raised his finger and pointed at the crowd as he said, "This may sound rude, but she's a close friend of mine. I ask Master to please bring her along…."

"Oh? A girl?" the mysterious Elder's eyes widened slightly, and after glancing at Issei, he murmured, "No wonder he didn't take my daughter's hand in marriage… it appears that he already had someone in mind…." Then he thought for a bit before saying, "You may bring her along. Her cultivation base is too low, and she can't even be an outer disciple, but I can arrange for her to be your maid."

Issei didn't dare to ask for more, already satisfied. In order to show his gratefulness, he bowed as he said, "Many thanks, Master."

The mysterious Elder simply nodded and after glancing at Xia Mei one last time, he smiled slyly at Issei before walking away, "Disciple, meet me at the entrance of the Xiao Sect in the time it takes for ten incense sticks to burn. After that, we shall depart to the Main Sect."

"Yes, Master!"

Issei quickly nodded, and after a few seconds of hesitation, made his way to the crowd of inner disciples, walking directly towards Xia Mei. Upon coming closer to her, he could see that the corner of her eyes were wet with tears, while her eyes were red.

"Oh? What's wrong?" Issei took a step forward, and using his forefinger to wipe a teardrop away from her face. Then he smiled calmly and asked, "What? Did you think I would leave you behind, Mei?"

"Wuu~! Issei!" Xia Mei rushed forward, throwing herself in Issei's embrace. Previously, when the Elder had begun to walk away, her heart had broken, thinking that Issei would leave her behind, making her wept. But now, her tears were of nothing but joy.

"There, there," Issei wrapped his arms around the crying girl, using his hand to make circles on her back while murmuring soothing words, "I would never leave you behind, alright?"

"Mn!" Xia Mei nudged closer into Issei's warm chest, completely ignoring the looks she was receiving from the other disciples. She just wanted to enjoy this moment.

* * *

Three hours later.

"Good, you have arrived," said the mysterious Elder, seeing Issei and Xia Mei approaching him from the distance. He was currently in the entrance of the Xiao Sect, with the other Elder waiting by his side along with Xiao Luocheng.

"Sorry for our tardiness," Issei approached the two Elders and bowed slightly. Then he explained with a somewhat embarrassed smiled, "I somehow got lost in my way here."

The Xiao Sect Branch was nothing short of extraordinary in size; if it wasn't for the fact that Issei had his 'Burning Heaven World Spiritist Compass', he most likely would have had to ask for help to arrive at the entrance.

The Elder merely nodded, smiling at his new disciple, "Don't worry about it, we have also only just arrived." Then he turned around and snapped his fingers, causing a streak of light to shoot out from the back of his hand, quickly expanding in the air. Before long, that streak of light took the shape of a huge, white-feathered bird.

Xiao Luocheng gasped, "Isn't that a Heavenly Eagle, an extremely high-leveled Profound Beast…?"

However, the mysterious Elder had not intention of answering Xiao Luocheng, only merely glancing at him before waving his hands two more times, causing two more streaks of light to shoot out from it. Just like before, they also transformed into Heavenly Eagles.

While ignoring Xiao Luocheng's flabbergasted expression, the mysterious Elder turned around to face Issei and Xia Mei, "Choose one of the Heavenly Eagles for you two to ride. I'll ride one of them, while Elder Wang will ride the remaining one with Junior Xiao."

"Thanks," Issei nodded, and after some thought, choose the Heavenly Eagle in the middle. The mysterious Elder chose the third one, while Xiao Luocheng and Elder Wang were left with the second one to be taken out."

Before long, they were soaring through the air, each of them in a Heavenly Eagle. It had to be said that its speed was extremely fast, covering hundreds of meters in seconds. Because of that, in order to not fall-off, Xia Mei was forced to wrap her slender arms around Issei, and at the same time causing her two mountain-like breasts to tightly press against his back.

If it wasn't for the fact that Issei had an astonishing power of will, he believed that he wouldn't have been able to hold himself back in this situation. Xia Mei may not notice it, but her body was simply outrageous in some ways.

"Tch," Xiao Luocheng rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, his face filled with envy and dissatisfaction,"that son of a dog..."

Issei obviously heard the comment, but chose not to think too much of it. He was already used to his friend's behavior. There was simply no helping it. At the very least, he hoped that Xiao Luocheng would find a beloved soon. The constant glares of envy and jealousy that he received everyday from Xiao Luocheng were really starting to bother him.

"Disciple, we're about to arrive. Pay attention."

Suddenly, the mysterious Elder's voice rang by his hear. He immediately turned around to look at him, and after seeing him pointing downwards, Issei looked past the Heavenly Eagle, peering into the landscape below him.

At first he couldn't seen anything worthy of note, but not even a few breaths of time later, he saw a colossal gate in the distance. It was hundreds of meters tall, and was connected to walls on both sides. Even from the distance Issei was from the ground, he could still see it clearly.

Surprisingly, the walls extended far into the distance, encircling what seemed to be a colossal mountain range. Each of those mountains were ridiculously tall, with countless different types of buildings on top of each of them. There were temples, pavilions, halls and whatnot.

There was also a valley, on which was a gigantic arena. Not too far away from this valley was the tallest mountain of all, its tip piercing the skies. On it was a grandiose temple, which emanated an over-bearing aura.

Most surprising of all were four large pillars, which extended into the air in the north, south, west and east directions, forming what seemed to be a colossal formation around the entire area! Each of those pillars were countless meters thick, and were even higher than the mountains, completely piercing the clouds above.

Not only that, there were various mysterious and strange areas, such as a mountain with colossal lightning clouds above it, constantly sending down lightning bolts. There was also a valley in the distance, in which was a huge waterfall. However, the color of the water was actually… red, like blood! Finally, there was also another area that seemed the strangest of all. It was a large cube, spanning hundreds of meters in length. It simply stood there in the ground, and if one approached it, they would feel an incomparably sharp sword-intent. It constantly trembled, and cries of pain could be heard from within it.

"Is that… the Xiao Sect?" murmured Issei, staring at the humongous sect in front of him with widened eyes. He had seen many astonishing sights before, such as Phoenix City, Vermillion Bird City and Golden Crow City, but…. The Xiao Sect was simply on a completely different level.

The mysterious Elder smiled upon hearing Issei's words, "Indeed… what is before you is the almighty Xiao Sect, the home of Blue Wind's best Inscription and Array Masters!"

 ** _Read & Review~! (REVIEW~!)_**

 ** _This chapter wasn't beta-read, so there are bound to be mistakes. As such, no matter how small the mistake is, please point it out, either in a PM or a review. I'll be counting on you guys for helping me improve this story! Remember, any kind of mistake: Missing words, wrong words, capital letter where it shouldn't be or stuff like that... well, any kind of mistake._**


	77. Elder Yang

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 77 - Elder Yang**

* * *

After flying for a few more meters, Issei and company finally reached the Xiao Sect. With a wave of the mysterious Elder's hand, the Heavenly Eagles began their descent, and before long, they were directly in front of the Xiao Sect's gates.

In front of the gates were a few dozen Xiao Sect outer disciples, along with a handful of inner disciples and a single core disciple. They were responsible for guarding the gate and welcoming back the Xiao Sect's members that were out on quests and missions.

When the disciples guarding the gate took sight of the Heavenly Eagle, they immediately adopted expressions of respect. But the moment they took sight of the mysterious Elder, although the outer and inner disciples revealed expressions of confusion, the core disciple immediately knelt on the ground.

"Elder Yang!"

The moment those words were spoken, the outer and inner disciple widened their eyes in realization, and also knelt on the ground without hesitation, their entire bodies trembling uncontrollably, while deep and boundless respect shone in their eyes.

"Rise," said the mysterious Elder plainly, only briefly glancing at the group of Xiao Sect disciples in front of him. Then he turned his head around to look at Issei, "Disciple, follow me to my residence. We'll settle your apprenticeship there. You may also bring along your little beloved… or whatever she is."

After saying that, he turned around to face Elder Wang and Xiao Luocheng, "Elder Wang, take Junior Xiao to the Registration Pavilion so he can undergo the process of formally becoming an inner disciple."

"I'll do so immediately, Elder Yang," Elder Wang quickly nodded and rushed to the entrance of the sect with Xiao Luocheng behind him. Along the way, all of the disciples they met made way for them, moving to the sides without hesitation.

"Follow me." Seeing Elder Wang walking away, the mysterious Elder flourished his sleeves, walking into the sect. Issei and Xia Mei glanced at each other, and after a few moments, unhesitatingly followed the mysterious Elder into the sect.

Deep inside they wondered just what his status truly was. Given the reaction from the disciples, along with how Elder Wang treated him… this Elder Yang person seemed to truly not be simple.

As they followed the mysterious Elder through the Xiao Sect, they came across many disciples, passing through many places. The Xiao Sect was already incomparably vast, and the mysterious Elder's residence just happened to be rather far away from the entrance.

In reality, if he wanted to, Elder Yang could just use his Heavenly Eagles to bring Issei and Xia Mei to his residence, but for the sake of showing Issei around the sect, as well as introducing him to some disciples, he chose to go the long way.

"This is the Weapon Pavilion," said Elder Yang, pointing at at a large building not too far away from them. It was tall, and although it seemed to be made of wood, it had a shine unique to jade. With a disdainful look in his eyes, he continued, "However, you shouldn't even bother going there. That's only for the outer sect disciples… everything within is completely rubbish."

"And that is the arena. Again, it's only for outer disciples, so don't bother yourself with that," Elder Yang glanced into a large building far off in the distance as he explained. "Later on you'll see the arena for the inner disciples… you also shouldn't bother with that. All that interests you is the buildings for the core disciples."

"Core disciples?" Issei's eyes widened slightly, and after some thought, he tentatively asked, "Master, could it be that now that I'm your disciple, my status is equal to that of a core disciple?"

"Quite so," responded Elder Yang, not stopping his stroll. "The moment you became my personal disciple, although your standing in the sect isn't quite the same as a core disciple, you enjoy the same benefits they have… in fact, you're above the average core disciples. But… this is only for the time being. I believe that soon enough, your status will be even higher than that of a core disciple."

"And why is that?"

Elder Yang smiled, "Currently, only I'm aware of your prowess in Inscription Symbols. But, the moment you start training under me and start making a name for yourself in the Main Sect… Heh, I believe that only two other disciples would be able to equal you."

Then, upon thinking some more, Elder Yang continued, "This is not known to many, but… in the Xiao Sect, there is a position above core disciples. That position is referred to as inheritor disciple, also called as Heir. In each generation, there can only be three Heirs. They are the Formations Heir, the Martial Heir and the World Spiritist Heir.

"As the name implies, the Heirs are the disciple who are the very best in their own area. The Formations Heir is the disciple with the biggest talent for arrays and inscription symbols. The Martial Heir is the disciple with the greatest talent for cultivation, along with the most powerful battle-prowess. Finally, the World Spiritist Heir is the disciple with the highest talent for World Spiritist techniques.

"And… I believe that you have what it takes to become the Formations Heir. Your knowledge in formations is probably more than enough to rival my own, and with some practice, I'm sure that I can make your ability to draw inscriptions symbols become unrivaled in the junior generation. However, it's a pity that your cultivation base isn't too high, otherwise you'd also be able to try to compete for the position of Martial Heir."

"What about World Spiritist Heir?" Issei suddenly asked.

"Mn?" Elder Yang's eyes narrowed, "Don't tell me… you have Spirit Power?"

Instead of answering, Issei nonchalantly raised his left arm up, and a white-colored World Spiritist Formation appeared above his palm. It spun around for a few seconds before disappearing. After that, Issei smiled, "As a matter of fact, I do."

"Good!"

Surprisingly, Elder Yang didn't look especially surprised, and instead, nodded his head approvingly. After casting Issei an accessing glance, he asked, "Disciple… you seem to hold far too many secrets. Is there anything else that I should know?"

"Secrets?" Issei revealed a thoughtful expression. Some moments later, he said, "Well… I also have a relatively high-grade fire fusion compatibility."

"How high?"

"I must apologize, for I don't know," Issei shook his head. Then, after some thought, he continued with a thoughtful expression, "However, it should be above superior fifth-grade."

"Superior fifth-grade…," Elder Yang initially revealed an expression of surprise, but it was quickly overwritten by one of concealed joy. "It seems that I have got my hands on a quite interesting disciple…. Later on, we'll check your fire origin energy fusion compatibility… As a matter of fact, I'll check it for all the elements. Maybe you have some hidden talent that even you are unaware of."

Elder Yang could be considered to be someone easily adapted; he was extremely surprised by Issei's ability in inscription symbols, but as Issei started revealing more and more of his astonishing abilities, Elder Yang's reactions kept getting less and less accentuated, now reaching that point in which he could still think clearly and calmly.

This only served to further consolidate Issei's judgment that Elder Yang wasn't a simple character.

"I knew that Issei was amazing, but… this is simply too much," thought Xia Mei, shaking her head to the sides with a bittersweet expression. Even though she was jubilant to see that Issei was actually more powerful and talented than she had ever imagine, she was also feeling quite sour inside. After all, with each of his secrets that he revealed, Xia Mei felt the gulf between them growing increasingly wider and deeper.

In fact, Xia Mei believed that in a few years' time, Issei would simply become an unreachable existence, something that someone with a poor-talent like hers would never be able to hold onto.

Xia Mei may appear as an easy-going girl, but she couldn't be considered foolish or dumb at all. She clearly knew the reason why Issei didn't take the next step with her. In the end, it was all because of her poor talent.

Unknown to her, as she thought of that, mysterious and profound changes were taking place within her profound veins.

* * *

"This is my residence."

After walking for what seemed to be countless hours, and being introduced to various different places, Elder Yang, Issei and Xia Mei finally arrived at what seemed to be a rather secluded area of the Xiao Sect.

Not too far away was what surprisingly seemed to be a rather plain residence. It was slightly bigger than a normal civilian's house, most likely the size of an average mansion, and was absolutely plain. There were not expensive or grandiose decorations, colossal buildings, nor anything like that… only a simple, slightly-large mansion.

When Issei saw that, he immediately assumed that there was something wrong with his eyes.

He just couldn't believe that an Elder of status so high like Elder Yang's could actually have such a simple, plain residence. That was simply unlike everything else he had seen so far!

"Surprised?" Suddenly, Elder Yang turned around to look at Issei and asked with a knowing smile. Then he sighed and said, "In the Xiao Sect, my status is quite special… I can be said to be one of the best Inscription and Array Masters in Blue Wind Nation… In fact, long ago, I was the Formations Heir. But that's another story..."

Elder Yang turned his gaze to his house and smiled, "I believe that the pursuit of formations has nothing to do with wealth and riches… In fact, those kind of things will only distract me from my ultimate objective. As such, I would rather live rather frugally then to suffer setbacks in my path of studying formations."

"Well, enough about that. Let me take you to the place where you'll be staying," Elder Yang suddenly turned around, walking towards an area not too far away from his own living quarters. Issei and Xia Mei obviously followed after him.

It didn't take them long to reach it, since it was only a few dozen meters away from Elder Yang's own residence. Like Elder Yang's mansion, it was rather simple, and even smaller in size. There was a small garden with growing weeds, while the entire building seemed to be rather worn-down and old, as if no one had lived in it for a very long time.

"This is the place where I used to live when I was only a disciple," Elder Yang explained, his expression one of reminiscence and nostalgia. "My master, who used to be a Formations Heir, lived in the house I live in right now. Ever since my master passed away, and I took his place in the sect, there hasn't been a Formations Heir disciple, so this residence hasn't been used in a very long time."

He then flourished his sleeves, and a small green-colored jade flew out of his hands and landed on Issei's.

"This is the key to the house… and I'll tell you right now, you shouldn't underestimate your residence. It may look simple on the surface, but as the house of the previous Formations Heir…. Heh, you'll know what I mean soon enough."

With a mysterious smile, Elder Yang began to walk away. After taking a few more steps, he suddenly stopped and said without looking back, "Get used to your new residence; try to find some of its secrets while you're at it if you want to. In a few incense sticks worth of time, I'll be sending my daughter to fetch you two up. There will be a dinner in my house later on in order to welcome you.

"Also, remember to dress well. Some high-ranking Elders may come pay us a visit. After all, I have never gotten a disciple ever since I relinquished my position as the Formations Heir, becoming an Elder. I'm sure that those old bags of bone will take an interest on you."

After saying so, he didn't stay around any more, strolling back to his own residence. Before Elder Yang could walk too far away, Issei bowed and seriously said, "Thank you, Master. I'll remember this favor."

"Heh," Elder Yang lightly laughed, walking farther into the distance.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	78. Shocking Residence

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by KryoKon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 78 - Shocking Residence**

* * *

The first thing that Issei discovered up coming close to his residence was that Elder Yang's words couldn't be more correct.

He didn't even need to take three steps, and an array formation flashed below him, sending some strange energy into his body. It was only after it detected the jade-slip that Elder Yang had given him that it dispersed.

Although he couldn't say it for certain, Issei had a feeling that were it not for that jade-slip, he could have met his end there and then.

"Mei, stay there," Issei immediately turned around and unhesitatingly said, "There's a defense system around this house. Only someone with the jade-slip can enter… Stay there for now. Once I enter, I'll try to deactivate it."

Xia Mei, who had been about to step forward, jumped back like a scared cat, her eyes locked onto the ground below her in a mix of awe and fear. Then she nodded, "Alright. I'll wait for you."

After making sure that Xia Mei was safe, Issei turned around and continued walking towards his new residence. Throughout his walk, five more array formations flashed below him, all of them searching for some sort of identification.

Interestingly, Issei discovered that each of those formations were actually different. To be more exact, they seemed to have been made by different people. The first formation he encountered was somewhat more aggressive, whereas the other ones were sometimes stealthy, soft, or even light. Not only that, Issei was able to judge that the first formation was significantly older than the others ones. The closer he got to the house, the more recent the formations became.

"If my guess is accurate, all of the previous Formations Heir who lived in this house left behind their own protective formation at the entrance. This should be a ritual of sorts," thought Issei as he slowly and warily approached the house, making sure to tread carefully. Each step he took carried with them utmost precision and planning.

In Issei's mind, the relatively short path to his new residence was akin to walking through an ancient tomb with hidden traps at every turn. If he wasn't careful, he would easily lose his life.

Thankfully, it seemed that as long as he had that jade-slip that Elder Yang gave him, all of the various formations wouldn't do any harm to him. In fact, Issei believed that the purpose of most of them were simply to show-off. After all, if one was capable of passing through the first formation, then they would also be able to handle the other ones.

This only served to further consolidate Issei's thought that these formations were laid out as some sort of tradition.

"It seems that this is the last one," said Issei as he touched the door to the residence, where a formation flashed. After waiting for it to disperse, he opened the door and stepped inside carefully. Upon entering, he immediately noticed that the inside was actually well-lit, with glowing formations on the ceiling. By making use of this bright light, he started to observe his surroundings.

At first glance, it seemed like any other house's interior. In front of him was some sort of living room, with some scarce furniture. There was a staircase leading to the second floor, along with some doors on the sides of the living room.

However, there was much more than what met the eye. The moment Issei entered, he could immediately feel that the temperature within the house was clearly different than the one outside. It was a cold day, but the house was at just the right temperature, neither hot nor cold, simply mild.

Furthermore, although the furniture and structure seemed to have been made from wood, everything around him glowed with a shine unique to jade. If one looked closely, they would see that the ceiling, floor, walls and furniture were all littered with thousands of different formations.

Most surprising of all was the thick density of spiritual power inside the house. The Xiao Sect, as one of the most powerful sects of the Blue Wind Nation, was already situated in an area with a high-amount of spiritual power, but compared to the spiritual power within Issei's house, it simply wasn't worth mentioning.

"The thickness of the spiritual power here is twice—No, thrice that of outside!" Issei widened his eyes in shock at this discovery. The corner of his lips suddenly curled upwards in an excited smile. With a look full of anticipation, he murmured, "This place is simply the best possible residence for me! Not only does it have extra-thick spiritual power, there are also thousands of formations that I can study!"

However, before Issei could continue admiring his house, Xia Meir's voice came from outside.

"Issei! Are you alright there?!"

Issei quickly turned his head around and responded, "I am! Give me a second to deactivate the formations!" After saying that, he turned around and began to search. Soon after, he found that near the door was an intricate and beautiful drawing, with countless symbols. Near it was a line of text.

"This house is the residence of those titled as Formations Heir, or those that have the potential to become so. The formation by your side is the master-formation of the house, and it controls all of formations in the house. Just immerse your consciousness in it to control them.

"Bear in mind that when you leave this house, you are to add at least two more formations. This is the tradition."

"As I thought, it was some kind of tradition," said Issei after reading it. Then he turned his head around to look at the countless formations near the lines of text.

If he were to describe it in one word, it would be 'beautiful'. Issei had knowledge of many formations because of the memories he got from the Magic Cube, and although he knew of thousands of more powerful ones, the one in front of him was by far the most beautiful.

There were thousands of different variations, shapes and forms, and millions upon millions of micro-formations. Most astonishing of all was that they all seemed to be connected in an unprecedented, novel fashion.

"Now's not the time to admire stuff," Issei suddenly shook his head. "I must first deactivate the formations… Mei is still waiting outside."

Issei then raised his left arm up, and placed his hand on top of the formation. The jade-slip in his other hand started emitting a soft and warm glow, and the agglomeration of formations before him suddenly began to shine dully. At the same time, in his mind, what seemed to be a map of the entire house appeared.

On that map were countless formations, and if he were to focus on them, he would see their function, and be able to control them. After testing it out a few times, Issei focused on the formations outside the house. With a single thought of his part, all of them were deactivated.

After doing that, Issei quickly opened the door of the house and stepped out, looking at Mei who eagerly awaited near it. "Mei, it's safe now."

"Are you sure…?" Xia Mei tentatively took a step forward, but seeing that nothing happened, became more confident, and took another one. After walking a mighty ten steps, she no longer had any worries, and began to freely walk towards Issei.

Once Xia Mei had finished traversing the distance to his house without meeting with trouble, Issei brought her inside, and after she got accustomed to the high-density of spiritual power and milder temperature, he begun to show her around using the map in his mind.

After a few minutes of looking around, Issei discovered that there were only two bedrooms in the house, and they occupied the entire second floor. As for the first floor, it only had the living room, along with a small library, what seemed to be a storage room and two rooms for practicing cultivation. Aside from that, there was also a separate room reserved solely for practicing formations techniques.

"I'll take this room," said Issei, pointing to a door near him.

Xia Mei nodded, "Alright, I'll unpack my stuff here then." After saying so, Xia Mei walked over to the other room and entered it. Issei also turned around and entered his, eager to see what awaited him inside. Even though he had a map, it only gave him a crude lay-out. It was only detailed when it came to formations.

However, what was within the room far surpassed his imagination.

"This…?" Issei widened his eyes in shock, because the moment he entered the room, he was immersed in what seemed to be incredibly thick spiritual power. If the spiritual power in the living room could be considered to be extremely thick, the density and thickness of the spiritual power within his room was practically enough for him to swim around.

Not only that, the room was devoid of anything that would normally be in a room. There wasn't a bed, or even normal furniture. In the middle of the room was a cultivation-mat, on which were array formations. Aside from that, there was nothing else in it.

At first, Issei had even though that he had somehow ended in the cultivation rooms of the first floor again.

"Is this really supposed to be a room?" murmured Issei, looking around with a strange expression. However, upon taking a few steps, a formation lit-up beneath his foot. A blinding, cyan-colored light shone from it, submerging the entire room.

It eventually faded away, and once it did so, Issei was shocked to find that near the cultivation mat, what seemed to be a shelf had appeared. In it were countless scrolls, but unlike those in the library, which only contained information about formations, the content of these scrolls were actually… martial skills.

The moment Issei realized that, he started panting.

"Martial skills… these are actually martial skills?!"

However, Issei's eyes widened even further upon closer inspection, "Wait.. these aren't simple martial skills… no, these are formations techniques?!"

In the memories Issei had gained from the Magic Cube, although there were a few formation techniques, which could be used to improve his ability to draw inscription symbols and formation arrays, most of them had crucial parts of them lost in the process of absorbing them. Because of that, Issei only had one to choose from, which was 'Ten Thousand Hands Shadows', which was what allowed him to draw inscription symbols.

However, that alone wasn't enough, since an accomplished formations master would have complementary formation techniques to aid him in his process of drawing formations. 'Ten Thousand Hands Shadows', although a superb formation technique, was far from sufficient for some with aspirations as high as Issei's.

During this entire time, he had also been searching for some formation techniques that he could use to compliment his own, and maybe even mix them all together and create one unique to him, but formation techniques weren't something that could be bought. Most of the times, they were passed on in sects, or from master to disciple."I was having so much trouble in order to find a single formation technique, but only be stepping inside this room I have been gifted almost ten of them… just what sort of logic is this?" Issei shook his head to the sides with a complex expression. Then, after some moments of hesitation, he walked out of his room, and knocked on Xia Mei's room a few times. After waiting a few seconds, he opened the door.

Inside, he saw that Xia Mei was trying to arrange her clothes in the floor, probably because of the lack furniture, and had been too engrossed in to notice him enter. Issei coughed a few times, making her turn around to look at him in surprise. She then smiled.

"Issei? Is there something you want?"

"I came to check something," Issei smiled back at her and replied plainly, walking into the room. Then, after approaching the cultivation mat, he eagerly awaited for something to happen, but much to his disappointment, nothing took place.

"Heh, it seems that I was too greedy, hoping that I would be able to find more formations techniques in this room," Issei shook his head to the side with a bitter expression. Then he excused himself and walked back into his room, where he prepared to immerse himself in studying his newly-acquired formations techniques.

However, before he could do so, the jade-slip that Elder Yang had given him trembled slightly, and a sweet and charming voice reached his ears.

"Junior Issei, the one speaking is Xiao Yang's daughter, Xiao Huan. I'm currently at the front door… could you please come down? Dinner is about to be served."

"Oh? This also works as some kind of voice transmission talisman?" Issei thought, amused. After glancing at the pile of formation techniques in front of him with an unwilling expression, he sighed, eventually deciding to leave studying them for later.

Elder Yang was now his master… as his disciple, even if he didn't want to, he was supposed to give him some face and attend the dinner. Not only that, many higher-ups from the Xiao Sect would be attending it, and it wouldn't be bad to start making some connections.

Hesitating a little, he walked out of his room and knocked on Xia Mei's. After she had readied herself, they headed to the entrance.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**

 ** _If there are mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out! In fact, please point them out~!_**


	79. Xiao Huan

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by KryoKon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 79 - Xiao Huan**

* * *

Issei and Xia Mei quickly made their way to the entrance of the house. Upon opening the door, they saw a pretty girl with a petite figure standing on the other side. She had a sweet complexion, with thin brows, large eyes and a ponytail. Her big and clear eyes were currently staring at the two of them.

The pretty girl smiled sweetly and bowed, "Junior Brother Issei and Junior Sister Mei? I'm Elder Yang's daughter, Xiao Huan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Issei smiled at her, while Xia Mei bowed politely. Then, after exchanging a few more pleasantries, they walked out of Issei's courtyard. Before they left, Issei made sure to keep some of the protective formations activated. Even though they were in the heart of the Xiao Sect, and burglars were simply an absurd notion, there were simply too many precious things within the house; Issei wasn't willing to take any risks.

On their way to Elder Yang's house, Xiao Huan briefly gave them an idea of how this dinner would be like. According to her, the guests that confirmed their presence were quite a few. In the group of people attending today's dinner were the previous Martial Heir and World Spiritist Heir. Aside from them, a few more high-ranking elders would also attend.

Throughout the entire time, Xiao Huan kept a sweet and charming expressions, answering any questions Issei and Xia Mei threw at her without hesitation. She also made sure to properly explain to the two of them what they should and shouldn't do in the dinner, as well as telling them the guests that had a short-temper and that shouldn't be angered under any circumstances.

Because of this, Issei was able to quickly determine that the sweet and charming-looking Xiao Huan was quite knowledgeable. Not only did she have some vital information on the various elders and guests, she also told them a bit about their pasts.

Unknowingly, as they talked, they somehow reached Elder Yang's residence.

"Oh?" Xiao Huan looked at the house in front of them with a somewhat dazed expression, as if wondering how did they arrive there. She regained her bearing soon after, and quickly turned around to look at Issei and Xia Mei while smiling sweetly, "We have arrived. Let me just inform father."

After saying that, she excused herself and entered Elder Yang's residence. Some seconds later, she opened the door once more, and invited them in. The first room of the house wasn't a living room, like in Issei's residence, but instead a corridor, with a few entrances on the sides. Xiao Huan led them to the first entrance on the left side, showing them to a large living room.

As they walked, Issei payed closed attention to his surroundings, which led him to discover that much like his own residence, Elder Yang's house was also filled with countless formations. The temperature was also regulated, and the thickness of the spiritual power within this house was even above that of his own residence.

"The Xiao Sect are indeed worthy of the title of having the number one formations experts in Blue Wind Nation. Although I haven't been to the other sects, I doubt that they would have courtyards similar to this one," thought Issei, quite pleased with his decision of joining the Xiao Sect. As someone interested in formations, this was simply a paradise to him.

Suddenly, while Issei was immersed in observing the various formations, someone spoke near him.

"Interested?"

"Ah?" Issei snapped out of his daze, only to discover that Elder Yang had appeared at some point, and was currently standing by his side in the living room, also observing the countless formations. Upon noticing that, Issei bowed politely, "Master Yang."

"Heh, you don't need to follow the decorum with me, I don't really care for stuff like that," Elder Yang shook his head, smiling calmly. After thinking some more, he asked, "So, what are your thoughts on these various formations? Do they interest you?"

"Yes," Issei nodded without hesitation. "I never knew that formations could be used this way… and there are so many of them. Once I get back home, I'll make sure to study all of them."

Elder Yang nodded, "That's also what I did back when I became the Formations Heir." He suddenly paused, but continued soon after, "Actually, I have been thinking… with your current ability, it wouldn't be impossible for you to earn the title of Formations Heir. If it was up to me alone, I would have already granted you it. As such… I believe that since I have already granted you the Formations Residence, where the Formations Heir normally lives, you should try to quickly earn that title, otherwise some people might complain."

"And how should I get that title?" asked Issei, curious.

"It's actually simple," explained Elder Yang. "You only have to defeat the disciples with the potential to become the Formation Heir in a battle of knowledge. Currently, there are three of those disciples."

"Then where are they?" Issei earnestly asked. "How should I meet them?"

Suddenly, Elder Yang revealed a mysterious smile, "Actually, you won't have to search for them… they will be the ones to search for you. As a matter of fact, all three of them will be attending this dinner."

"All three of them?" Issei's eyes narrowed.

"Yes. They are Xiao Long, Xiao Fang and… my daughter, Xiao Huan."

"Your daughter…?" Issei's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly managed to recover from his surprise. After all, it wouldn't be too strange for a daughter to follow her father's footsteps. In fact, it would be weird if Xiao Huan wasn't knowledgeable in formations, considering who her father was.

Elder Yang nodded and said, "Well, I believe that I should already tell you this… don't worry about my daughter. Although she is one of the best in the youngest generation, from what I have seen so far, you are still above her when it comes to formations. In fact, out of the three disciples that I mention, the only one that you should worry about is Xiao Fang."

Speaking up to that point, Elder Yang's expression turned grim. After taking in a deep breath, he continued, "Xiao Fang is the son of Xiao Shui, someone who competed with me for the position of Formations Heir back in the day. Although I haven't really had the chance to look into Xiao Fang's prowess in formations, considering Xiao Shui's nasty and revengeful character, he probably had his son study and practice formations ever since birth…

"In fact, although I believe that Xiao Fang can't possibly surpass you in theoretical knowledge, I can't say for certain that you are superior in drawing inscriptions. Years ago, I had a tough time to win against Xiao Shui, and now that Xiao Fang, his son, is vying for that position, he should be even more fierce."

"I'll be careful," Issei immediately nodded. Although he was confident that he was practically matchless in theoretical knowledge, just as Elder Yang had said, his ability to draw formations was still lacking. He couldn't dare to be complacent. At least not with his current abilities.

"Good. That should be all for now," said Elder Yang with a pleased expression, obviously content with Issei's answer. He then flourished his sleeve and began walking deeper into the living room. "Follow me, I'll bring you to the dining room. I had my daughter bring that Xia girl there so we could talk in peace."

Once in the dining room, Issei sat next to Xia Mei. Elder Yang was located on the far end, with his daughter Xiao Huan by his side. Apparently, the guests had yet to arrive.

Elder Yang turned around to face his daughter, "Huan'er, in the invitations you sent, what time was written?"

"Ummm…. I think that they should be arriving in one incense stick worth of time," Xiao Huan placed her index finger on her cherry lips with a thoughtful expression, and answered after some thought.

"If that's the case, go discuss formations with my disciple. Take this chance to deepen your understandings on formations and to clear some of your doubts."

"Alright, father," Xiao Huan nodded, and although she had a rather unsure expression, as if doubting whether or not someone as young as Issei would be able to help her, she still walked over to him, sitting by his side.

Issei, who had heard what Elder Yang told Xiao Huan, smiled politely at her, "Sister Huan, please tell me your doubts. I'll do my best at answering them." To Issei, this was also a way to deepen his own knowledge, so he immediately took it. Xia Mei also looked at them with interest, paying attention.

"Then… I'm having a problem with this," Xiao Huan waved her hands, and a piece of paper appeared in front of her. On it was a complex inscription drawing. With a slightly doubtful expression, she handed it to Issei and said, "This is a formation that I have been working on, and its purpose is to increase the quality of the spiritual power. I based it on the spiritual power gathering formations around the house."

Speaking up to that point, Xiao Huan shook her head and sighed, "However, every time I try to draw it, it ends up failing. Do you have any idea why that happens?"

Issei looked at the paper for quite some time, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a few moments, he turned his head around, and glanced at a wall near him, on which was a spiritual power gathering formation. He glanced back and forth between the formation on the wall and the paper on his hands a few times before nodding. Turning his head back to Xiao Huan, he seriously asked, "Which materials did you use?"

Startled, Xiao Huan thought for a bit before saying, "Well, I used Dark Moon Flowers, Demonic Spice, Heavenly Soul Grass, Spirit Wind Powder and Spirit Ores…." Suddenly, she stopped speaking, noticing that Issei had begun to frown. With a strange expression, she asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"You said that you used Heavenly Soul Grass?" Instead of answering her question, Issei questioned her.

"Yes… what about it?"

"That's the problem," Issei placed the paper on his hands on the floor, and pointed at a certain part of it. "From what I was able to judge, you used Heavenly Soul Grass to draw the minor-formation for this area, right?" He then moved his finger to another part of the drawing, "And you used the essence of the Dark Moon Flowers here?"

With a shocked expression, Xiao Huan nodded.

"As I thought, the problem was that Heavenly Soul Grass is yang-attributed, whereas Dark Moon Flowers are yin-attributed," Issei explained. "If this was in a normal situation, there wouldn't be any problem, since Heavenly Soul Grass's yang-energy is too faint, but if you look closely, you'll see that the formations they are used in have a direct connection. Furthermore…," Issei pointed at the micro-formation between them. "You most likely used the Spirit Wind Powder here, right? Many don't know this, but Wind Spirit Powder can enhance the yang-energy of a certain material. Because of that, the yin-energy of the Dark Moon Flowers are directly conflicting with the enhanced yang-energy of the Heavenly Soul Grass."

"Ah….?" Xiao Huan widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the paper in front of her with intensity. After thinking about what Issei said, and simulating it in her mind, she was arrived at the conclusion that he was actually correct! Flabbergasted, she slowly moved her eyes back to him. "You… how did you figure that out?"

"I simply have some knowledge on the plants you mentioned. It's purely coincidental," Issei responded plainly, as if it wasn't anything worth mentioning.

Xiao Huan obviously knew that Issei was only being humble, but didn't focus too much about that. Instead, she excitedly asked, "Then what do you think that I should do?"

"Well, to begin with, you should replace your Wind Spirit Powder for Origin Spirit Powder. That should be enough to solve your problem, but there's still the chance of the Dark Moon Flowers conflicting with the Heavenly Soul Grass. As such, I believe that you should," Issei pointed at some areas in the formation, "switch these parts. This way, they won't be directly connected, and it will actually enhance the power of the formation, since this will bring the Heavenly Soul Grass closer to the Spirit Ore, which works perfectly with yang-attributed materials."

After that, Issei gave Xiao Huan a few more tips on how she could improve the power of the formation, going over many subjects, such as the intensity of certain parts, how they should be drawn, and the amount of materials used. By the end of his explanation, Xiao Huan's mind was reeling, and she could only stare at Issei dazedly, as if in a dream.

"You… you… what kind of monster are you…?" murmured Xiao Huan as she looked at Issei. Her eyes were full of disbelief and astonishment, but deep within these layers of shock, there was deep respect, something that she had never felt before in her life.

"Old Yang? Are you there?"

Suddenly, from the entrance, the charming and alluring voice of a female rang out. Immediately, Issei, Xia Mei and Xiao Huan turned their heads around, only to see a gorgeous woman standing by the entrance. Her body was extremely curvaceous, clad in revealing clothing, and her alluring, phoenix-like eyes were set on Issei.

The corner of the woman's lips suddenly curled upwards in a sultry smile, and she licked her lips seductively, "Oh...? Who's this handsome one?"

 _ **Read & Review~! **_


	80. Elders and Disciples

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by KryoKon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 80 - Elders and Disciples**

* * *

"Xiao Yi, don't even think of tainting my disciple with your dirty and wretched hands."

An overbearing pressure suddenly weighed down on the room, causing Issei and the others, who didn't have anything to do with what was happening, to fall to their knees. Despite that, the lascivious lady, who had been the target, simply stood there nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. In fact, she even glanced at her nails with disinterest before turning her head to look at Elder Yang.

"Oh? Old Yang, what's this? This ridiculously trifling pressure... Do you truly think that someone like you can possibly use your spiritual pressure on this lady?" asked the lascivious woman, revealing a nasty and naughty smile. After that, she pursed her lips and said darkly, "Could it be that you want me to remind you of who used to beat who back in the day…?"

Elder Yang grimaced, but said nothing to counter the woman's words. He humphed and flourished his sleeves, causing his spiritual pressure to scatter. At the same time, he also waved his hands, making Issei fly to his side. After that, he took a step forward and stood in front of him protectively, darkly glaring at the lascivious lady, "Xiao Yi, don't you think you have already seduced far too many brothers from the Xiao Sect? You have had your way with almost half of all the elders, and also slept with many of the younger generation. And this is not counting your 'rendezvous' with cultivators from other sects. Now you actually dare to aim for my own disciple?! Do you have no shame?!"

"Geez, chill down, Old Yang," Xiao Yi, the lascivious lady, shook her head to the sides while sighing. After taking a step forward, showing her long and beautiful legs to the world, she comfortably sat down on the closest chair. She then started to tend to her nails and murmured with half-lidded eyes, "Old Yang, you're simply too strict… I only asked who he was… it wasn't like I raped him or something..."

However, she would steal a glance at Issei every once in a while and unconsciously lick her lips.

Elder Yang sighed and darkly thought,"You may say that, but considering your personality, you were certainly about to push him down here and now if it wasn't for me." Eventually, his expression loosened up, and he turned his head around to face Issei, Xia Mei and his daughter, "That _nas_ _ty_ woman is the previous Martial Heir, Xiao Yi. In the entire sect, she is within the three strongest. Back in the day, we used to be—"

"Lovers," interrupted Xiao Yi, much to Elder's Yang chagrin. After shooting her a dark glance, he took in a deep breath and organized his thoughts, searching for a word that could somehow describe their previous relationship.

"We used to be… colleagues," Elder Yang concluded with a solemn and slightly annoyed expression, almost mad with anger just from recalling his previous 'relationship' with Xiao Yi. After saying so, he was about to continue, but suddenly stopped, apparently having remembered something. Turning his head back to Xiao Yi, he swallowed his anger and asked, "Xiao Yi, where is your disciple?"

At the same time, Xiao Huan revealed a rather expectant expression, thinking, "I haven't seen Xiao Na in years… I wonder how she has been after so long. Ah ah, considering that she was chosen as the Martial Heir, that girl is definitely stronger than me right now…"

"Mmm? Nan'er should be arriving here soon… for some reason, she said that it was too 'embarrassing' to arrive with me or something," murmured Xiao Yi nonchalantly, not taking her eyes off her nails.

Surprisingly, the moment those words left her mouth, someone knocked on the front door. This was then followed by a sweet yet bashful voice, "Elder Yang? Sister Huan? Are you there? Can I enter?"

"It's unlocked," replied Elder Yang. The sound of the door opening was heard, followed by some footsteps. Before long, a figure appeared at the entrance of the dining room. It was a cute girl, with a petite figure and perpetual blush etched on her face. She was apparently bashful, and her robes were longer than normal, covering even more skin than average robes.

"This… this is the disciple of THAT woman?" thought Issei, widening his eyes in shock. He couldn't help but to glance between the lascivious woman with skimpy clothes and the shy and reserved girl a few times, thoroughly shocked. After a long time, he murmured in his heart, "They are completely opposite of one another…"

On the other hand, Xiao Yi, seeing that her disciple had finally arrived, smiled brightly and got up from her chair, hugging the cute and flustered girl. As a result, the young girl's blushing face ended up deeply pressed against the older woman's plentiful chest. As she hugged her disciple, Xiao Yi excitedly exclaimed, "You're finally here! We're just talking about you!"

Unsurprisingly, the bashful young girl didn't seem to share her master's happiness.

"M-master, p-please release me!" murmured the young girl as she tried to wriggle her way out of her master's embrace. Her face was completely red, and she was desperately trying to free herself. "I... c-can't… breathe!"

"Aiya?" Xiao Yi revealed a surprised expression and quickly released the young girl, who quickly took a few steps back and began desperately gasping for breath as if her life depended on it.

After a long time, she finally managed to regain her breath. Once she was back to normal, she looked at her master exasperatedly, saying, "Master! Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Ha ha, let's forget about that…," Xiao Yi shook her head to the sides, somewhat apologetically. Suddenly, she seemed to have remembered something. With a sly expression, she quickly changed the subject, "My disciple! How come you haven't introduced yourself to the others yet?"

"Others…?" murmured the young girl in shock, slowly turning her head around, only to see everyone looking at her and her master with awkward expression. Instantly, her face reddened, finally remembered where she was and why she was there. With her head down, she weakly murmured, "I-I'm Xiao Nan, the c-current Martial Heir… it… it… it's a pleasure to me-me-meet you."

After that, she sat down on the chair near her master's, not making eye-contact with anyone. She didn't say anything more, quietly fiddling with her fingers, which were slightly trembling. It was as if there was an invisible barrier around her, warding everyone off.

Xiao Huan initially wanted to talk with Xiao Nan, as they were friends since childhood, but upon seeing that her friend was even more bashful than she remembered, she wisely decided to just leave her be for the time being.

Eventually, more people arrived.

The first one to arrive after Xiao Nan was a young man in his mid to late twenties. He had a youthful expression, and wore a long purple-colored robe. There were countless of golden rings on his hands, at least two on each finger, and he wore countless different necklaces around his neck. He also had two golden earrings, with different kinds of jade and precious stones on them.

All in all, he looked extremely extravagant and luxurious!

"Brother Yang, Sister Yi, sorry for the wait," said the young man with a polite smile.

"Xiao Zhong, you took quite some time," Elder Yang smiled at the young man with an amiable expression, briefly glancing at the countless accessories on the young man's body before sighing. "Brother Zhong… how come every time I see you, you look even more extravagant?"

"Hehe, not everyone can be as frugal as you, Old Yang."

Elder Yang's expression suddenly changed. Frowning, he said, "Old Yang… Old Yang… how come you and Xiao Yi keep referring to me as 'old'?! Am I not the youngest out of us three?!"

"Ah ah, Old Yang, you only have yourself to blame!" Xiao Yi shook her head to the sides with a sigh. "I told you all those years ago to take care of your appearance, but did you hear me? Noooo! And now, all this years later, even though you're younger than us two by a few years, you already look like an old man!"

"Old man…?" Elder Yang held back the urge to curse. "In what way am I possibly an old man?! I look at most forty in age! Forty! Since when is someone forty considered an old man?!"

"Humph, to me, anyone that looks older than thirty is old!" said Xiao Yi plainly, crossing her arms under her large bosom, causing her robe to stretch to the limit, her two mountain-like breasts threatening to burst out of her vest.

"Cougar," Xiao Zhong glanced at Xiao Yi from the corner of her eyes and snickered, murmuring, "This woman… she's already more than sixty years old, only maintaining that appearance because of her cultivation, and still dares to say that anyone over thirty is old..."

While the three cultivators from the senior generation discussed,, Xiao Huan slowly moved over to Issei's side and whispered in his ear, "That man, Xiao Zhong, is the previous World Spiritist Heir. My father, Elder Yi and Elder Zhong, were the three Heirs of the previous generation."

"So it was like that," Issei nodded. He had already imagined that the situation was something like that, but wasn't too sure. Xiao Huan's words confirmed his thoughts. After some thought, he whispered back to her, "Then, since Elder Yi is the previous Martial Heir, does that mean that Xiao Nan is the current Martial Heir? Or at least a disciple contending to become one?"

Xiao Huan smiled mysteriously and nodded, "I know what Brother Issei is thinking. How come someone as bashful and shy as her possibly be selected as a Martial Heir? But let me tell you something: Not only is Xiao Nan the current Martial Heir, two years ago, she battled all of the others contestants… the result? All four of them were bedridden for an entire year! The one with the least injuries had more than a dozen of his bones shattered, his two legs broken, and all of his fingers crushed. As for he most unfortunate ones, they lost a few limbs and now suffer from mental trauma."

Issei immediately gulped, unconsciously glancing at the cute and bashful Xiao Nan out of the corner of his eyes, as if trying to imagine how could someone that looked so harmless possibly be capable of completely crushing her opponents.

After a few moments, he shook his head and changed the subject, "Alright, what about Elder Zhong? Does he not have a disciple?"

"About that…," Xiao Huan revealed a slightly awkward expression, wondering how she was supposed to explain it to Issei. After a long time, she sighed and said, "You see, Elder Zhong, although he surely doesn't seem like it, he hates to spend spirit stones. My father once told me that he's a complete money-grubber, and unwilling to lend money to anyone. In fact, if I remember correctly, those rings and jewelry are actually treasures that can boost his Spirit Power, spiritual power, and also enhance his World Spiritist Formations. It's also said that in terms of fortune, he's the richest in the entire sect."

She paused, glanced at Issei's surprised expression, and continued, "In order to have a disciple, it's obviously required to spend spirit stones, since as a master, you are in charge of buying cultivation resources and treasures for your disciples. And that's something that Elder Zhong is completely unwilling to do. As such, no matter how much the Sect Head urges him to accept a disciple and pass on his teachings, he refuses."

"This guy, he kinda reminds of that damnable Golden Crow Emperor," thought Issei with a dark smile, thinking back to the wretched personality of Zuo Yao. After pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, he was about to continue inquiring about these three seniors, but suddenly stopped, remembering something that Xiao Huan had said. He then asked, "Sister Huan, did you mention spirit stones? Is that some kind of currency?"

"Eee? You don't know?" Xiao Huan looked at him in surprise, shocked. Then she thought for a bit and revealed an understanding expression, "Oh yes, father did mention that you came from a small sect… well, if that's the case, then it isn't strange for you to be unfamiliar with spirit stones."

As she said so, she waved her hands, and a small item appeared on her hands. It was some kind sparkling stone, almost translucent stone, the size of a finger-nail. She handed it to Issei and said, "This is a spirit stone, the 'true' currency of us, cultivators. Profound Coins, although more popular, specially in merchant guilds, are something more for the commoners and civilians. Spirit stones are much more valuable, and in fact, aside from being used as currency, also serve as a cultivation resource. If one were to hold one in their hands while cultivating, they would absorb spiritual power at faster rates, and can also supply the cultivator with a burst of spiritual power during battles."

"Spirit stones…," murmured Issei, a strange light flashing across his eyes. He felt it in his hands a few times before handing it back to Xiao Huan. Deep inside, he couldn't help but to wonder why back then, when he was in the Black Moon Merchant Guild in New Moon City, no one ever mentioned spirit stones. Black Moon Merchant Guild was supposedly the most powerful merchant guild in the Profound Sky Continent, and as such, should work with both spirit stones and profound currency.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Issei asked Xiao Huan about it. In response, she told him, "That's because the one in New Moon City is a branch guild. In other countries, the Black Moon Merchant Branch Guilds also work with spirit stones, but that's not the case in our country, Blue Wind Nation. You see, as the weakest country in the Profound Sky Continent, even the Black Moon Merchant Guild looks down on us, and because of that, they decided that there would be no meaning for the branch guilds here to have the option to trade with spirit stones. In fact, there are only a few selected merchant guild in Blue Wind Nation that actually work with spirit stones."

After hearing that explanation, Issei understood the situation. Then, just as he was about to ask another question, a voice rang from outside Elder Yang's residence.

"Xiao Yang! I, Xiao Shui, have arrived with my disciple and son, Xiao Fang! Now we shall see whether or not your current disciple can compare to my son! This is a battle I have been looking forward to for a long time!"

Soon after, the sound of the door opening was heard, and two figures appeared at the entrance of the dining room.

 **Read & Review~! _(We almost didn't reach 30 reviews today... I want some more for this chapter! It was much harder than usual, as I had to come up with so many characters. In case any of you are wondering, Xiao Yang, Xiao Huan, Xiao Yi, Xiao Nan, Xiao Zhong, Xiao Shui and Xiao Fang are all original characters of mine. Also, I made to give each of them completely different personalities... I hope that you like them!)_**

 ** _Finally, please point out all mistakes you found in a review or in a Private Message (including grammar mistakes)! Please, point them out! Even if it's something almost insignificant, I will still want to correct it! In other words, don't hesitate to point out the mistakes you find! I'll certainly appreciate it._**


	81. Battle of Formations (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 81 - Battle of Formations (1)**

* * *

The first figure appeared to be in his forties, with sharp and sword-like features. He wore a long, golden robe, with countless of formations drawings on it. As for the other one, he closely resembled the first, only that he was younger, apparently in his late teens. Like the first one, he also wore a golden robe.

"Xiao Shui," Elder Yang growled, instantly turning his head around to face the newcomers. "Do you not know basic manners? You are supposed to knock before you enter."

The middle-aged man, Xiao Shui, ignored Elder Yang, as his eyes swept across the room, apparently searching for something. His gaze suddenly landed on Issei, and his pupils constricted.

"You must be Yang's new disciple… Humph! You may look handsome, but that means nothing!"

He then flourished his sleeves, and in the middle of the dining room, two small-sized mats appeared. Taking a few steps back, he said, "Let's just get straight to the real deal. We all know that none of us came to this 'dinner' of yours to actually eat. This is a competition to determine the next Formations Heir, isn't that right, Xiao Yang?!"

"You…," Elder Yang's face was red with anger as he glared at Xiao Shui, his whole body trembling. After taking in a few deep breaths, he managed to calm down. He then said through gritted teeth, "I originally planned to be courteous, and only leave this for the end, but since you insist, so be it!" Reaching that point, he turned his head to look at Issei. "Disciple, please sit on one of those mats. The battle will begin shortly."

"Yes, master!" Issei unhesitatingly nodded, and although he was still stunned by this sudden change in atmosphere, he managed to maintain a clear mind. He briefly glanced at Xiao Shui and the young man near him before walking over to the mat closest to him and sitting on top of it.

The moment he did so, Xiao Shui turned around to look at the young man by his side, who stood there with a somewhat deadpanned expression.

"Fang'er, show them your ability!" Xiao Shui looked at him and ordered.

"Dad, about this… can't we leave this for after dinner? We came here to eat, and..."

"Silence!" Xiao Shui growled, his trembling finger pointed at his son. "You are to go there and thoroughly beat that youth! We have already discussed this before!"

The young man opened his mouth, probably wanting to say more words, but after Xiao Shui shot him a deathly glare, he wisely shut his mouth and walked forward, sitting in the mat opposite of Issei. As he did so, he quietly whispered, "Brother… Oh, Brother… I must apologize in behalf of my father. This is a rivalry between our masters… no hard feelings, okay?"

Issei was initially stunned by the young man's humble and friendly attitude, but the shock eventually faded away. After some though, he nodded and smiled, "I won't take anything to heart; I know that you mean no harm."

"Good, good," said the young man as he nodded with contentment. After properly sitting down on his own mat, he clasped hands towards Issei. "Brother, may I know your name? My father only told me that you're Elder Yang's disciple."

"This one is named Issei," answered Issei with a small smile. "You should be Xiao Fang, right?"

"Oh? Am I so famous that you know my name even though you have only just arrived in the Xiao Sect?" Xiao Fang smiled lightly, a slightly surprised expression on his face.

"Master told me that you're one of the contestants for the position of Formations Heir. How could I possibly not have heard of you?" asked Issei, smiling back at him.

"Yeah, about that…," Xiao Fang suddenly revealed an embarrassed expression. "I don't really care for this position of Formations Heir… in fact, I wanted to simply be a normal disciple, but my father doesn't really approve of that…"

As Issei chatted with Xiao Fang in whispers, the atmosphere in the rest of the room was tense, considering how it seemed as if a fight would erupt between Xiao Shui and Xiao Yang at any given moment. It was clear that their hatred for each other had long since seeped into their bones.

"Xiao Yang, it's time to settle this once and for all. All those years ago, you managed to gain the position of Formations Heir, but that was only because of your damnable luck! But now this battle between disciples will truly determine which of us is superior!"

"Empty words, Xiao Shui. Back then, it was all because of my skill and your inferiority that you suffered that crushing defeat!" Xiao Yang looked back at him and coolly stated.

"Humph! Who are you trying to fool here?! Everyone in the entire sect knows that you were merely lucky in the end! But that no longer matters! This battle between our disciples will determine which of us is superior once and for all!"

Xiao Yang struck back with a few words of his own, and a battle of words and curses took place. While this happened, Xiao Yi and Xiao Zhong sighed.

"Those two… why do I feel like they have forgotten that Old Yang's new disciple was only accepted as his disciple around two days ago? How could this possibly represent their eternal quarrel? This is simply as asking a random stranger on the streets to represent you in a battle!" said Xiao Zhong as he shook his head to the sides.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Xiao Yi shook her head, looking at the two quarreling cultivators before turning her attention back to her long nails. After some time, she murmured, "If you were to point that out, then they would probably say that they are competing in who have the better eyes for choosing disciples..."

"That's not unlikely," Xiao Zhong sighed. After observing the two rivals for some more time, he got bored of it and turned his head around to glance at Issei and Xiao Fang, who were casually chatting. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he revealed a sly smile. Turning his head back to Xiao Yi, he said, "Hey, Sister Yi, do you feel like betting?"

"Hmm?" Interest flashed in Xiao Yi's eyes as she turned her head up to face Xiao Zhong. "Brother Zhong, are you talking about the match between little junior Issei and little junior Fang?"

"That's right. Who do you think that will win?"

Xiao Yi bit her lower lip, a somewhat troubled expression on her face. She briefly glanced at Issei and Xiao Fang out of the corner of her eyes before saying, "Well, I have never heard of Old Yang's new disciple, but that Shui's son is quite famous. Even though it slightly pains me to say this, I'll have to bet on Xiao Fang."

"I figured that you would say that," Xiao Zhong nodded. Then he turned his head around to look at Xiao Huan, who was looking at her angered father while shaking her head, obviously displeased with his current behavior. While smiling, Xiao Zhong asked, "Little nephew Huan, who do you think that has a better chance at winning?"

Xiao Huan replied without hesitation, "Brother Issei will win."

"What?" asked Xiao Zhong, shocked. The way how Xiao Huan unhesitatingly said it without any shred of doubt deeply astonished him. At that very moment, he realized that Xiao Huan knew something that the rest of them were unaware of. With a serious expression, he asked, "What makes you so sure?"

Instead of answering his question, Xiao Huan smiled mysteriously. After glancing at Issei out of the corner of her eyes, her smile widened as she said, "You'll soon see."

"Mysterious, aren't we?" Xiao Zhong smiled, and didn't pursue that matter further. He turned back to Xiao Yi and produced a small bag from his cosmos sack. As he held it in front of Xiao Yi, the sounds of little crystals clashing against each other could be heard. He smiled and said, "Sister Yi, there are twenty spirit stones here. I'm placing my bet on little nephew Issei."

"Twenty?" Xiao Yi's eyes widened slightly, and her expression turned serious. After pondering over it, she sighed and waved her hands, a small bag appeared on her hands. She placed it in front of her and said, "There are also twenty spirit stones here. The winner takes it all?"

"Same rules as always," said Xiao Zhong as he also placed his bag in front of him. "The winner keeps all the spirit stones, while the loser gets the bitter feeling of defeat."

Xiao Yi looked at him deeply before sighing, "I think that you're the only person in the world that would be thinking of profiting in a situation such as this, but no matter. I have been meaning to buy some beauty pills lately… these forty spirit stones came just at the right moment."

In response to her words, Xiao Zhong smiled mysteriously, but didn't say anything more. Although he looked quite confident on the surface, he knew that this was an unusually dangerous bet. After all, he was completely relying on Xiao Huan's judgment for this. He could only hope that he had made the right choice, otherwise he would lose the hefty sum of twenty spirit stones.

"Hmm… Nan'er, what do you think?" Xiao Yi suddenly her head around to face her bashful disciple, who had kept quiet the entire time, only observing the situation from the sidelines.

"Me…?!" Xiao Nan's body bolted upon hearing those words, as if struck by lightning. Then she quickly lowered her head, and quietly murmured, "I-I.. think that… B-brother I-Issei w-will be the o-one to w-win..."

"Mn?" Xiao Yi's narrowed as she stared at her disciple with a shocked expression. Soon after, her luscious lips parted, "What makes you think that?"

"I… I don't k-know," said Xiao Nan as she shook her head to the sides, her head still lowered. Suddenly, she slightly raised her head, and glanced deeply at Issei. A strange light flashed in her eyes, and her gaze grew sharp as she murmured with unusual seriousness, "There's something… something strange about him. He feels… dangerous."

"Dangerous…?!" Xiao Yi cried out in surprise, disbelief all over her face. As Xiao Nan's master, she knew better than anyone the monstrous power that seemingly harmless girl had. For her to consider someone as dangerous… this meant that Elder Yang's new disciple was truly not simple!

Before Xiao Yi could inquire any further, Elder Yang's voice rang out.

"We have already been discussing this for too long… you came here searching for the final showdown, correct? Then let it begin!"

"Finally!" exclaimed Xiao Shui, throwing his arms up into the air. "I was just about to say that!"

Both of them turned their heads to their disciples as they simultaneously said, "Prepare yourselves."

"Yes," Issei quickly nodded, while Xiao Fang shot his father a pleading look, but received no response. In the end, he sighed and straightened his body. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, the aura around his body was akin to a sword that had been unsheathed, incomparably sharp and peerless.

With a cold voice, completely unlike the one he had before, he said, "Brother Issei, I'm sorry, but… I mustn't let down my father. In this battle of formations, I shall go… all out!"

Surprisingly, a sharp smiled appeared on Issei's face. Instead of being pressured by Xiao Fang's sharp and vicious aura, he was completely calm. He looked at the young man opposite of him and said, "Well said! In this fight, I shall also give it my best!"

As soon as they finished speaking, Xiao Yang and Xiao Shui glanced at each other, and for a brief moment, all of their enmity disappeared. Their eyes were resolute as they struck their palms against the ground, causing a rumbling sound to fill the air. All of the formations in the house began to flash, and a gigantic formations appeared on the floor of the dining room, covering the entire area.

"Activate!" Xiao Yang roared, channeling more of his spiritual power into the formation. Xiao Shui did the same, and the formation beneath them began to shine brightly.

"So it's finally starting… Heh, so they are planning on going with THAT kind of battle!" Xiao Zhong, for the first time, showed genuine interest. He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to be covered by the blinding white light.

"Nan'er, close your eyes! We're going to be teleported!" ordered Xiao Yi. In reality, she was cursing within her heart, "Damn you, Old Yang! Why didn't you warn me that you were going to be activating _that?!"  
_

Xiao Nan nodded in response to her master's words, while Xiao Huan looked around excitedly. She hadn't understood what was happening in the beginning, but after listening to Xiao Zhong's and Xiao Yi's words, she put the pieces together, and comprehended just what was taking place. With an excited smile, she also closed her eyes and let herself be immersed by the light of the formation.

"What's happening…?" Issei looked around in shock, and was about to ask Xiao Fang, but upon seeing the young man's puzzled expression, he realized that he was just as clueless as him.

Just at that moment, Xiao Yang suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to tell his disciple about this, so he hurriedly exclaimed, "Disciple, close your eyes immediately!"

At the same time, Xiao Shui ordered his son the same thing.

Issei and Xiao Fang unhesitatingly closed their eyes, allowing the white light to cover their bodies. A deafening sound filled the air, and Issei suddenly felt as if his body was being torn apart. This feeling lasted for a couple seconds, until it suddenly stopped. It was as if this feeling had never existed in the first place.

A few moments later, Xiao Yang's voice rang next to Issei's ear, "We have arrived. Open your eyes."

 _ **Read & Review~! (Cliffhanger, I know... but, it has been such a long time since the last REAL cliffhanger, and... in reality, I had originally been planning on making this chapter 4k words, but some stuff came up, and I will have to head out earlier than I thought I had planned. Because of that, I was forced to leave you guys with the goold old' cliffy.)**_

 _ **Finally, this chapter wasn't beta-read by KryoKon, and I didn't have enough time to properly look through it. As such, PLEASE point out any mistakes you find. I'm serious. No matter how small the mistake is, PLEASE point it out.**_


	82. Battle of Formations (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 82 - Battle of Formations (2)**

* * *

The moment Issei opened his eyes, he immediately realized that he was no longer in Elder Yang's house. Instead, he seemed to be on top of a mountain, and in front of a large valley. Opposite of him was a mountain, about the same size as the one was in.

"This place… where is this?" murmured Issei, shocked. He turned his head around to look at his surroundings, and the more he saw, the more amazed he became. There was a gigantic formation covering the entire valley, which appeared to be some kind of battlefield. At the same time, the mountain he was on seemed to be the place where people would watch the battles from.

Everyone else from the junior generation, including Xiao Huan, was as shocked as Issei. The Elders, on the other hand, aside from the faint melancholy in their faces, didn't appear to be shocked at all.

Suddenly, Xiao Huan's eyes widened. She gasped, her mouth opened eyes. After a long time, she managed to say, "Isn't this… the Xiao Sect's legendary Formation Battlefield?!"

Xiao Nan and Xiao Fang revealed expression of enlightenment, and the way the look at their surroundings completely changed. The shock in their eyes soared to new heights, while a different emotion surfaced. This emotion was respect.

Deep, boundless respect!

"So this is the Formation Battlefield…?" murmured Xiao Fang. He glanced at his master at the corner of his eyes, and seeing him nod, his expression turned even more complex. Suddenly, as if he had just remembered something, his gaze focused on the large formation that covered the entire area. A hungry light shone in his eyes, and he began to closely analyze it. Inside, he thought, "The Formations Battlefield… what is above me is the Xiao Sect's Battlefield Formation! I must take opportunity of this situation and try to gain enlightenment from it!"

At the same this happened, Issei was still looking around, puzzled. He clearly had never heard of this Formations Battlefield before, and didn't understand why everyone was so excited. Although he could feel that the place he was in was definitely out of the ordinary, he couldn't figure out why everyone was so excited.

Elder Yang, noticing his disciple's confusion, took a step forward and promptly called out to him, "My disciple, the place we are in is called as the Formations Battlefield. It's as old as the Xiao Sect, and was created by our first patriarch."

"Oh?" Issei's eyes suddenly narrowed. The Xiao Sect had a history of hundreds of years, and for this formation to be able to last that long, it clearly meant that it was far from ordinary.

Elder Yang glanced at Issei before continuing, "This place doesn't have many functions except for the fact that it can be used to refine one's ability of drawing formations, and also deepen one's knowledge. For the past two hundred years, it has been used as the battlefield to determine the Formations Heir."

Reaching that point, Elder Yang's expression turned serious. After taking in a deep breath, he said, "The Patriarch has allowed us to use the Formations Battlefield as the stage for your battle against Xiao Fang. In order to activate this battlefield, a massive amount of spirit stones must be used, and it can only stay up for forty-eight hours. This will also be the time-limit for your battle."

Elder Yang suddenly waved his hands, and a gust of wind flew by, gently picking up Issei and Xiao Fang. The gust of wind continued on into the valley, and started to descent. Once it was near the ground, it split into two parts, one of them carrying Issei, and the other carrying Xiao Fang. Upon parting, they went opposite ways, until they reached both ends of the valley. At that moment, they suddenly dispersed, carefully letting the two youths down.

Soon after, Elder Yang's voice reverberated throughout the entire valley.

"Both of your are now within the Formations Battlefield. There are only the two of you there, and your objective is to defeat the other. However, there are some rules."

In the space above the valley, giant-sized words appeared. There more of a hundred words, and they looked completely stunning. Elder Yang slowly began to read each of those words.

"First rule: Although your spiritual power isn't sealed, it can't be used to enhance your body or to cast martial skills. They can only be channeled into formations."

"Second rule: Magical treasures can't be used, nor can one fight with their body. The only means of fighting is through formations."

"Third rule: There is a book containing countless formations in front of each of you. All of those formations are exclusive to the Formation Battlefield, and they don't exist elsewhere in the world. In this Formations Battlefield, you are only allowed to use these formations. You are to master as many of them as you can in one day's time, and use what you learned in the battle in the second day. The more formations you managed to master, the better."

After that, the words in the sky faded. A mysterious light flashed in Elder Yang as he continued, "Those are all the rules. All of the information has already been given. Now, let the period of preparations… start!"

As soon as Elder Yang's words left his mouth, numbers appeared above the valley. They were arranged in a way in which they looked exactly like '24:00'. Slowly, the number began to decrease. This was the timer for the periods of preparations. They would have twenty-four hours in total. After that would be the battle, which would also last for twenty-four hours. In total, they would spend forty-eight hours within the Formations Battlefield.

Issei, after glancing at the colossal timer in the sky a few times, took in a deep breath. Then he lowered his head, and discovered that at some point, a book had appeared in front of him. He picked it up and flipped through its pages with an interested expression. An hour later, he suddenly closed the book and a smile appeared on his face.

He waved his hands, trying to create a formation he had already known beforehand, only for nothing to happen. Then, he tried to cast a random martial skill, but just as before, it had no effect whatsoever.

It appeared as if the words Elder Yang had said were correct. Martial skills and normal formations couldn't be used in the Xiao Sect's Battlefield Formation.

"Interesting, truly interesting," murmured Issei, a wild light in his eyes. He glanced at the book in his hands once more, causing his smile to grow wider. "The preparation part of this test can already be considered a test in it's own. Not only does it test the ability of a cultivator's ability to learn formation, it also tests their sense of judgment, to see whether or not they can choose formations that could aid them in battle. After all, twenty-four hours is a short period of time, and only so many formations can be learned.

"But…," Issei's eyes narrowed, and his smile grew even wider as he picked up the book again, opening it on the first page. "Wouldn't that simply be a waste? There are simply too many formations here, and I won't have a chance of learning them again, as they are exclusive to the Battlefield Formation. Hehe, I might as well learn all of them!"

The moment Issei finished saying those words, his brain started to come up with different strategies. He knew that it was above and beyond his limits to try to comprehend the dozens of formations within this book in in twenty-four hours. However, if he had more time, he had no doubt that he would be able to succeed!

Time! He only need thirty hours at most to learn them all. Somehow, he needed to find a way to stall Xiao Fang for long enough during the second day so he could have the time to finish the book. And how would that be done?

With formations, of course.

If one formation wasn't enough, Issei would use ten. If ten weren't enough, Issei would use twenty. If twenty weren't enough, Issei would thirty! No matter how many formations it took, Issei was sure that he would find a way.

There was always a way. As long as he racked his brain enough, he would find it!

* * *

At the same time that Issei was coming up with his absurd plans, Xiao Fang was wholeheartedly focusing on learning a few formations he had selected. He had previously read through the entire book, and after pondering, he had decided to choose five of those formations to completely master.

Two of them were offensive and three of them were defensive. As long as they were used wisely, Xiao Fang believed that victory would be in his hands.

With those thoughts in mind, he completely immersed himself in studying these five formations.

Seconds after seconds, time passed. Before he knew it, the period of twenty-four hours passed.

"The battle shall begin now!"

Elder Yang's voice reverberated through the valley, and the timer in the sky changed, returning back to '24:00'. Once it more, it began the countdown.

Xiao Fang immediately got up from the ground upon hearing those words. He closed his eyes for a few moments, and when they opened again, they were completely sharp, just like a deadly sword. After taking in a deep breath, he began walking towards the area Issei was at.

A few minutes later, he finally reached the other end of the valley. However, the moment he did so, he immediately discovered that something was wrong. There was a dangerous aura all around him, completely filling his surroundings.

"This… is this some kind of formation?" Xiao Fang's eyes narrowed as he took a few steps back. He then pondered for a bit before grabbing a nearby pebble and throwing it forward. After the small pebble flew for a few meters, a shocking scene took place; what seemed to be a sword-beam erupted from a nearby tree, and cut the pebble into two.

"A trap formation?" murmured Xiao Fang thoughtfully. He threw a few more pebbles, and the result was always the same. A sword-beam would flash from a nearby tree, and it would then cut the intruding pebbles.

It appeared that as long as the pebble reached a certain distance from the trees, it would be target by them.

"Quite a clever trick, but…," Xiao Fang revealed a calm smile. "It isn't enough to stop me!"

With a concentrated expression, Xiao Fang flourished his sleeves, and a formations appeared in front of him. It started to spin in the air, and before long, it looking just like a spinning blade.

"Go!"

Xiao Fang extended his hand, causing the rotating formation to be sent forward, flying in the direction of the trees. With soft sounds, the tree trunks were all cut in half. Then, after cutting through ten or so trees, the rotating formation dispersed.

"It should probably be safe," thought Xiao Fang as he picked yet another pebble from the ground. "But I should still make sure." After thinking that, he threw the pebble forward, sending it soaring through the air. At first, it appeared as if nothing would happen, but suddenly, a formation flashed on the ground, and what appeared to be a dark-red hand emerged from it, grabbing the pebble from the air. The strange, red-colored hand crushed the pebble, and then re-entered the formation once more.

Xiao Fang's expression changed.

"Another trap formation… that Issei person, just how many trap formations did he master yesterday? Don't tell me that he only mastered trap formations, and plan to win against me with only that…?"

As soon as that thought appeared in his mind, he crushed it. After all, his impression of Issei was that he was someone smart; Xiao Fang couldn't believe that he would try to do something that foolish.

 _ **Read & Review~! (T**_ _ **his chapter wasn't beta-read by KryoKon, and I didn't have enough time to properly look through it (Yeah, again). As such, PLEASE point out any mistakes you find. I'm serious. No matter how small the mistake is, PLEASE point it out.)**_


	83. Battle of Formations (3)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 83 - Battle of Formations (3)**

* * *

While Xiao Fang struggled to shatter the formations Issei had laid out in advance, Issei himself was a few hundred meters away, reading the same formations book from before. Different formations would occasionally flash from his hands as he read, and he would normally spend a few minutes in each page before moving on to the next.

Up to this point, he had already managed to master twelve formations. At the same time, he had also managed to completely carve the methods of thirty other formations into his memory, and as long as he did a throughout search of his mind in his future, he would be able to recall those memories and master them.

"I still have twenty more pages left, and over forty more formations to commit to memory," murmured Issei as he closed his eyes for a few seconds, carving yet another formation into his mind. Immediately after opening his eyes, he went back to reading the book. A while later, he sighed, "I can clearly feel that Xiao Fang is already trying to break my traps… at most, that should buy me two or so hours. That's not nearly enough to memorize everything."

The act of memorizing formations wasn't as simple as reading through a book. In order to do so, one must first thoroughly comprehend the formation and how it works. If not, even if someone tried to recall the technique required to cast the formation in the future, one would be unable to master it.

If it had been only reading, with Issei's eidetic memory, he believed that at the very most, it would have taken him five minutes to read through everything.

Suddenly, Issei's expression changed. His forehead creased, while his brows pressed tightly together. As he raised his head to look into the distance, he murmured coolly, "That Xiao Fang… he's fiercer than I thought."

Just at that moment, he could clearly feel how two of his formations had been effortlessly seen through and broken. Originally, Issei had believed that it would have taken Xiao Fang quite some time to decipher them, but he wouldn't have expected that they wouldn't even have lasted for an incense stick worth of time.

He had clearly underestimated his opponent.

"It seems that I won't have the time to memorize everything in the end," Issei sighed, and slowly got up from his seated position. After pondering over it a little, he closed the book, and decided to take the risk. The book in his hands disappeared, only to reappear once more within the Sky Poison Pearl' inner world.

Issei had a feeling that if he were to store the book in something like a cosmos sack, once he leaved the realm, the book would disappear. However, the Sky Poison Pearl was a Heavenly Profound Treasure. He believed that there was a chance that the Battlefield Formation wouldn't be able to interfere with it.

This was a gamble. The stakes were high, but there was nothing that could be done. Xiao Fang was simply too much of a threat. He couldn't be ignored, nor could he be underestimated.

"Xiao Fang..." murmured Issei as he sent out his consciousness, effortlessly determining his opponent's position through use of a sensory formation. After taking in a deep breath, he started walking in that direction with a grim expression. "You better be worth my time."

* * *

Xiao Fang, who had been in the midst of breaking another of Issei's trap formations, suddenly felt a tremor run through his body. His eyes widened, and he unhesitatingly took a few steps back. At the same time, in the distance, Issei's figure appeared.

"So you're finally here," said Xiao Fang with a placid expression, staring at Issei with unprecedented earnestness. He flourished his sleeves, and a golden-colored formation appeared in front of him. It then flew into his body, merging with his skin. His body began to change, and his skin adopted a sheen unique to metal. At the same time, a golden hue covered his clothes. Staring at Issei calmly, he asked, "Have you finally decided to stop hiding behind trap formations?"

Instead of answering him, Issei's eyes swept over Xiao Fang's body. After pondering, he murmured plainly, "Golden Lion Skin formation, greatly enhances a cultivator's defense powers, giving their skin the quality of gold and metal. How interesting..."

Issei had previously read through this formation before, and it was even one of those that he had memorized. As such, he could clearly see through its weaknesses, along with knowing all of its effects.

He then waved his hands, and a formation appeared in front of him. It was white-colored, and in comparison to Xiao Fang's Golden Lion Skin formation, it was much bigger in size. The moment it appeared, Xiao Fang's eyes widened.

"Isn't that the White Light Barrier formation? You actually managed to master it…?"

The White Light Barrier formation was one of the most difficult formations within that book. Initially, Xiao Fang had been tempted to learn it, but upon considering his limited amount of time, he decided against it. As such, he was extremely surprised when he saw Issei actually casting it.

"That's right." Issei nodded, and with a wave of his hands, the formation in front of him shattered, turning into a white-colored barrier that covered his whole body. The space around him trembled slightly, as even the air was repelled.

Then, under Xiao Fang's shocked gaze, Issei's fingers started to dance in the air, causing countless symbols to appear in the space in front of him. After exactly twenty symbols had been formed, Issei brought his hands together, and they all merged together into a single symbol.

This new symbol was blood-colored, and it shone with an eerie light. It was double the size of a baby's fist, and hovered in the air, parallel to Issei.

"Merge."

The moment those two words were said, the blood-colored symbol trembled, soon after flying into his body. Just like Xiao Fang's Golden Lion skin formation, it merged into his body. Instantly, changes started taking place, and what appeared to be a layer of blood-colored light rose up from his skin, giving Issei a menacing aura.

Xiao Fang's eyes widened, and just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, Issei suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a trail of blood-colored light. Not even a moment later, Issei's fist appeared directly in front of Xiao Fang's head.

"Dammit!" Xiao Fang cursed, and a formation hastily appeared in front of him. It managed to block the incoming fist for a few moments, but in the end, it shattered. Issei's fist lost some of its momentum, but it still continued forward, punching towards Xiao Fang, just like a fierce tiger.

In this situation, Xiao Fang could only hope that his Golden Lion Skin formation would be able to endure Issei's might. He quickly raised up his arms, and took the attack head-on.

 _Baam!_

Xiao Fang's body was sent flying like a kite without a string, leaving behind a trail of blood in the air. As he flew through the air, he managed to regain his balance, and swiftly landed on the ground. Instantly upon doing so, he checked the condition of his arms.

"Not broken, but completely numb…," Xiao Fang grimaced. Then he raised his head, and saw that Issei had yet to move from his place. After a few moments on pondering, he asked cautiously, "That formation you used is the Scarlet Blood Strength formation. However, it shouldn't be able to increase your strength so much… coupled with the fact that you can't channel spiritual power into your limbs in this area, just how did you manage to use that much strength?"

Issei looked at him coolly, not answering his question. He obviously wouldn't reveal that his limbs were much stronger than normal because of his 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', a body-strengthening cultivation technique. Instead, he was taking use of this opportunity to gauge the strength of his own formations.

"This Scarlet Blood Strength formation can increase my strength by 10% for a short period of time. Although it isn't anything astonishing, it isn't half-bad either."

Then, with a wave of his hands, a flash of light appeared before him, and another formation was created. His fingers started to weave through the air, leaving behind countless after-shadows. Web-like lights sprung forth from his finger, crisscrossing in the air, causing an illusory net to form in front of him.

"This is the Web Entrapment formation… let's see how it works."

Issei made a grasping motion with his hand, and the illusory net was sent forward in Xiao Fang's direction. Just as it was about to reach him, a cold light flashed in Xiao Fang's eyes. His fingers also began to dance, and dozens of rotating formations appeared all around him.

 _Slash! Slash! Slash!_

Those dozens of rotating formations ruthlessly ripped apart the illusory net as if it was paper, and continued to fly towards Issei without any loss in power. They ripped apart the air, and in the blink of an eye, were already before him.

"Ruthless Dismemberment formation?" Issei looked calmly at the dozens of rotating formations, analyzing them in a nonchalant manner. Slowly, the corner of his lips curled upwards. With a wave of his hands, another White Light Barrier formation was created, double-layering his original White Light Barrier formation.

The moment the rotating formations clashed against Issei's strengthened White Light Barrier formation, a shocking scene took place. Those rotating formations, which were akin to peerless blades and seemingly able to slash apart anything only managed to leave behind a few scratches in the barrier surrounding Issei before dispersing.

Xiao Fang's face sank. At that moment, he realized just how terrifying the White Light Barrier formation's defensive power truly was.

"He… just how many different formation did he master?! Counting those two trap formations from before, he has already used four different formations so far! Not only that, the White Light Barrier formation is incredibly difficult to master… could it be that his talent is truly above mine?"

Before Xiao Fang could continue his line of thought, his eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly dodged to the side. In the place he had just been at, a withered, red-colored arm rose up from the ground, with a dagger in its hand hand. The arm may illusory, but the attack was certainly real.

"Isn't this a trap formation?" Xiao Fang's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately turned his head around to look at Issei. Upon seeing his opponent's thoughtful and concentrated expression, he realized that there was something wrong.

Trap formations had to be laid beforehand. It was virtually impossible to cast on in the moment. Furthermore, one needed to be close to cast the formation; there was absolutely no way to do it from a distance.

"How… how did he do it?!"

Xiao Fang's eyes narrowed, but no matter how much he thought, he was unable to arrive at an answer. What Issei had done just now completely went against the basic theory of formations! Xiao Fang couldn't even believe his own eyes.

A smile suddenly appeared in Issei's face. It was cold and bleak, devoid of any emotion. The moment Xiao Fang saw it, he felt his scalp go numb, while roaring sounds filled his mind.

There was something coming!

"I have already tested the power of the White Light Barrier, the boost of the Scarlet Blood Strength, the attacking ability of the Ruthless Dismemberment, and the defense of the Golden Lion Skin… Hmm, that should be enough playing around," murmured Issei plainly as he took a step forward. His hands flashed by his side, and a blinding light appeared on them. "I have played around enough. This is a battle of formations, so I might as well show you… my full power!"

Issei waved his hands, and the white-colored light that covered his hands scattered in the air, transforming into thousands of small filaments of light. Upon coming into contact with the ground, these filaments burrowed into it, completely disappearing from sight.

By that point, the sense of danger in Xiao Fang's mind had already reached an astonishing degree. He knew that something extremely dangerous and terrifying was going to happen.

Not even a moment later, the entire ground began to shine with blinding lights. If one looked closely, they would see that hundreds of formations had appeared all over the ground, covering the area of dozens of meters around Xiao Fang.

It was in that moment that Xiao Fang realized that he had lost . He unhesitatingly activated all of his defensive formations, but deep inside, he knew that he was doomed. He could only hope that these formations would allow him keep his life in the end.

"Activate."

Issei snapped his fingers, and from the ground, countless Ruthless Dismemberment formations erupted. At the same time, dozens of red-colored hands and sword beams also emerged from the ground. All of them had a single target, which was….

….Xiao Fang!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 _ **Remember to point out any mistakes.**_


	84. End Of The Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 84 - End Of The Battle**

* * *

"Stop!"

Just as the countless formations were about to collide against Xiao Fang, a deep and imposing voice thundered in Issei's ears. An overwhelming pressure weighed down on everyone present, and all of the formations that Issei had previously laid burst, as if they were only bubbles.

Following that, a figure flew out from above, falling directly in the space between Issei and Xiao Fang. This figure stood there protectively, with his arms opened wide, while his eyes were full of ranging anger, along with other complex feelings, which Issei couldn't discern.

This mysterious figure who had interrupted Issei's attack was none other than Xiao Shui!

"You..." Xiao Shui stared at Issei with a complex expression, as if deeply pondering over something. After a long time, he turned around and grabbed the astonished Xiao Fang by the hem of his robe. Within seconds, they were already in the air, flying in the direction of the Formation Battlefield's exit. The moment Xiao Shui was about to disappear, he turned around to look at Issei and coolly said, "You have won. The position of Formations Heir is yours."

Shortly after, he disappeared over the horizon, bringing with him his son. Once he was out of sight, a shadow appeared near Issei, and Xiao Yang descended from the skies. Surprisingly, the moment he reached the ground, he didn't pay any attention to his disciple. Instead, he was completely immersed in analyzing the countless shattered formations that littered the ground.

During the course of the forty eight hours, which Issei and Xiao Fang had spent within the Formations Battlefield, he had paid special attention to Issei's movements, and thus had been able to clearly see how Issei had accomplished this mighty feat.

"Five hours before the start of the battle, he actually went here and started laying out these hundreds of formations…," thought Xiao Yang, his expression one of pure and raw astonishment. "In the beginning, he would take an incense stick worth of time to cast a single formation, but as time went by, the amount of time he needed gradually decreased. By the end of it, he was actually capable of drawing a formation in a few breaths of time. This… this is simply ridiculous."

Xiao Yang glanced at Issei from the corner of his eyes, and upon seeing his disciple's calm and nonchalant expression, he sighed with emotion. "I truly picked up an amazing genius as my disciple. Furthermore, his temperament can also be considered as the cream of the crop; he has just achieved victory, yet he doesn't gloat or brag."

After pondering over some other matters, Xiao Yang coughed, causing Issei's head to turn towards him. Once he had his disciple's attention, the corner of his lips curled upwards and he said, "My disciple, with your victory over Xiao Fang just now, you properly acquired the title of Formations Heir."

Issei merely nodded, already aware of that. What he was truly curious about was how his status would change now that he was no longer a candidate, but instead the actual Formations Heir.

Xiao Yang obviously knew what was on Issei's mind. He immediately explained, "Now that you're the Formations Heir, your status is above that of a core disciple. In fact, aside from Xiao Nan, the Martial Heir, no other disciple can stand on equal grounds as you—"

Suddenly, Xiao Yang paused, as if he had remembered something. After some thought, he continued with a rather strange expression, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Actually, there _is_ a disciple whose status is above yours."

"Oh?" Issei's interest was perked. He quickly urged his master to elaborate.

"It's the son of the Patriarch," explained Xiao Yang. His expression was complex as he continued, "However, I believe that most people, if not everyone, has already forgotten about his existence. After all, he has been in closed-doors secluded cultivation ever since six years ago."

"Since six years ago?" Issei's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't think too much into it. After all, such matters were completely unrelated to him. After discussing some other matters with Xiao Yang, they finally left the Formations Battlefield.

As they flew through the air, Issei revealed a surprised expression. After a while, he asked, "Master, where have Elders Yi and Zhong gone?"

After all, he clearly remembered how all of them had been teleported to the Formations Battlefield. But, the moment they flew over the mountain in which they had previously been, Issei realized that it was now empty. At the same time, he used his Spirit Power to search around the Formations Battlefield, but was unable to find anything.

Everyone else had clearly left at some point. Furthermore, Xia Mei had also disappeared. Because of that, Issei couldn't help but to worry.

"Mn?" Xiao Yang turned his head around to look at Issei, slightly surprised at his question. Soon after he explained, "The moment you activated those formations, they went home. After all, that rascal Shui was completely livid; they weren't willing to stay around him."

"What about Mei?"

"That girl?" Xiao Yang smiled lightly. "She was quite tired after spending two days without eating or sleeping… her cultivation isn't high enough to be able to endure that. As such, I asked Xiao Yi to leave her by your residence. Right now she should be resting there."

Upon hearing those words, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Since he had no more worries, he enjoyed the scenery as they flew back to Xiao Yang's house. Also, it must be said that the fact that Xiao Yang could fly was something truly helpful; were they to walk on foot, they would have required at least a couple of hours to arrive at his residence. However, as they were flying, they managed to reach it in a matter of minutes.

Once they arrived, they were greeted by an excited Xiao Huan, who led them to the dining room. Immediately upon entering it, they came across a rather strange scene, at least in Issei's position. Xiao Yi and Xiao Zhong were currently engaged in some kind of heated discussion. The beautiful elder had a reluctant expression, while the greedy World Spiritist wore a wide smile on his face, his eyes shining with anticipation, as if there was a pile of money in front of him. And, considering the situation, that wasn't too far from the truth.

The moment he saw that scene, Xiao Yang sighed, not taking even a second to realize what was going on. Despite that, he had no intention of interfering. He knew that everything would eventually resolve itself, just like how it happened in all of the previous times.

After all, this wasn't the first time that Xiao Zhong and Xiao Yi had bet on something. In fact, the amount of times this had happened in the past were simply uncountable.

And, just as Xiao Yang expected, after a few minutes had gone by, the discussion seemed to have reached its end. Xiao Yi, with an unwilling expression, finally handed a small pouch to Xiao Zhong, who caught it with eyes full of greed, akin to a famished beast that had just come across some prey. Immediately after receiving that small, average-looking, brown-colored pouch, he opened it up and carefully placed his hand on it, retrieving what appeared to be thumb-sized crystals from within.

The moment Issei saw those ethereal-looking crystals, his eyes widened in shock. And, the moment he saw that they totaled twenty, he was almost left panting.

"Wait… those are… spirit stones!? And there are actually twenty of them…!?" thought Issei in bewilderment, as if the couldn't believe his own, widened eyes. Those crystals in Xiao Zhong's hands looked no different from the crystal that Xiao Huan had previously shown him, so Issei was able to quickly and accurately realize what they were.

However, that only deepened his shock. After all, according to Xiao Huan, spirit stones were incredibly precious!

As for Xiao Zhong, after counting the small stones a few times, he finally concluded that there were indeed twenty of them, the exact amount that they had agreed on. After confirming that, he stored them away in his cosmos sack and turned his head to look at Xiao Yi, who looked back at him with an annoyed expression, as if she had eaten a fly. He smiled widely and clasped his hands, "Many thanks for gifting me these twenty spirit stones, Sister Yi."

Xiao Yi's expression sank dramatically. Her body began to tremble; she was almost unable to contain her anger. In the end, she managed to say through gritted teeth, "Rascal! Just take them and go away, you damn scoundrel! Don't rub salt on the wound!"

"Hehe, no need to get mad, Sister Yi," Xiao Zhong smiled back at her, unhesitatingly saying all of the apologetic words he knew. As he did so, he took a few steps back, greatly increasing the distance between him and Xiao Yi. In the end, Xiao Yi wasn't the previous Martial Heir just for show. She could easily be considered as one of the strongest in the entire Xiao Sect, and only an incredibly foolish person would dare to truly anger her. Xiao Zhong may be a World Spiritist, who completely excelled at defense, but he knew that in a real fight, he wouldn't be Xiao Yi's match. In fact, it wouldn't be strange if she could effortlessly force him to his knees.

Xiao Yi was someone absolutely terrifying. Her sweet looks may fool most, but those who were familiar with her knew better than to underestimate her. Judging solely by her beautiful and pretty appearance, a normal person would naturally assume that she was absolutely powerless and inoffensive. But, as someone that was familiar with her, Xiao Zhong knew that she wasn't someone to be angered. In fact, between having to battle the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect and Xiao Yi, Xiao Zhong would unhesitatingly choose the former. After all, not only was Xiao Yi powerful, she was also ruthless and savage. She was without a doubt the person he feared the most in the entire Xiao Sect.

"Humph! I'll not bother with you any longer!" Xiao Yi crossed her arms and turned around, no longer paying attention to Xiao Zhong. Although she really desired to give him a throughout beating, she knew that it wouldn't be wise to do so within Xiao Yang's residence. Although her quarrel was with Xiao Zhong, if they were to fight within Xiao Yang's residence, he was bound to take action.

There were a handful formations there that even she was afraid of with Xiao Yang's house. They had existed there for hundreds of years, and had been drawn by the ancestors of the Xiao Sect. Xiao Yi believed that in an actual battle, Xiao Yang couldn't possibly hope to beat her, but if they were to fight within his residence, her chances of winning were absolutely null.

As such, she settled for simply ignoring Xiao Zhong, no longer paying any attention to him.

Xiao Zhong didn't seem bothered at all by Xiao Yi's words, nor did he pay any attention to her actions. In fact, before Xiao Yi had even finished turning around, his mind had already wandered back to the spirit stones that he had gained from her. After a few moments of hesitation, he carefully took them out of his cosmos sack, and began to look at them one by one, analyzing them from every angle possible.

His eyes were filled with adoration as he carefully brought spirit stone after spirit stones to his eyes, handling them with utmost care. He looked at all of the twenty crystals carefully, and it was only after determining that they had no blemishes that he could finally set his heart at ease.

This was simply a habit that he had adopted long ago, originating on the day he received his first spirit stone. Back then, his master had gifted him a spirit stones that was slightly cracked, and thus had lost a great deal of its value. Ever since then, he made sure to pay special attention to all spirit stones he received from others.

While Xiao Zhong was immersed in analyzing his spirit stones, Issei spent his time chatting with Xiao Huan about formations, discussing their various insights they had one them. They talked for a few hours, with no care for the time; after all, Xia Mei was supposed to be sleeping, and Issei wanted to let her rest peacefully in their home.

However, the moment Issei noticed that the sun was setting, he decided that he had already spent more than enough time discussing with Xiao Huan. He smiled apologetically to Xiao Huan and excused himself, promising that he would continue their conversation at a later date. After saying goodbye to everyone else, he walked out of Xiao Yang's residence and started walking towards his own.

As he walked, he subconsciously glanced in the direction of the various other mountains of the Xiao Sect, and his gaze randomly fell on the mountain in which the inner disciples yet. All of a sudden, he realized something, "Ever since I arrived in the Xiao Sect a few days ago, I didn't visit Luocheng even once! I wonder how he's doing right now… well, I'll just visit him tomorrow. Now that my status is that of the Formations Heir, I can probably make his life easier for him…"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 _ **Please point out any mistakes!**_


	85. Amateur

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

* * *

 **Chapter 85 - Amateur**

* * *

The next day.

Issei leisurely strolled around the inner area of the Xiao Sect, his eyes constantly looking at his surroundings. This was his second time walking through this area ever since he had arrived in the Xiao Sect, and he was quite unfamiliar with it; needless to say, it was quite easy to get lost. Therefore, he walked slowly, calmly engraving everything he saw into his mind.

Meanwhile, his gaze wandered around, searching for a certain someone. He had come across many inner disciples, but so far, he had yet to catch sight of Xiao Luocheng. In reality, that wasn't too surprising, considering that the Xiao Sect was simply colossal in size; the area of the inner disciples alone already spanned for dozens – if not hundreds – of kilometers.

Thankfully, with his identity as the Formations Heir, the inner disciples were extremely courteous; an ingratiating smile was always present on their faces every time he talked with one, and their faces were always full of respect and admiration.

It may have only been one day ever since Issei had become the Formations Heir, but in a sect as connected as the Xiao Sect, information traveled fast. Not even a few hours after Xiao Fang's defeat, even the janitors had already been informed that Issei had been named the Formations Heir, never mind the inner disciples.

"Eldest Brother Issei, it's my pleasure to meet you!...Mn? You are searching for a new disciple called Xiao Luocheng? I must apologize; I have never heard of such a person. Oh? He's a friend of yours? Then… well, I'll inform my fellow brothers. If any of us find him, we'll inform you immediately!"

"You… aren't you Eldest Brother Issei?! Oh, Heavens! Eldest Brother Issei, whatever you want, this little brother shall do his best in helping you out! If you tell me to go east, I'll definitely not go west!"

"Hmm?! Eldest Brother Issei?! What are you doing in the area for inner disciples? Eee?! You are searching for someone?! Xiao Luocheng? I don't think I have heard–-Wait! Is he a new disciple? One that just entered yesterday? Yes…? Then I know! I was in charge of bringing him to his residence! Come, come, let me show you to him, Eldest Brother!"

This last person was a short, black-haired youth with a weasel-like expression. Although he was an inner disciple, his talent was rather lacking; therefore he was assigned with the task of helping the new inner disciples to get used to the change in environment, answering any questions they might have.

Eventually, this short, black-haired youth, whose name was Xiao Chang, led Issei to a rather normal-looking courtyard. It looked similar to all of the other residences around it; in fact, if it wasn't for Xiao Chang leading the way, Issei believed that he would never have been able to find it.

Xiao Chang quickly said, "Let me call him for you, Eldest Brother. I'll be back shortly."

After that, a small, weird-looking jade slip appeared on his hands. The moment he reached the door, he immediately held it forward, pressing it again the door. Without a sound, the door suddenly opened.

"This is the 'master' jade slip," Xiao Chang explained as he stored it away in his cosmos sack once more. After doing so, he knocked on the half-opened door a few times, but even after a while, no answer came. Xiao Chang frowned. He quickly turned around to face Issei and said, "Eldest Brother, it seems that either he isn't home, or he's still sleeping. Would you like me to go up there and have a look, or…?"

"He's not there," said Issei, shaking his head. He had already swept the house with his Spirit Power, and quickly determined that it was completely devoid of life. Following that, he sighed, and simply decided to do it the hard way.

Originally, he didn't want to use his Spirit Power, since that could somehow offend some of the elders, but seeing that Xiao Luocheng wasn't home, he no longer had any choice. He flourished his sleeve, and his Spirit Power was sent out, flooding the area around him with his awareness.

After searching for quite some time, he finally located a familiar aura. It wasn't too far away; only a few hundreds meter. However, Issei's expression turned cold all of a sudden. Surroundings Xiao Luocheng were other auras, while he held an extremely weak aura in close to his.

Issei would be a fool if he didn't understand what that meant.

Xiao Luocheng… was in trouble.

"You're coming with me!"

Issei's feet struck against the ground, and in less than a second, he had already grabbed onto Xiao Chang's robes. Then, with a burst or power, he leaped over the Xiao Luocheng's residence, reaching a state of almost soaring through the air.

His eyes scanned the terrain below him just like an eagle, and within seconds, he had found his target. With a wave of his hands, his momentum began to decrease, and by using some formations, he quickly reached the ground once more.

His current distance was only a few meters away from Xiao Luocheng. However, as the place he was on was hiding by a building, no one noticed his arrival. Issei released Xiao Chang from his hands, and without delay, focused his attention on what was happening right before his eyes.

"You little twerp! That girl… that girl belongs to me! What do you think you're doing?!" From the crowd of young men that surrounded Xiao Luocheng, a handsome-looking youth walked out. He had an aura of a scholar to him, but if one were to look within his eyes, they would see that hidden beneath this scholarly aura was ruthlessness and unquenchable lust.

"Belongs to you?" Xiao Luocheng sneered, his eyes locked onto the youth who had just stepped out. He quickly took a step forward, standing protectively in front of the girl. Following that, he coolly said, "Human beings don't belong to anyone. Furthermore, that girl is obviously unwilling to stay with you… Is it not my right to help someone in dire straits!? Who are you stop me!?"

"You… you… disgusting animal! How dare you talk to me like that?!"

"Disgusting animal?" Xiao Luocheng's aura surged out, his expression turning even colder. "You are the scoundrel trying to force himself onto a girl, and I'm the disgusting animal!? That's hilarious!"

The youth's face sank due to Xiao Luocheng's wild aura. Taking a few step back, he glared hatefully at Xiao Luocheng as he waved his arm down. Immediately, the other youths who had stood by his side took a step forward, their auras surging out like the tide, flooding their surroundings.

All of them had cultivation bases in the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm, just like Xiao Luocheng! Furthermore, there were over ten of them in total. Their aura coalesced together was absolutely terrifying!

"I'll give you one more chance! Hand over that girl and I'll be on my way! Don't force my hand!"

"Over my dead body!" Xiao Luocheng's words reverberated in the air, thundering in everyone's ears. The sheer resoluteness in them was simply breathtaking!

"Humph! If that's your wish, then so be it!" As he crossed his arms, the youth turned around to face his followers. With a ruthless and cold voice, he uttered in pure hatred, "Kill him."

"Yes!"

All of his followers readily took out whatever weapon they head, and started closing in on Xiao Luocheng. There were more than twenty of them, and only one of him. What could they possibly be afraid of?

Meanwhile, Issei watched what was happening with a grim expression. Alas, he didn't take any action, and only observed.

Xiao Chang, no longer able to withstand it, spluttered out with an anxious expression, "Eldest Brother! Isn't that Xiao Luocheng a friend of yours?! Shouldn't we help him?!"

Instead of answering, Issei simply placed his right arm in front of him, and after shooting him a cold glare, he turned his attention back to Xiao Luocheng. Unknown to Xiao Chang, Gan Jiang had already appeared on his other hand, and could rush out at moment's notice.

Before acting, he wanted to carefully analyze the situation. He could see that Xiao Luocheng, even though faced with so many opponents, had yet to lose his cool. This obviously meant that he had something prepared.

Suddenly, Issei's eyes widened, as a shocking scene took place before his eyes. Xiao Luocheng, without any care for safety, rushed into the ten attackers, sword in hand. His eyes were cold and expressionless as he cast his most powerful skill right on the start.

"[Green Lotus]!"

A green-colored lotus appeared behind Xiao Luocheng, and before his ten enemies could even react, his sword swung down. Spiritual power rippled in the air, and an oppressing, yet dignified aura weighed down on them, rendering them immobile. Xiao Luocheng's arc-like sword attack reached them in that very moment of vulnerability, completely shattering their defenses.

Fountains of blood spilled from the gashes on their stomach, tainting the ground below them in red. All ten of them, without exception, fell to their knees with blank expressions, their eyes hazed as they stared at nothingness in a daze. Although they weren't dead, they weren't far from it. Their lives were in an extremely perilous state, hanging by a thread.

Xiao Luocheng, after doing that, didn't even glance at those ten inner disciples. His sword-like gaze was completely focused on the arrogant youth, whose entire body trembled.

"Is there anything else?" asked Xiao Luocheng. Meanwhile, he waved his hand, smearing the blood that tainted his word on the ground. His gaze was filled with ruthlessness, devoid of any emotion aside from a colossal, desolate killing intent, capable of piercing through the heavens!

"No… no….," murmured the youth, his mind reeling. Eventually, he fell to his knees, and just like his followers, his stared at Xiao Luocheng in a daze, unable to utter any words. The scene of all his subordinates being defeated with a single strike was forever engraved into his mind. Additionally, Xiao Luocheng's piercing glare had completely shattered what remained of his mental barriers, leaving him completely flabbergasted.

Without a single word, Xiao Luocheng turned around, storing his sword away within his cosmos sack in the process. Instantly, his cold and hard gaze completely faded away, replaced by a warm and sweet expression. After taking a few steps forward, he extended his hands towards the girl whom he had been protecting.

At some point, she had fallen to her knees, and was staring at Xiao Luocheng in shock.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Luocheng smiled at her, helping her up to her feet. After that, he whispered soothing words into her ear, causing her expression to slowly loosen.

Eventually, she said with a voice full of worry, "You… Brother Luocheng, why did you act so rashly?! That youth is the son of an elder! What will happen to you now?"

Xiao Luocheng puffed out his chest, and adopted the expression of a fearless expert. "I'm not one to regret his actions. Should any consequences arise, I'll deal with them."

"But..."

"Look," Xiao Luocheng suddenly turned around, and placed his hand on her chin, lifting her head up so their eyes met. Then he smiled brightly as he said, "Don't worry about it. I promise that nothing will happen."

After that, he murmured some more soothing words before walking with the girl back to her residence.

The moment they left, Issei walked out, staring at the ten corpses in front of him. Eventually, his gaze fell onto the petrified youth.

"That Xiao Luocheng… he's truly a troublesome friend," Issei sighed as he struck forward ten times with his hand, causing ten illusory palms to be sent out, effortlessly killing those half-dead youths. Once that was done, he flourished his sleeve, and the corpses suddenly disappeared, only to reappear within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. At the same time, thousands of filaments of spiritual power flew out from his arms, completely destroying whatever vestige of blood that remained.

After that, he beckoned for the astonished Xiao Chang to come closer.

"That kid… is he really someone important?" asked Issei as he pointed at the youth.

"He… he should be the son of an outer elder," Xiao Chang, after snapping out of his daze, analyzed the youth for a long time before speaking. Then, after some thought, he cautiously added, "However, his status is far from yours..."

How could Issei not understand the meaning of his words?

A smile appeared on his face, and he started walking towards the petrified youth. After that, he checked his cultivation base with his spirit power, and seeing that he was only in the mid-stages of the Nascent Profound Realm, he smiled.

"I won't kill you, since that could cause some trouble in the future. However," Issei's hand landed onto his forehead, "that doesn't mean I can't waste you."

With a single thought, he activated the Pulse Cutting Palm, one of the three martial skills he had gained from the Magic Cube.

A tyrannical surge of spiritual power erupted from his hand, effortlessly flowing into the youth's body. Once inside, they begun to crush and destroy all of his meridians, profound veins, and dantian. That process lasted for a few breaths of time, and once it was done, Issei simply walked away, leaving the youth there.

Before he left, he suddenly stopped and said, "Xiao Chang, tell me if any problems regarding Xiao Luocheng arise." After that, he waved his hands, and a small jade-slip fell onto Xiao Chang's hands. With this, he could send some messages to him through the formations laid within it. Finally, he added, "Also, make sure that no trouble arises from this little _incident_. If you need any help, just tell me. Finally… don't tell Luocheng that I passed by."

After he finished saying those words, he walked out, and just like the breeze, he disappeared, leaving behind an astonished Xiao Chang, who stared at the jade slip in his hands with a complex expression. Eventually, he regained his senses, and began to think deeply about what had happened.

Meanwhile, Issei had already arrived at the borders of the inner sect region. A smile graced his face, and he strolled leisurely. After some time, he sighed and murmured, "That Xiao Luocheng… he's shrewder than I thought…

"That attack with his sword was something carefully planned. The only reason he managed to win was because he had taken his enemies by surprise, enabling him to disregard their defenses. If it wasn't for that, he would have surely lost…

"Not only that, I also caught a glimpse of Xiao Luocheng's true personality. Humph! That guy is a natural womanizer; he stole that girl's heart in seconds! And yet he dares to say that I'm good? Laughable!" Issei shook his head, and even though he said such words, he was still smiling. "However, I think that I did the right think in not interfering. Luocheng is someone proud… I don't think he would have taken it well if I had just appeared there and then. Sometimes, one must learn to handle their troubles by themselves… at least the bigger ones. As for consequences of his action… well, I'll just deal with them from the shadows. He doesn't need to know."

All of a sudden, Issei's expression turned complex, "Still, I believe that I should give him some tips later. Leaving behind those almost-dead youths? Completely amateur! Also, how could he possibly let that arrogant youth go? It would surely come back to bite him in the future! On the other hand, I guess that he doesn't have experience with that, so it can't be helped… later on, I'll just teach him one of the basics..."

 _ **Read & Review~! **_

_**A/N: Just like the previous chapters, this one wasn't beta-read. However, I usually proof-read my chapters a few times before uploading, but due to my short amount of time, I was unable to do that with this one. As such, there are definetely many mistakes and I'll have to rely on your help to correct them! Please, if you come across any mistakes, don't hestiate to point that out either in a review or in a PM. In fact, as you read the chapter, try to write down any mistakes that you find so you don't forget them when reviewing. I really need this for this one.**_


	86. Magical Pagoda

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

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 **Chapter 86 - Magical Pagoda**

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Issei sighed as he walked back to his residence, his expression complex. Even though he had thought all that, he still felt bad about leaving his friend alone. But, in the end, a cultivator can only develop under pressure. Furthermore, as it was already mentioned, Xiao Luocheng was a proud person; even if Issei wanted to help him, he wouldn't be surprised if he were to promptly refuse it.

As such, even though Issei's original purpose was to pay Xiao Luocheng a visit, he changed his mind in the end. In order to cultivate, one can only rely on themselves. Considering Xiao Luocheng's personality, Issei knew that his help would only hinder his cultivation in the future. All that he was doing was for the sake of his friend's progress.

After a long time, Issei displayed a calm smile on his face, no longer thinking about other people's matter. He already had too many matters in his plate; he simply didn't have the time to ponder over other people's lives. This was a luxury he couldn't afford.

"Well, for now, I guess that I'll simply go back and start mastering those formation techniques," said Issei, his expression thoughtful. "I also have to master those formations that I memorized within the Formations Battlefield. That should take at least a few months."

Suddenly, Issei's expression changed. His brows furrowed as he continued, "Wait, I also have to research into the Heretical God Seed, and try to master the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void'... If I remember correctly, Xiao Luocheng mentioned that there are some areas here with high-density of elemental-attributed spiritual power. I should probably ask master about that once I get home."

After taking a few more steps, Issei's expression changed again, once more remembering something. "There is also my Essence Flame, Xiao Hui… not only that, I have to continue looking into inscription techniques. Furthermore, I have to start practicing the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' with Feng Xinyi… Oh, there is also the League of Demon Sealers. I still have to gain more enlightenment on the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex."

At that moment, Issei suddenly realized just how many different techniques and powers he still had to master. During the various years he had spent cultivating, he had gained countless legacies and amazing abilities, but he never had the time to deeply look into them. Now that he had managed to find a tranquil area for him to cultivate in, he was overwhelmed due to realizing just how many different techniques and powers he had to master.

Strangely enough, Issei still had a feeling that he was forgetting about some things. But, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't remember what he was missing, even though he had what could be considered to be perfect memory. After a long time, he sighed and thought in his heart, "Even if I do remember whatever I'm forgetting, it would be of no use. After all, I already have too many things that I need to do. Once I finish handling all of them, I can always spare some time to ponder about just what I'm overlooking…."

By the time Issei arrived at that conclusion, he was only a few hundred meters away from his residence. Judging by the distance, it would take roughly one incense stick worth of time to reach it. Therefore, Issei already began planning on what he should begin doing upon arriving.

Alas, before he could think too much, Jasmine's voice rang in his head. As surprising as it may seem, she seemed unusually excited.

"This…. this aura… there's an ancient treasure nearby!"

Issei immediately stopped in place, a surprised expression on his face. Something had made Jasmine excited. That was something that rarely, almost never, happened. His expression turned serious as he asked, "Jasmine? What happened?"

"A peerless treasure just appeared near your Xiao Sect, and it seems to be quickly approaching! Quick, spread out your Spirit Power! Try to detect any unusual fluctuations in spiritual power!"

A treasure that could make even Jasmine excited?! A treasure that the 'haughty princess' actually described as peerless?! Issei simply couldn't believe his own ears. Treasures that could make someone as proud and arrogant as Jasmine so excited weren't something that could possibly come from the Middle Realm. Even if one were to search the Higher Ream for countless years, they would still be hard-pressed to find something so amazing!

Issei no longer had any hesitations. All of the Spirit Power in his body surged out, and like the huge waves of the ocean, began to feel his surroundings with his awareness. They quickly spread around him, just like countless tentacles, completely covering his surroundings.

Alas, Issei's Spirit Power was only so much, and it had a rather limited range. As such, it could only barely cover the area of dozens of meters around him before reaching its limit. But, just at that moment, something else happened. The mark of the Sky Poison Pearl on his left hand began to shine!

"This is?!" Issei's eyes widened, startled. Not even a second later, he remembered that the Sky Poison Pearl would start glowing whenever it was close to a powerful treasure or exceedingly rare material. Obviously, a treasure that could make Jasmine so excited would also catch the interest of the Sky Poison Pearl.

"Start walking around!" Jasmine suddenly ordered. "See in which direction it shines the brightest. Then follow that direction."

When Issei heard those words, he unhesitatingly started moving around, paying close attention to the mark of the Sky Poison Pearl. A few breaths of time later, he determined that its glow was brighter when he was walking towards the south.

"South!" Issei excitedly exclaimed as he began running in that direction. At the same time, he kept channeling spiritual power into his legs, causing his speed to rapidly increase. Then, after some thought, Issei grit hist teeth and entered the Lightning Incarnation mode. With a 'bang' sound, his speed broke through its previous limit, and he was sent forward at breakneck speed!

Issei's body could no longer be seen. Because of the side-effects of the Lightning Incarnation mode, his body was bathed in an azure aura. Furthermore, because he was moving at extreme speed, this azure aura completely overshadowed his figure, and all that could be seen was an azure streak of light rushing in a certain direction, startling any random cultivator who happened to be nearby.

Before long, Issei had already passed through various areas of the Xiao Sect, and was now in one of the countless forests that could be seen at several locations of the Xiao Sect. Those forests were places that were specially preserved by the Xiao Sect in order to keep the elements of nature in balance.

The moment Issei reached the center of that forest, Issei suddenly stopped, as the light emanated by the Sky Poison Pearl seemed to have reached its peak. Issei's eyes swept over his surroundings, but he was unable to see anything out of ordinary.

"According to the Sky Poison Pearl, it's supposed to be here…." murmured Issei as he kept looking around.

"You idiot! Look up! It's in the sky!" Upon seeing Issei's foolishness Jasmine had to hold back the urge to slap him, and quickly reminded him with a sense of urgency.

"Mn?!" Issei immediately raised his head, enabling him to see a person hovering above the forest at an altitude of dozens of meters. This person wore a long, green-colored robe, and had a scholarly and young aura to him, apparently in his late twenties. Not only that, he was tall, and had a sleek and thin figure, with the palest of skins, as if he hadn't seen the sun in centuries. His hair was long and black, neatly tied behind his back.

Currently, the young man's gaze was focused on a small, red-colored object that he held in his hands, not paying any attention to Issei. In fact, it was obvious that he had yet to even notice his presence.

"That is… a pagoda?" Issei's eyes widened. Just now, he had channeled spiritual power into his eyes to get a better look at the object in the man's hands. Because of that, he realized that it was a miniature, red-colored pagoda. It was barely the size of a baby's fist, and was covered in golden markings, completely majestic in appearance.

"That's the treasure…. That pagoda in that man's hand is the treasure." Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she explained. Surprisingly, her expression was no longer excited. Instead, it was complex. "However, that man's cultivation base is only at the first level of the Emperor Profound Realm… how could someone so weak have such a powerful treasure?"

"First level of the Emperor Profound Realm?" Hearing Jasmine's words, Issei's eyes widened in realization. Not too long ago, Xiao Yang had told him that in the entire Xiao Sect, only the Patriarch had managed to cultivate to the Emperor Profound Realm. Even Xiao Yi, one of the strongest of the Xiao Sect, was only at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm.

For a man of the first level of the Emperor Profound Realm to suddenly appear above the Xiao Sect… this was certainly not a simple coincidence! Furthermore, the appearance of that man completely matched the description that Xiao Yang had given him of the Patriarch. A scholarly aura, with an almost sickly appearance.

Issei didn't need to think any further. He was already sure that the man hovering above the forest was definitely the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect!

"So he's the Patriarch," murmured Issei, his expression thoughtful. At the same time, he wondered just how he had actually been able to get his hands on that miniature pagoda. A treasure of that level wasn't something easily found.

"However, I remember that master once told me that the Patriarch was out in some trip through the world, trying to gain enlightenment and make a breakthrough in cultivation… could it be that he came back because he somehow found that pagoda?"

All of a sudden, the Patriarch made an incantation gesture, and the pagoda flew from his hands, distancing itself from him, until it was over a dozen feet away from him, majestically hovering in the air.

The Patriarch waved his hands once more, causing his spiritual power to surge out, enveloping the pagoda. Following that, the miniature pagoda began to greedily devour the spiritual power around it, completely absorbing it. After that was done, it began to expand in size. From the size of a baby's fist, it quickly grew to a grown man's size. It didn't stop growing, and within seconds, it was dozens of meters tall.

Only when it reach the height of over fifty meters did it finally stop. By that point, ripples were spreading out in the air around it, and the Patriarch's forehead was full of sweat. His expression was one of utmost concentration as he slowly moved his hand down, causing the pagoda to slowly descend.

"Hide in the trees. Don't let him notice you," Jasmine hurriedly warned Issei.

"Alright," Issei nodded, and unhesitatingly took a few steps back. When he saw that the Patriarch didn't seem to be alerted, he grew more confident, and increased his speed, stealthily moving deeper into the forest. At the same time, he used his Spirit Power to cover his presence. Even though that wouldn't be enough to make him invisible to the Patriarch, it would make him less conspicuous.

The moment Issei reached the distance where he was rather far away, but could still see what was happening, he stopped, and hid his body under the dense foliage, watching the events unfolding before his eyes from afar.

Coincidentally, it was also at this moment that the pagoda finally finished its descent, falling onto to the ground. Rumbling sounds filled the air as the base of the pagoda sunk a few feet deep into the soil beneath before stabilizing itself. It stood there majestically, emanating a fierce and boundless aura.

The Patriarch of the Xiao Sect nodded with satisfaction, obviously pleased with what he saw. Eventually, he took out what seemed to be a jade slip from his cosmos sack. Then he brought it close to his mouth and murmured a few words into it. Following that, he crushed it, turning into dust.

Not even an incense stick worth of time later, dozens of dots of light appeared over the horizon. If one looked closely, they would see that those dots of light were actually cultivators, flying at breakneck speed. As they could all fly, this meant that their cultivations bases were all in the Sky Profound Realm. Some looked young, some looked old, but all of them had an unfathomable pressure around them!

Within that group of cultivators, Issei could distinguish his master, Xiao Yi, Xiao Zhong, and his master's rival, Xiao Shui!

A few seconds later, these group of dozens of cultivators arrived at the area where the Patriarch was at. Immediately after that, they all knelt on their knees, expressions of pure respect on their faces. However, some of them, including Xiao Yi and Xiao Zhong, kept glancing at the colossal pagoda, their faces curious.

When the Patriarch saw that everyone had arrived, he glanced at the red-colored pagoda and said, "Elders, after journeying through the world for five years, I came across a secret realm. I suffered through many hardships there, and the amount of times I almost lost my life simply can't be counted. However, I managed to acquire some good fortune within there! And this good fortune is this Magical Pagoda!"

All of the elders turned their attentions to the pagoda, their expression varying from surprise all the way to anticipation.

The Patriarch continued calmly, "This Magical Pagoda is a peerless magical treasure of unknown origins. Its full power is something that we can't possibly imagine, and with my poor cultivation base, I supposedly can activate only its most basic functions. Despite that, this Magical Pagoda is simply too profound. Even though it's possible to activate some of its functions with my cultivation base, I'm not able to."

A sharp light appeared in his eyes as he continued, "After observing this Pagoda for month, I was able to determine some of its peculiarities. And, what I found out was that this Magical Pagoda can only be used by someone with a special type of constitution, known as pure Yang body."

When the elders heard that, they revealed strange expressions. One of them even murmured, "Pure Yang body? What's that?"

Even though the others didn't say it, judging by their expressions, it was obvious that none of them knew what that term was.

The Patriarch nodded calmly, as he already expect such a reaction. After all, not even he knew what that was when he first heard it. It was only after countless days of observing the pagoda that he was able to arrive at some conclusions.

"A pure Yang body is a naturally formed body," explained the Patriarch. "Although I don't know much about it, from what I was able to gather, someone with a pure Yang body has a certain degree of intimacy with Yang-related spiritual power. Aside from that, it seems that it also has some other powers, but I was incapable of finding them out."

"However, that doesn't really matters." All of a sudden, the Patriarch shook his head. "You see, there are some methods to determine whether or not one has a pure Yang body, but I don't know of any of them. The Magical Pagoda, on the other hand, is capable of that. All you have to do is to try to enter it. If you're incapable of entering it, that means you don't have it. If you can effortlessly make your way inside, then that means that you posses a pure Yang body."

The Patriarch's gaze turned sharp as he said his next words, "For now, I want all of you to try entering the Magical Pagoda. If all of you are unable to, then bring your disciples. If they are also incompatible, then we shall bring every single member of our Xiao Sect. This Magical Pagoda is a peerless treasure… we must find some way to control it! If we do, then we'll be able to restore the former glory of the Xiao Sect, surpassing all of the other sects in Blue Wind Nation!

"In fact…," the Patriarch revealed a profound expression, "there's a chance that by borrowing the power of this Magical Pagoda, we'll be able to surpass not only all of the sects in our nation, but also in the entire continent!"

 ** _Read & Review~! (REVIEW!)_**

* * *

 ** _IMPORTANT_**

 ** _A/N:_** Guys, due to some some stuff, my beta-reader's schedule has gotten somewhat erratic and quite unstable. That's also the reason why the previous chapters weren't edited. Today, we arrived at a conclusion that he wouldn't be able to work until he managed to arrange for a stable timetable, which could even take months, a period of time that I certainly can't spend without an editor. As such, I'm looking for a new editor for the time-being. If you want to apply, please send me a PM or say it in a review.

Also, there are some stuff that must be said. The kind of editor I want isn't the one that just corrects the typo. I want someone who can provide me with some solid feedback, and who isn't afraid to change sentences or even add entire paragraphs. I'm not afraid of harsh feedback. So, if you see that I'm making mistakes, please, do say it. Finally, I want someone that is good with English, and know some of its rules, and believes that he/she has what it takes to truly improve my story. So, if you think you are able to improve the flow of my story, and make it better overall, please, do apply! I really need some help with this story.

Also, if you think that there are some things that you can't do, but still want to be the editor, then feel free to apply and tell me what you're not good that. Depending on what it is, we can work it out.

Well, that's all for now. See you guys tomorrow.


	87. Misfortune

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511 (Shout-out to him!)**

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 **Chapter 87 - Misfortune**

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"Pure Yang body?" Issei's eyes widened slightly. After pondering over it, he silently asked, "Jasmine? Do you know what that is?"

"A measly constitution," replied Jasmine offhandedly, scorn evident in her eyes. "It's only a fickle power… back in the Higher Realm, as long as you have some status, you can go to a certain place and easily acquire it. It isn't anything special…." Suddenly, Jasmine stopped, her expression turning slightly different. Then she said, "Actually, you already have it."

"What?!" Issei's eyes narrowed in shock. He had a pure Yang body? How was that even possible? After all, he had no recollection of acquiring such constitution. In fact, he had never even heard of it before! He took in a deep breath and asked, "Since when?"

"This princess can't say for certain, but it was within the Divine Fire Realm. Before this princess had gone to sleep, your body was clearly normal. However, after I woke up, this princess discovered that you had it! You must have somehow gotten it without even knowing…."

"Anyways," Jasmine suddenly shook her head, "that's not really important now. What matters is that you have a pure Yang body, and that Magical Pagoda requires someone to have a pure Yang body. When it's your turn, just go there and claim it for yourself. Simple as that."

Issei nodded, agreeing with Jasmine's words. But, after his gaze focused onto the various elders, he couldn't help but to ask, "Jasmine, is there anyone here aside from me that also has a pure Yang body?"

"Humph!" Jasmine crossed her arms disdainfully. "Although pure Yang bodies are far from rare in the Higher Realm, we are still in the Middle Realm! Do you think it's something that come from the skies!? Here it can be easily considered as a precious type of body. Forget about this planet, even if one were to search the entire Middle Realm, they wouldn't easily find people with that type of body! As for this insignificant, trifling sect… impossible! There's simply no way!"

Unsurprisingly, Jasmine's words were spot-on. The elders made turns in approaching the pagoda, but once they got a few feet from the entrance, they would fall to their knees, unable to move even an inch closer. It was as if a boundless spiritual pressure would weigh on them, rendering them completely immovable.

When the Patriarch saw that, although he had already been expecting such a result, he couldn't help but to sigh in his heart. After all, he had been harbouring hopes that someone would be lucky enough to have that body… In the end, he could only hope that there would be someone amongst the disciples.

After some thought, the Patriarch waved his hands, and ordered for the elders to come back with their disciples. One incense stick worth of time later, everyone had already arrived, but Xiao Yang was nowhere to be seen.

"My disciple… just where are you!?" Xiao Yang sighed in his heart, already having searched every nook and cranny of the Xiao Sect, but had yet to catch sight of his treasured disciple. Just as he was about to give up and head back, he suddenly noticed that far in the distance, within the forest he had come from, a young man was walking out.

"There he is!" exclaimed Xiao Yang. Immediately after, his spiritual power surged out, and his body rushed towards the forest just like an arrow that had left its bowstring. Within seconds, he was already in front of Issei.

"Master?" Issei faked a surprised expression. "What are you doing here? I was in the forests, trying to find some animals, but…."

Issei was forced to shut his mouth, as Xiao Yang grabbed him by the collar without a single word, bringing him up into the air, and flying deeper into the forest. Upon arriving at the area of the pagoda, he saw that the disciples were already beginning to approach the pagoda.

Once the Patriarch noticed that Xiao Yang had arrived, he motioned for him to move over to the back, where he should wait for his turn. Aside from the small frown on his face, he didn't seem bothered at all by Xiao Yang's tardiness.

Xiao Yang shot the Patriarch a thankful look before flying over to the outer areas of the group, whereupon releasing his hold on Issei. He moved closer to him and briefly explained the situation. "That red-colored pagoda is a treasure and only someone with a special body can use it. If you can enter it, that means you have the qualifications to control it. In essence, these disciples were brought here to see whether or not they can enter."

This was a very crude summary of the situation, but it was still capable of conveying the basic situation. Issei nodded, not saying anything. After all, he had been there when the Patriarch announced everything, so he was quite clear on the situation. His gaze was currently focused onto the pagoda, sometimes glancing at the hesitant disciples that approached it.

It didn't take long for it to be his turn. All of the previous disciples, including Xiao Nan, completely failed at the task, and because of that, the process was quite fast. When it was finally his turn, Issei took in a deep breath and calmly walked forward.

The moment Issei reached the distance in which most disciples were forced to stop, everyone took in a deep breath. Once he effortlessly passed through it, everyone's eyes widened, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Following that, Issei kept walking, quickly surpassing the distance in which the various elders were forced to stop. A few breaths of time later, he was standing directly in front of the red-colored Pagoda's door.

Because of the size of the Pagoda, the door was also uncommonly tall, about three times Issei's height. It was as if it was made for giants, not for normal-sized people. Issei merely glanced at it, not finding anything strange about the large door, lightly tapped on it with his palm.

Astonishingly, even though Issei hadn't exerted any strength at all, the door was immediately flung up, as if it had been forcefully pushed. Everyone was incapable of seeing whatever was inside, as it was completely hidden by a layer of dense and thick black-colored smoke. Issei glanced at that smoke, and after some thought, stepped inside.

The moment he did so, an invisible force pulled him inside, shrouding him from view. Meanwhile, the doors of the pagoda mysteriously slammed shut, completely locking him inside

When the people outside saw that, their minds reeled. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the pagoda, unable to muster any words. Most shocked of all was Xiao Yang, who stood there in daze.

"He… he entered it?"

"What just happened?!"

"Who was that disciple!? Isn't he Elder Yang's new disciple!?"

Various elders and disciples started crying out in surprise and bafflement, their expressions flabbergasted.

"That… don't tell me he also has a pure Yang body or whatever that is," Xiao Fang stared at the door with a complex expression, feeling that the gap between him and Issei had suddenly gotten larger. The Patriarch had clearly mentioned that a pure Yang body was something absolutely amazing. Then, wouldn't that mean that Issei, who had it, was even more amazing than he seemed!?

"Dammit! That bastard Yang! How come he has such luck, getting a disciple so gifted!?" Xiao Shui endlessly cursed in his heart, overwhelmed by envy. He had felt proud of his son his entire life, but comparing to his rival's new disciple, he believed that his son was rather… lacking.

However, what no one knew was that what awaited Issei within the Magical Pagoda wasn't good fortune. Instead, it was one big nightmare.

* * *

The moment Issei was pulled into the pagoda, he felt as if his body was being torn into two. The pain was overwhelming, completely flooding his senses. It was only a long time later that it faded away, but before he could celebrate, Jasmine's alarmed voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Danger! This place is dangerous! Immediately open your eyes!"

Issei, startled by Jasmine's sudden warning, hurriedly opened his eyes, but the moment he saw what place he was in, he wished he hadn't.

The interior of the pagoda wasn't a black area, and instead, it was completely white in color. In fact, everything seemed to have been made of the purest white jade. However, that wasn't the reason for Issei's surprise. What was truly astonishing was that, not too far away from him, were countless specters.

Each of them were over three meters tall, and their appearances seemed to be a mix between human and beast. They wore heavy armor, most of their body tightly protected, and grasped all kinds of weapons in their hands. Surprisingly, even though their bodies were clearly ethereal, they seemed to be tangible at the same time. If one looked closely, they would see that what appeared to be a red-colored crystal burned within their heads.

There were dozens of them, and each of them looked absolutely terrifying. Worst of all was that fact that Issei was completely unable to sense their cultivation, which proved that at the very least, they were in the mid stages of the True Profound Realm.

However, Issei was shocked to discover that even though their eyes were almost seeping hostility, they had yet to move. Either they were unable to move, or they were waiting for Issei to take the initiative to move.

Since he knew he had some time, Issei hurriedly asked, "Jasmine, what's their individual cultivation?"

Even though he couldn't sense their cultivation with his Spirit Power, which could only sense up to half a realm higher than his, Jasmine was able to effortlessly do so.

"They… all of them are in the Tyrant Profound Realm… not only that, they are late-stages tyrant, only one step away from entering the Sovereign Profound Realm!"

Dozens of enemies from the Tyrant Profound Realm…. All of a sudden, Issei felt that entering this pagoda wasn't worth it.

He may have faced extremely powerful enemies in the Divine Fire Realm, but that was only because he was immune to their attacks, and their defenses could be easily overlooked. Issei clearly knew that he wasn't the a match of for someone in the fourth realm, the Spirit Profound Realm, under normal circumstances. As for cultivations of the Tyrant Profound Realm… they effortlessly could kill him with a single thought.

"Jasmine… is there some way to exit this place?"

"Aside from defeating these enemies?" Jasmine asked, thereupon shaking her head. "None at all. Previously, as you were trying to resist the feeling of warping, an announcement from the pagoda said that there were four levels. In the first level, you are to defeat these specters. If you succeed, you can choose between going to the second level or going back. If you fail to defeat them… death."

Issei's eyes widened, and after some pondering, he managed to ask, "And what does having a pure Yang body helps me in this?"

"Nothing at all," Jasmine unhesitatingly replied. "From my guesses, this requirement is because the legacy left behind on this pagoda requires someone with a pure Yang body to use it. And this legacy can only be obtained by successfully clearing all the trials."

"Then… could you find some way to defeat them for me?" Issei hopefully asked. He knew that no matter how powerful he was, he wouldn't be able to defeat these specters with his own power. As such, he could only rely on Jasmine.

"I can't," Jasmine shook her head, causing Issei's expression to fall. She continued, "Although I can truly defeat them if I had my body, my current strength isn't enough to handle them. In fact, even if I tried, the poison within my body would act up again, and I would enter a state of deep slumber for an indefinite period of time. As such, this princess won't be able to save you now…

"However, there's something that you can use." Jasmine mysteriously finished.

"What is it?!" questioned Issei.

All of a sudden, Jasmine's expression turned truly complex. After some pondering, she finally revealed the life-saving method, "If you were to sacrifice all of your Divine Weapons, you could call forth a massive explosion, which would be more than enough to deal with these specters. At the same time, since that the explosion would originate from your own weapons, it wouldn't affect you. The only downside is that… you would forever lose your current Divine Weapons, and they wouldn't be able to regenerate anymore, like they usually do. This includes… Gan Jiang and Mo Ye."

When Issei heard Jasmine's words, his expression turned sour. After taking in a deep breath, he asked, "Do I truly have to sacrifice those two?"

"Yes," Jasmine nodded. "The force of that explosion won't be nearly enough if you don't use them. After all, although they are incomplete Divine Weapons, they are still of the highest grade. If you truly want to survive… you'll have to give up on all your Divine Weapons. Although you can always make more later on, you wouldn't be able to find a weapon as strong as the ones you currently have. After all, before your current Divine Weapons were weapons, they were all Emperor and Tyrant Profound Weapons. It'll be a long time before you can get your hands on weapons of that rank."

Jasmine's expression turned cold as she finished, "So… what will you do?"

 _ **Read & Review~! (Read & Review~! Also, shout-out to Planet511! He really improved this chapter! Oh yeah, don't forget about HeavensDownfall, who gave me some inspiring words! Shout-out to him too! You know what? Shout-out to all of you for reading and reviewing my story! One last shout-out to KryoKon, who helped me improve most of the previous chapters!)**_


	88. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 88 - Goodbye**

* * *

Issei pondered for a long period of time, deeply thinking about some other way to get out of this situation. Alas, even after many incense sticks worth of time had gone by, he simply couldn't find an alternative solution to this predicament. Issei's eyes were locked onto the countless immovable specters, deep rage burning within them.

"There's no other way," Issei sighed deeply, his eyes filled with unwillingness. Eventually, he closed his eyes and when they opened again, they were as clear as the skies. Taking in a deep breath, he said, "Gan Jiang, Mo Ye… you two have been with me ever since the beginning of my journey in this world of cultivation. Every time I needed you, you were there. Through thin and thick, we stood together, defying all the odds. Alas, it seems that now… our journey must come to an end."

As Issei said so, he slightly moved his hands, causing Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to suddenly appear before him. The moment this happened, a deep and ancient voice reverberated through the Pagoda.

"Challenger has made a move. The trial shall begin in ten breaths of time."

Instantly, the specters revealed savage expressions, their bodies restless, while their eyes bored down on Issei as if he was some kind of precious treasure.

He sighed, and with a wave of his hands, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye turned towards him. They begun to hum, like they normally would, causing a bittersweet melody to feel the air, completely resonating with Issei's thoughts.

"It's time… for us to part." Issei said, taking a few steps back, while his two swords remained in place. As he moved back, the ancient voice constantly rang, informing Issei of how much time remained until the specters would move.

He had seven more seconds.

"Jasmine, tell me the method of sacrificing the swords," Issei took in a deep breath and asked with a resolute expression, his gaze never leaving his two swords, which were humming at higher and higher frequencies.

"First bring out all your swords."

Issei nodded, and with a wave of his hands, countless tattoo-like marks flashed on his arms, turning into hundreds of differently-shaped swords. The moment they appeared, they sailed through the air towards Gan Jiang and Mo Ye joining together with them. In the center of it all was Heaven's Piercer, which emanated a shocking pressure.

Jasmine continued, "Now send them towards the specters. When they are about to reach it… sever your connection with all of them."

"Alright," answered Issei's coolly, his voice cold enough to turn water into ice. Following that, he flourished his sleeves causing all of his swords to be sent forward towards the dozens of specters.

By that point, there were only two seconds left.

The specters eyes widened upon seeing that sword, and the strongest one revealed expressions of shock, and even horror. It was clear that they realized just how daunting those hundreds of swords were. They forcefully tried to move their bodies, but as the ten seconds weren't up, they were completely unable to.

Issei paid it no mind. Just as the swords were about to reach the wary specters, Issei suddenly closed his eyes, his consciousness travelling to his sea of consciousness. Within the vast and boundless space were countless golden-colored threads, which had a certain connection to all of his Divine Weapons. Issei's eyes were cold as he looked at those countless threads, albeit regret could be seen within them.

"Forgive me..." Issei sighed as he raised his hands. Then, with a resolute expression, he slashed it down like a sword, sending forth consecutive ripples in his sea of consciousness, which began to quickly tear apart those hundreds of golden-colored threads as if they made of paper.

This process didn't take long; in a single second, all of the golden threads were torn apart. Instantly after, Issei opened his eyes just in time to gaze at scene he would never forget.

His hundreds of Divine Weapons exploded all at the same time, dispersing into countless fragments of golden dust. Each of these explosions would create ripples in the air, and the nearby beasts would all be injured. However, the moment Gan Jiang and Mo Ye exploded, the result was completely different.

Instead of turning into golden dust like the previous swords, their shapes distorted, and above them, the illusory images of a couple appeared. Above Gan Jiang was a handsome middle-aged man, with an heroic and unrelenting face, his back straightened and his chest held proudly. Meanwhile, atop Mo Ye appeared a jade-like beauty, with a gracious figure and eyes that contained thousands of heavenly bodies.

Those two illusory images were completely stunning in appearance, their manifestations nothing short of heavenly. If anyone were to see them, they would definitely say that they were a match made in heaven.

Issei stared at the two figures in shock. Even though he had never seen them before, he knew better than anyone that they Gan Jiang and Mo Ye before they were refined into swords. They were… the two last members of the Divine Blacksmith Clan.

Those two figures exchanged gazes full of love before turning their attention towards Issei. Surprisingly, their gazes didn't contain even a shred of anger or resentment. Instead, they contained what seemed to be kindness, and hits of familial love. They were completely serene, and only gazed back at him warmly.

The moment Issei saw that, he felt as if his heart had shattered into thousands of pieces. If the spirits of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye had been angry, he would have been able to live with it. If they harbored deep hatred, he would have been able to endure it. Even if they loathed him, he would still be able to keep his heart steady.

But what he saw filled his mind with roaring sounds. His mind reeled, and tears formed in the corner of his eyes.

Issei, who would usually be so composed, was completely shaken. His mind, which had gone through the refinement of time for five hundred years, and that shouldn't be broken under any circumstances, had all of its defenses shattered.

Just from this, it could be seen how mentally attached he was to the swords that had been with him for the greater part of his life. To him, they weren't only swords; it could be said that they were almost family in his heart.

"No… no… no," Issei's eyes widened, his hands reaching up into the air in front of him, but unable to grasp anything. Meanwhile, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye glanced at him one last time, and although they didn't say anything, Issei knew that this was their final goodbye.

Eventually, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye turned around, their hands locked together. As they faced the dozens of terrified specters, they smiled faintly. Slowly, their bodies began to fade away into countless fragments, which begun to gather up into two orbs in front of them. The more their body faded, the more those two orbs would grow.

Before long, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye's bodies finished fading, their last few fragments flew up into the almost condescend orbs of energy in front of them. The moment those remaining fragments were absorbed into the two orbs, they trespassed the barriers of illusions turning tangible. At the same time, rumbling sounds filled the air as the entire pagoda began to shake. From within those two orbs, a blinding light shone forth.

Due to the sheer power of the light, Issei was forced to close his eyes, and as he did so, he warily took a few steps back in hopes of not being affected. Alas, even though he wasn't supposed to be affected, the pressure of those two orbs was simply too strong; Issei slowly slipped away into unconsciousness.

* * *

"What?! What's happening?!"

"The Magical Pagoda… is shaking?!"

"Hmm? Just what is Elder Yang's disciple doing inside there…?"

Outside, cries of surprise were constantly coming from the crowds of elders and disciples, seeing that the Magical Pagoda had suddenly begun shaking without stop. For the first few minutes after Issei entered the Magical Pagoda, nothing worthy of note had happened, but out of nowhere, it had begun to shake! How could they possibly not be surprised?

"Mn? This… was this supposed to happen?" The Patriarch of the Xiao Sect gazed at the Pagoda with a strange expression, paying close attention to its state. Through his mental connection with it, although he was unable to figure out the specifics, he could sense that something extremely shocking was happening within it. "This happened after Yang's disciple entered… could it be that he's the cause of all this?"

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang stared at the Pagoda with a strange expression. His eyes were narrowed, and although he tried to hide it he was quite preoccupied in his heart. After all, this was related to his treasured disciple, but he was unable to sense what was happening. How could he NOT worry?!

Abruptly, the doors of the Magical Pagoda began to open, slowly revealing to the onlookers the layer of darkness that shrouded whatever was inside. Soon after, from inside someone walked out. He wore long robes, and was handsome, with a peculiar aura to him.

This youth was obviously Issei. However, the calm demeanour he had when he first entered the Magical Pagoda was long gone. In its place was a completely cold and apathetic expression, devoid of any emotion. It was as if with each step he took, the atmosphere around him would grow colder.

"Disciple…?" Xiao Yang's eyes widened in shock upon seeing Issei. His change in demeanour completely shocked him. At that moment, he couldn't help but to wonder just what had taken place within the Magical Pagoda.

Issei, on the other hand, immediately turned his head to face the Patriarch and did a polite bow. Following that, he forcefully suppressed the coldness in his tone and said, "Patriarch, I must apologize. My strength wasn't strong enough to gain the acknowledgement of the Pagoda. In fact, this disciple was wounded, and would like to head back to his residence in order to rest."

The Patriarch wordlessly looked at Issei for a long time before sighing, "Very well. You are excused."

"Thank you," Issei clasped his hands and bowed to the Patriarch. After that, he turned around and began to walk away in a pace that didn't seem slow, but at the same time, wasn't hurried. Under the watchful gazes of the various disciples and elders present, he made his way out of the forest.

During the entire time, he only talked with the Patriarch. He didn't even spare his master so much as a glance.

Surprisingly, Xiao Yang wasn't angered by that. Instead, he was quite worried, thinking, "Issei, my dear disciple, just what… just what happened in there?"

Issei had no way of knowing his master's thoughts, but even if he did, he wouldn't answer them anyways. At this moment, his mood was simply too complex and sorrowful. He needed time alone. Time to think. Time to rest. He simply needed time.

Once he reached his residence, he opened his door and walked inside. Xia Mei, who had been waiting by the sofa, immediately stood up, intending to greet Issei. Alas, the moment she saw his expression, her eyes widened in surprise. As she watched him walk across the living room, deep worry surfaced in her eyes, but she didn't make any moves to go up and greet him.

After knowing Issei for all this time, she understood his personality quite well. She knew that in moments like this, what he needed the most wasn't comforting. Instead, he needed some time alone. Because of that, she simply stood there quietly, giving him space. As he didn't seem to have any intentions to start speaking, she wisely kept her mouth shut and silently gazed at him without a word. Slowly, Issei walked up the stairs, eventually reaching his room.

The moment he walked inside, he suddenly collapsed on the floor, the door closing behind him. A few moments later, his eyes opened, and two small orbs appeared on his hands. They were completely white in colour, and if one were to play close attention to them, they would realize that those two orbs were actually… the same orbs that were formed by Gan Jiang and Mo Ye's self destruction.

He held those two orbs close to his chest as he motionlessly laid in the cold floor, his eyes slowly closing. Eventually, he fell asleep, but the two orbs weren't released from his hands even once. He grasped them as if his life depended on it, unwilling to let go of them even in his dreams.

 _ **Read & Review~! (Guys, we didn't reach the required number of reviews... in fact, we didn't reach it for the past few chapters, but I ignored it and just posted it. However, I want to still maintain our minimum of 30 reviews per chapter)**_


	89. Training Grounds

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 89 - Training Grounds**

* * *

The next day, Issei's eyes slowly opened, revealing cold, dark orbs. Even though he had already grieved for an entire night, and his emotions had mostly stabilized, it was as if something else had been added to his soul. Within his eyes now shone coldness and sorrow, which hadn't been there before.

Five hundred years within a separate dimension were enough to cause shocking changes to Issei's soul. Despite that, the changes that had happened in a single day… far surpassed those previous changes. Gan Jiang and Mo Ye's destruction was a huge blow to him.

Issei sighed as he thought back to the events of the previous day, his eyes temporarily closing. After a long time, he softly said, "Gan Jiang… Mo Ye… your sacrifice wasn't in vain. I promise… I promise that in the future, I'll definitely make that pagoda pay.

"But before that… I must get stronger." As he said so, Issei tried to lift his body from the ground, only to noticed that for some reason, it weighed more than normal. Issei's eyes suddenly narrowed, while his gaze focused on the lower part of his body. Surprisingly, what he saw was a head full of scarlet and golden hair, with a flame-like feel to it.

"Feng… Xinyi?" Issei instantly realized who was on top of him. Because of that, his wariness faded away, while his eyes returned to normal, no longer worried. After some thought, he laid his body back on the ground, not wanting to wake her up.

"She must have joined me while I was sleeping," murmured Issei, his expression growing soft. Then, he raised his arm, placing his hand on top of Feng Xinyi's head. Following that, he slowly began to caress her hair, his fingers carefully moving between her delicate strands of golden-scarlet hair. Her hair was soft to the touch, and had a comfortable feeling to it.

Time passed, and a few minutes later, Feng Xinyi's body began to slightly stir. Soon after, a short yawn escaped her soft, rose-like lips. Meanwhile, her neck slowly bent, causing her head lifted up, and her chin to be positioned against Issei's chest. Consequently, her warm golden-colored eyes locked with his own eyes.

Her expression was concerned as she softly asked, "Issei… are you alright now?"

Issei smiled back at her, "Why would I not be?"

"Last night," Feng Xinyi hesitatingly began, "I noticed that you were crying in your sleep..."

After hearing Feng Xinyi's words, Issei's hand instinctively moved to his eyes, only to feel the that the corner of his eyes were slight damp. Issei's expression slightly changed, but the moment he noticed the hints of concern within Feng Xinyi's eyes, he forced himself to smile. While his fingers threaded softly through her hair, he said, "It's nothing... I'm alright now."

Feng Xinyi displayed an uncertain expression, but upon seeing that Issei had no intention of revealing the truth, she opted to simply press her head against his chest, no longer saying anything. At the same time, she kept channeling her own spiritual power to Issei's body, in hopes of making his condition better. Although her spiritual power didn't have healing properties like the Vermillion Bird's, it still had the power to bring warmth to one's soul.

In fact, if it wasn't for her power being constantly channeled into Issei's body, it would have taken him at least a few days to wake up from his slumber, while his mood would be much more sorrowful.

"Thank you," Issei whispered softly. Even though he wasn't aware of what Feng Xinyi had done, he still knew that his quick recovery was somewhat due to her. Feng Xinyi kept quiet in response, although the corner of her lips slowly curled up into a smile.

The two of them didn't move for a long time, silently enjoying each other's company. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. When Issei noticed that a few hours had already passed, he shook his head to the sides and softly said, "Hey, Xinyi, let's try something today."

"Hmm?" Feng Xinyi turned her head up to face Issei, temporarily lifting it from his chest. "What is it?"

"I'll ask my master to take me to a certain place today." Issei smiled at her. "A place where we can begin cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'."

"Really?!" Feng Xinyi's expression instantly changed, becoming excited. She had been wanting to teach Issei the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' for a long time already, but couldn't, as a place with fire-attributed spiritual power was a requirement for learning it. Because of that, she could only hide her anxiety within her heart and wait for them to reach a place where the World Ode of the Phoenix could be used.

Normally, one wouldn't want to pass on their most powerful technique to another one, but Feng Xinyi was an exception. Actually, what she truly desired was to be helpful to Issei, the first friend she ever had. Since she knew that he needed a better cultivation technique, she was more than willing to teach him hers.

After conversing with Feng Xinyi for a few more minutes, Issei asked her to temporarily return to her seal. Once that was done, he straightened his clothes, and prepared to walk out of his room. However, before he did so, he took out two white-colored orbs from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

Those two orbs were the orbs that were formed with Gan Jiang and Mo Ye's sacrifice. Even though they were only the remains of their last standing, they still contained traces of their essence. Jasmine had previously told him that as long as he reached a certain level of cultivation, and managed to acquire certain materials, it wouldn't be impossible to re-create Gan Jiang and Mo Ye by using those two orbs as vessel.

Sadly, that would take a long time. The level of cultivation required to completely restore a Divine Weapon was something absurd, while the materials were all extremely rare. Therefore, Issei could only forget about it for the time being.

"One day, I promise that… I'll restore you." As Issei gazed at those two orbs, he whispered softly. Following that, he stored them back within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Since he had already done everything he needed to, he opened the door and walked out of his room.

After descending the flight of stairs, Issei realized with surprise that Xiao Yang was already waiting for him in the living room, his expression one of worry. Xia Mei was also there, and the moment she saw Issei, her eyes lit up.

The first thing Issei did was to shoot Xia Mei an apologetic look. Then, he walked up to Xiao Yang and bowed politely, "Master, I must apologize for yesterday. I didn't act like I should have."

"Don't worry about it," Xiao Yang waved his hands nonchalantly. "I know that something happened within that pagoda. All that matters is that you're alright now."

After saying so, Xiao Yang pondered some more before continued, "In fact, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask me. If it's within my power, I'll definitely help you!"

The reason why Xiao Yang added those words was due to the fact that he noticed the change within Issei's eyes. He could see deep sorrow and coldness that hadn't been there before, which greatly worried him. Therefore, he tried lighten up his disciple's mood.

Soon after, Issei replied with an uncertain expression, "Actually, there's indeed something I need master's help with."

"Oh? What is it?" Xiao Yang displayed an interested expression.

"You see, the cultivation skill I practice requires an ambient with high-density of fire-attributed spiritual power. I was wondering if there were such places in the Xiao Sect…?"

Xiao Yang looked surprised for a moment. Soon after, he smiled, "Fire-attributed spiritual power? Of course!"

"There's actually one? Can master tell me about it?" Although Issei already knew that there was one, he couldn't help but to be surprised at Xiao Yang's excited expression. Apparently, there was something about the Xiao Sect that he didn't know.

Xiao Yang didn't disappoint. He quickly answered, "Actually, you may be unaware of this, but… the Xiao Sect is quite famous throughout the Blue Wind Nation for our training grounds. Because we don't specialize in a single element, like Frozen Cloud Asgard, that has ice-attributed cultivation skills, and the Burning Heaven Clan, that has fire-attributed cultivation skills, we have training ground areas for all of the five elements, along with some sub-elements!"

"As you know, the five elements are Wood, Metal, Fire, Water and Earth. The Xiao Sect has a training ground for each of those elements. Those training grounds can be reached through teleportation arrays. Actually, you have already seen a few of them."

"I have…?" Issei looked back at his master questioningly, but in the next moment, he suddenly recalled the various strange places he had seen when he had been flying towards the Xiao Sect. He quickly asked, "You mean that mountain with lightning above…? And that waterfall with blood-red water? There's also that strange-looking cube..."

Xiao Yang smiled at Issei's words. "Exactly. That mountain with lightning above is called as the Thunder Mountain. It's our training ground for lightning-attributed cultivators. That red-colored waterfall is the Endless Blood Waterfall, a place greatly beneficial for water-attributed cultivators. As for that strange-looking cube… its actually the only man-made training ground of the Xiao Sect!" Xiao Yang suddenly revealed a proud expression. "That cube is formed solely by formations, within it is a universe made solely from sword essences! As long as you enter it and manage to survive, you'll be able to gain great understandings regarding the Dao of Swords!

"There are other training grounds, but they are located outside the Xiao Sect, and can only be used through arrays. One of those training grounds is the fire-attributed training ground, known as the Scorching Lava Caves. It's located in a special place hundreds of meters below the Xiao Sect."

"Can you bring me there?" asked Issei.

"I can," Elder Yang nodded. His expression suddenly turned complex as he continued, "Actually, one would normally need to spend contribution points to enter one of those training grounds… the longer you stay there, the more you have to pay. Even if you're the Formations Heir, you'd still have to pay, even though it would be less than normal. Sadly, I can't lend you my contribution points, but I can ask for the Sect Leader to gift you some. I believe that I can arrange for you to be able to spend there for over one month without needing to pay anything. After that, however, you'd have to pay for it."

Issei nodded, not really surprised. "I can gain contribution points by doing missions, right?"

"Yes," Xiao Yang nodded. "It's the same as it was in the Xiao Sect Branch Sect."

After that, they talked some more. In the end, Xiao Yang left, saying that he would meet with the Patriarch and ask permission to let Issei use the fire-attributed training ground for a month. Once he left, Issei turned his head towards Xia Mei.

"Mei… I'm sorry about before."

Although Issei hadn't been in the right state of mind the previous day, he still remembered his actions. Because of that, he knew how cold he had been to her the day before, even though she hadn't done anything.

"Don't worry about it," Xia Mei shook her head to the sides while smiling sweetly. "I know that something happened… it's not your fault."

Issei smiled apologetically and walked over to her. After that, they began to talk as they waited for Xiao Yang to come back. Not even an incense stick worth of time later, Xiao Yang arrived with a smile on his face.

"The Patriarch has given you two months to spend inside the Scorching Lava Caves. He has also reserved a spot there for you for the next two or so months. We can go right now."

"Alright," Issei nodded at Xiao Yang, getting up from his seated position. Then, after bidding Xia Mei goodbye, Xiao Yang grabbed him by his cloak and flew up in the air, flying in the direction of the array that would lead them to the Scorching Lava Caves.

As Xia Mei watched them go, she sighed, "Well… he probably won't be back for a long time… What should I do now..." Suddenly, she smiled, "Issei is trying to get stronger, so I should try to do the same!Hmm, I can ask Xiao Huan for some cultivation method… maybe, by the time he comes back, my cultivation will have progressed!"

With that in mind, Xia Mei began to walk towards Xiao Yang's house, intending to meet with Xiao Yang's daughter, Xiao Huan.

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	90. Scorching Lava Caves

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 90 - Scorching Lava Caves**

* * *

Above the Xiao Sect, two figures could be seen flying through the air, heading towards one of the outer regions of the Xiao Sect. The terrain below them constantly flashed, and before an incense stick worth of time had passed, they arrived at an area devoid of any disciples.

"From here onwards, we have to travel by foot," said Elder Yang as turned his head towards Issei. Then, with a wave of his hands, they began to descend to the ground.

Once they finished their descent, Xiao Yang led him across some streets and passageways, taking various turns left and right. Eventually, they arrived at a large clearing, in which stood a large building. It was extremely large in size, and guarding it were two core disciples. Unsurprisingly, their cultivations were much higher than Issei's, which made him unable to discover their cultivation through his Spirit Power. After all, with his current World Spiritist abilities, he could only use his Spirit Power to find one another person's cultivation if it was at most five levels above his. If that amount was surpassed, then he wouldn't be able to see through it.

"Elder Yang."

The two disciples bowed the moment they caught sight of Xiao Yang, instantly adopting respectful expressions. If it was any other elder, they wouldn't have to be so tense, but Xiao Yang's status was special, considering he was the previous Formations Heir. In fact, his standing in the Xiao Sect was no lower than those old monsters referred to as great elders.

"I'm here to activate the Scorching Lava Caves formation," said Xiao Yang as he looked at those two disciples with a cold expression. Although he wasn't someone proud and haughty, there was still a certain decorum that he was required to follow as an elder.

"About that," one of the core disciples revealed a slightly awkward expression, "does your disciple have enough contribution points? One hour inside, fifty contribution points."

Instead of answering, Xiao Yang produced a small jade slip from his cosmos sack and tossed it to one of the core disciples. The core disciple that received the jade slip initially looked puzzled, but the moment he sent his spiritual power into the jade slip and read what was inside, his expression instantly changed. Without a single word, he handed the jade to the other core disciple, who also revealed a shocked expression.

Eventually, those two core disciples turned back to face Xiao Yang and Issei. One of them bowed apologetically, while the one on the right clasped his hands and said, "Elder Yang, Eldest Brother Issei, I'll lead you two to the array. Please follow me."

After speaking, he turned around and did a motion with his hands, causing the door of the large building to open. Seeing that Xiao Yang and Issei were walking towards him, he walked inside and began leading the way.

The building's interior was vast, and various disciples could be seen walking to and fro. The core disciple lead them to a certain room, in which was a large, red-colored array. The disciple pointed at it and said, "This is the teleportation array. Just give me a second to activate it."

As he said so, he waved his hands, and ten spirit stones appeared on his hands. Following that, he flourished his sleeves, causing the spirit stones to fly up from his hands, hovering in the air above the formation. They swirled in the air for quite some time before slowly descending, each of them falling into a section of the red-colored array.

The disciple took a step back and handed Issei a token, "This is a special type of token. If any trouble should arise in the Scorching Lava Caves, crush it and a barrier will appear around you. This barrier will only last for three incense sticks worth of time, so I suggest that you use this time to walk to the teleportation array within the training ground."

Issei nodded, and after glancing at Xiao Yang, who gave him a nod, he unhesitatingly walked forward, stepping on to the array. The moment he did so, a blinding light shone forth, completely engulfing him. Eventually, the light faded away, revealing an empty space.

Xiao Yang turned his head around to face the core disciple, "Immediately inform me when he comes back."

"I'll do so, Elder Yang." The disciple clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.

Meanwhile, Issei's body suddenly reappeared at a place hundreds of kilometers away, near what seemed to be a large volcano. His current position was only a few meters away from the mouth of the volcano, and at such close distance, any cultivator below the Earth Profound Realm would have been affected by the heat. Alas, Issei wasn't an ordinary cultivator; he was someone who had inherited the legacy of the Evil God, and had managed to absorb the Fire Seed. Because of that, the temperature of his surroundings was simply pleasant.

"Is this the Scorching Lava Caves?" Issei eyes swept over his surroundings curiously. Following that, he took in a deep breath, causing the spiritual power in the atmosphere to flow towards him like waves in an ocean, flowing into his body. An intoxicated expression appeared on his face as he said, "Fire-attributed spiritual power… this should be enough."

After observing his surroundings a few more time, Issei began to stroll towards the mouth of the volcano. When he was about to reach it, a youth suddenly appeared in the distance, hurriedly walking towards him.

Once he was at a certain distance from Issei, the youth clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, "You must be Eldest Brother Issei!" Following that, he cleared his throat, straightened his back, and introduced himself, "This one is called as Zheng Tao."

"Zheng?" Issei's left brow cocked up questioningly, surprised at the fact that this youth didn't seem to share the same 'Xiao' surname like the other disciples.

Surprisingly, Zheng Tao seemed rather used to that kind of question. He smiled politely and explained, "Eldest Brother Issei, just like you, I originally wasn't from the Xiao Sect. I was born in a common household, and it was due to my hard-effort that I managed to clinch the position of inner disciple in one of the Xiao Sect's annual competitions for disciples. A few months ago, I was assigned to this area."

Issei nodded in response, realizing that Zheng Tao's situation was indeed not uncommon. Even though the Xiao Sect was originally the Xiao Clan, and most of the current Xiao Sect disciples all share the same surname, there are many disciples and elders that weren't originally from the Xiao Sect. However, their status would normally be quite low, since they would sometimes be treated as outsiders. Since Issei had only interacted with the upper echelons of the Xiao Sect so far, he never had the chance to meet one of such cultivators personally.

"Anyways," Zheng Tao suddenly shook his head and smiled, "I already received a sound transmission from the sect. You're here to spend two months within the Scorching Lava Caves, right? Let me bring you their location." As he said so, Zheng Tao turned around and began to walk away, moving deeper into the volcano.

Issei followed after Zheng Tao. The more they walked, the higher the temperature got. Obviously, this only applied to Zheng Tao, whose forehead was already full of sweat. Issei, on the other hand, walked calmly, without any worry. When Zheng Tao noticed that, his respect for Issei was raised even higher. After all, not everyone could effortlessly walk around in such place. Furthermore, he had already been informed that Issei was only in the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm; someone of that level of power shouldn't possibly have such resistance to fire. This meant that there was more to him than met the eye.

A while later, a small building appeared before them. Zheng Tao gave Issei some instructions and led him inside. Within, all that could be seen was a small door, and next to it, a flight of stairs that went down. Zheng Tao pointed at the stairs and said, "Walk down those stairs. Every couple dozen steps, there's a floor with four doors. Those floors are called levels. There are fifteen of them. Moreover, the lower you go, the higher the temperature."

Suddenly, Zheng Tao paused, as if wondering if he should continue. In the end, he still said, "Given your cultivation level, I would advise to not go past the fourth level."

"Alright," Issei nodded faintly, and after glancing at Zheng Tao one last time, he began to walk down the stairs. Just as Zheng Tao had said, after a couple of steps, the staircase ended, and he arrived at the first level. There was a total of four doors, all of them neatly arranged, with two on each side. In front of three of them was a sign that said 'occupied'.

Not too far away from Issei was yet another staircase, which led to the second level. Issei briefly glanced at the four doors, and after some pondering, continued down to the second level. Once he arrived there, Issei realized that aside from slightly denser fire-attributed spiritual power, it was the same as the first. After glancing at the doors, and noticed that all four of them were occupied, he continued to the third floor.

Issei quickly descended, only briefly looking at the levels before going to the next. Up to the fourth level, all of the doors, with the exception of that single door on the first, had occupied signs. Starting from the fourth, the amount of occupied signs decreased to three. This pattern maintained all the way to the seventh floor. However, as Issei continued to descend, he realized that the number of occupied signs began to thin, and by the time he reached the eleventh floor, there was only two.

Surprisingly, the following level, the twelfth, was completely occupied. The same applied to the thirteenth. The moment he reached the fourteenth, Issei noticed that there was only one occupied sign. As for the last floor, the fifteenth, it was completely empty.

"This is the last level?" Issei looked around the fifteenth level, slightly surprised at the fact that in contrast to all previous levels, which all had four doors, it only had a single door at the center. This door was of a deep-crimson color, and from it, waves of heat were constantly emanated.

Moreover, while all of the previous levels were dark in color, the fifteenth level was completely scarlet. That meant that the concentration of fire-attributed spiritual power in it had reached an absurd level. Another thing Issei discovered that in all of the doors so far, there would be formations that made it so the fire-attribute power wouldn't break free from the rooms. However, in the fifteenth level, the formations on that single door were of a much higher level.

"This should be interesting," Issei revealed a smile as he took a step forward, walking towards the door. When he reached it, he extended his hand, and pushed it. Strangely, the door didn't move. Instead, an old and ancient voice rang in Issei's ears.

"Those below the mid-stages of the Sky Profound Realm aren't advised to enter. If you're below that, please, go back to the previous floors."

"Mid-stages of the Sky Profound Realm?" Issei's eyes narrowed, his expression profound. Eventually, he exerted more strength on the door, completely ignoring the warning.

The door tried to fight back at first, but because of Issei's unusual physical power, it moved in the end, allowing Issei to enter. Once he was inside, Issei discovered that he was now in a small cave. In front of him was a large pool of lava. Surprisingly, that lava was actually golden in color!

"Feng Xinyi, is this place sufficient?" asked Issei as he waved his hands, Feng Xinyi suddenly appearing in front of him. She looked around the cave with a curious expression, and after putting her hand in the golden-colored lava and feeling the temperature, she nodded.

"Yup! This should be enough!" Feng Xinyi chirped happily. Following that, she threw herself into the pool of golden-colored lava.

Instead of being surprised, Issei only shook his head to the side. After some pondering, he also jumped inside it.

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	91. Mental Picture

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 91 - Mental Picture**

* * *

Issei's expression was calm as his body slowly sank into the lava. His vision gradually turned red and gold, and before long, he couldn't see anything with his eyes. Despite that, he didn't feel any discomfort. To him, the only difference between being submerged in water and being under lava was the fact that lava was thicker, and, in reality, somewhat more comfortable.

Since he couldn't see with his eyes, he sent out his Spirit Power, using them to analyze any changes in his body from an outsider's point of view. Alas, it was just as he thought; even after being covered by extremely hot lava, he felt completely at ease. Not only that, this wasn't any common lava; this golden-colored lava was an incomparably hot lava-like substance that was a grade above ordinary lava.

However, this meant nothing to him. Because he had fused with the Fire Seed of the Evil God, even if this lava was millions of times hotter, he wouldn't feel any different. The Fire Seed was simply a wondrous, heaven-defying power!

Moreover, the powers of the Fire Seed weren't limited to making him impervious to fire-attributed elements. Issei's clothes, which didn't have any special properties, were completely fine. It was as if there was a barrier surrounding his body, making him immune to his extremely hot surroundings.

As for Feng Xinyi, she was faring even better. The density of the lava proved to be of little importance to her; she casually swam around in the pool of lava with an intoxicated expression, as if she were in paradise. To an existence like the Phoenix, who was born and raised in fire, high temperatures were what she yearned for the most. Furthermore, just like Issei's case, her clothes, which seemed to have been made of golden and scarlet colored feathers, weren't affected.

Even after a long time had passed, Feng Xinyi's excitement at being at such a comfortable environment had yet to fade. Despite that, she knew that they didn't have much time, so she forcibly calmed herself down, maintaining a steady heart. After taking in a deep breath, she said, "Issei, should we start right now?"

"Yes," Issei nodded. Meanwhile, he used his spiritual power to raise his body from the lava, until it reached a point in which his body was only floating above the scarlet-golden substance. Feng Xinyi was even more extravagant; she began walking on the lava, as if it was solid ground.

"Let's see… try closing your eyes," said Feng Xinyi as she slowly approached Issei, leisurely walking forward. Issei unhesitatingly followed her commands, closed his eyes. After that, he kept quiet, waiting for the next step. At the same time, he had already unsealed his memories of the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', and was currently skimming through them.

When Feng Xinyi finally reached the place Issei was at, she seemed to ponder for a few moments. All of a sudden, a naughty smile appeared on her cherry-like lips. Following that, she turned around, her back now facing Issei. Then, she directly sat down… on his lap. Her firm, curvaceous and petite rear-end was tightly pressed against his thighs and nether regions.

One of Issei's eyebrows faintly twitched, a slightly strange expression on his face. However, aside from that, he made no other movements. Feng Xinyi, taking his lack of action as sign of approval, smiled with satisfaction, softly wriggling her lower body in order to get into a more comfortable position.

Meanwhile, although Issei's expression was calm, he was feeling quite helpless inside. He though darkly, "This girl… does she have any idea of what she's doing?! Stop rubbing it there, dammit!" Be that as it may, he was quite impressed. Even though Feng Xinyi's body was almost child-like, her rear end was exceptionally developed – soft, firm and curvaceous.

After Feng Xinyi adjusted her position a few times, finally settling on the most comfortable spot she had managed to find. Once this was done, she sweetly smiled and said, "Alright, now, I'll send my spiritual power into your body. At the same time, you have to follow a certain breath pattern – two long breaths, followed by five short ones. This will probably help you get used to fire-attributed spiritual power, which can make the process of learning the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' easier."

"Probably?" though Issei in his heart, his expression turning even more helpless. Despite that, he still followed Feng Xinyi's commands. The moment he felt a foreign flux of spiritual power saturate his body, he started following that certain breathing pattern of two long, five short.

Surprisingly, after repeating that breathing pattern a few times, Issei realized that all of the pores within his body had somehow opened, and had begun to greedily devour the fire-attributed spiritual power in his surroundings. The accumulation of spiritual power within his body began to increase at an astonishing rate. Meanwhile, Issei could feel that Feng Xinyi's spiritual power was resonating with the Phoenix Blood that coursed through his veins. As a result, his degree of intimacy with the Phoenix Blood was rapidly increasing.

The spiritual power absorbed into his body was quickly directed towards his profound entrances, thereupon being lead to his profound veins, where they circulated a few times, slowly fusing into Issei's own spiritual power, steadily increasing his spiritual power. Even though this wasn't the 'actual' World Ode of the Phoenix, and in fact was only an auxiliary technique developed by Feng Xinyi herself, it was already amazingly effective, comparable to his 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians'.

However, there was a reason for that. The main point of 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' was to refine and strengthen the fleshly body, while increasing one's cultivation was only a side-effect. On the other hand, Feng Xinyi's cultivation methods, even though they contained various attack and defense skills, had increasing one's cultivation as its primary effect. It was also for this reason that Issei decided to set aside his 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians' as his secondary cultivation skill, while making the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' as his primary one.

At the same time, because of his abnormally high grade fire origin fusion compatibility, and the fact that he had successfully integrated the Fire Seed into his body, his aptitude for cultivating fire-related cultivation methods was something otherworldly. Because of all that, Issei was extremely eager to start cultivating the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'.

Moreover, the Phoenix herself would be teaching him! Feng Xinyi had spent the greater part of her life trying to comprehend the intricacies of the World Ode of the Phoenix, and was completely intimate with it. Thus, she was the best teacher possible when it came to the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'.

"Alright," said Feng Xinyi, seeing that Issei had gotten used to the breathing pattern, "now, you try to search your mind for the cultivation method for the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. After that, try reading it while doing the two long, five short. It helps you concentrate, and can also temporarily improve your comprehension." Suddenly, Feng Xinyi paused. After some pondering, she continued, "Actually, I don't think I tried using this on a cultivation skill aside from the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. Hmm… there's a chance the 'two long, five short' can work on other ones. Try that later!"

Issei nodded his head, attentively listening to Feng Xinyi's words. Once she finished speaking, he started to read through the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' once more, only that this time, he read it while constantly using the 'two long, five short' breathing pattern. Although this technique left him quite out of breath, it wasn't something intolerable, so he persisted with it.

The results were instantaneous. The lines of text in his mind, that had originally been incomprehensible, suddenly began to make sense. Although his current comprehension was far from optimal, because of Feng Xinyi's unique breathing pattern, his progress was greatly improved. By the time he finished reading through the initial levels, his expression was one of unconcealed excitement. In fact, he was so engrossed in comprehending the World Ode of the Phoenix that he had even forgotten that Feng Xinyi was still in his lap.

Suddenly, Feng Xinyi's soft voice reached his ears, "You probably already finished reading the initial levels. Now, while still using the 'two long, five short', I want you to picture something."

Issei nodded, eagerly awaiting for further instructions. Because of the 'two long, five short', he was completely convinced by Feng Xinyi's teaching prowess.

Feng Xinyi suddenly changed her position in Issei's lap, her body straightening up and turning around, causing her mouth to be directly pressed against Issei's ears. Following that, she whispered softly, "Picture me in my true form, flying through the skies. Then, picture yourself riding me, and eventually becoming a Phoenix yourself. This is the true way to cultivate the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. It requires a mental image."

"Ah...This girl…," Issei sighed in his heart. He was unsure of whether Feng Xinyi was aware of it or not, but her alluring position, along with her words, gave her a sultry charm. If it wasn't for the fact that Issei's mind was much sturdier than an average cultivator, he would have long since given in to his desires. Thankfully, the fact that Feng Xinyi's body was somewhat child-like helped him to crush those thoughts.

Forcibly crushing down those stray thoughts, Issei slowly recalled Feng Xinyi's words, and after some thought, he tried to picture the image she had described. Alas, for some obscure reason, before that image could be formed, it would mysteriously fade away; it as if there was some exterior force tampering with his mind.

What Issei was unaware of was that the act of creating a mental picture was something that one was supposed to understand on their own after thoroughly comprehending the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. Therefore, because Issei hadn't had to go through the arduous process of realizing that, he was unable to successfully form it.

Feng Xinyi as unusually perceptive. Solely from looking at the minute changes in Issei's expression, she could clearly see that he was facing some trouble. Her expression grew puzzled, wondering what was so difficult about that. After some pondering, she decided to help him out.

"Stay put," said Feng Xinyi as she moved her index finger over to Issei's forehead, "I'll help you out."

While she said so, her finger reached Issei's forehead, thereupon pressing on it. A deep-scarlet light shone from her extended finger, and in the following moment, an image appeared in Issei's mind. It was of a majestic flaming bird, thousands of hundreds of kilometers in length, flying across the universe. With a single flap from its wings, flaming whirlwinds the size of planets would form, devastating entire galaxies in seconds.

Issei's mind reeled, waves of shock resounding through his body. He felt as if his soul was twisting and warping under the flaming bird's overwhelming pressure, and he almost lost consciousness. As a result, that image scattered, fading away.

With Issei's current mental powers, even though he had lived for a long time and had a steady and firm mind, he was only capable of sustaining that mental image for a few seconds. After all, he was only a mortal cultivator, while that image was of a true divinity in its actual, glorious form.

The 'World Ode of the Phoenix' was a cultivation technique that came to existence the moment Feng Xinyi, the Phoenix, was born. Because of that, it was meant as a technique belonging solely to her, and wasn't optimized for lower existences to practice. It was due to that whether someone received the bloodline of one of the three Fire Divine Beasts, what they would receive wasn't their actual cultivation methods. Instead, what they would be granted was an incomplete, simplified version, which only contained some of the most basic abilities, and didn't even have a cultivation method.

Therefore, even if Issei was a thousand times more talented, he would still have troubles with learning the original 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. The road to learn such a terrifying cultivation skill wasn't an easy one, and even if Issei were to give it his all, there was still a high chance of him failing, even with Feng Xinyi's help.

At that moment, Issei finally realized that. Alas, he didn't choose to back down and settle for a simpler cultivation method. Once he had decided on something, he would go until the end! This was his resolve! This was his desire… His desire for power!

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	92. It's Not My Fault!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 92 - It's Not My Fault!**

* * *

The Patriarch of the Xiao Sect silently gazed at the red-colored pagoda, a complex expression on his handsome, scholarly face. After a long time, he closed his eyes and sighed, "Who would have thought…. Even though my Xiao Sect does indeed have someone with a pure Yang body, he's far too weak to gain the treasure's acknowledgment. This is simply like having a treasure chest in front of you, only that it has a lock, and the key is nowhere to be found..."

He opened his eyes, glanced at the Magical Pagoda one last time, and began to walk away. As he did so, he made a small incantation gesture with his hand, and a gigantic barrier appeared in the area around the forest. This barrier didn't have any purposes aside from hiding whatever was within.

"I can't have other sects vying for the Magical Pagoda," murmured the Patriarch as he slowly flew out of the forest, making his way to his residence. "Even though it isn't of use to the Xiao Sect right now, it doesn't mean that Little Yang's disciple will never be able to gain its acknowledgment. As long as he's properly nurtured, there is still a chance that he'll become strong enough to claim the Pagoda for himself in the future.

"Though… it truly is a pity," the Patriarch shook his head to the sides as he flew through the air, "had he been the Martial Heir, or a normal core disciple, it would have been much easier. Alas, he's the Formations Heir, and his current cultivation base can only be described as pathetic. It won't be easy to nurture him into a cultivation genius… but it certainly isn't impossible."

Suddenly, the Patriarch revealed a smile, "A few hours ago, Little Yang asked me to give his disciple some time within the Scorching Lava Caves. At the very least, this means that unlike the previous Formations Heir, who were complete formation freaks, the current Formations Heir does have some interest in cultivation. This should make things easier in the future…. In fact, there's even a chance that as long as he managed to reach a plausible cultivation level, I'll let him go the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament in three months time…

"In fact," the Patriarch's eyes suddenly lit up, "he seems to have some secrets on his body. Back then, his mood was rather gloomy, so I didn't want to seem too forceful, but he ought to have calmed down by down. Hmm… as his Patriarch, I should be aware of whatever secret a disciple of my sect has. Maybe I can even help him out!...Who knows?"

As the Patriarch was immersed deep within his thoughts, he didn't notice that someone was quickly approaching. It was only when this person was standing directly before him that he finally realized that at some point in time, one of the elders of the Sky Profound Realm had arrived in front of him. Surprisingly, the elder's expression seemed to be one of disbelief mixed with awkwardness.

The Patriarch immediately realized that something wrong. He narrowed his eyes and quickly asked, "What happened?"

The elder took in a deep breath and said, "Patriarch, the last level of the Scorching Lava Caves… the fifteenth level… no longer works."

"No… no longer works?" The Patriarch widened his eyes in surprise. The Scorching Lava Caves had been personally created by an ancestor of the Xiao Sect long ago by using various precious treasures. As for the fifteenth level, it was even more special, as it contained an extremely rare type of lava, known as Scorching Yang Lava. Because of that, the Patriarch felt as if he couldn't believe his own ears. His eyes narrowed even further as he asked, "Explain."

In response, the elder shook his head helplessly, "You see, Apprentice Brother Yang's disciple, Issei, suddenly left the Scorching Lava Caves a few hours after entering. After some questioning, the disciple in charge discovered that he had been cultivating in the fifteenth level. Surprised by that, he went to the fifteenth level to check if it was indeed the truth, but when he entered the last lava cave, he realized that it was… empty."

"Empty…." The Patriarch repeated after the elder with a strange expression. Originally, if he had heard that Issei, a cultivator of the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm, had actually dared to cultivate in the fifteenth level, that even he had to be wary of, he would've been shocked out of his wits. Alas, what surprised him the most was the description of the cave. With a complex expression, the Patriarch asked, "Empty, as in devoid of anything…?"

The elder sorrowfully nodded with a pained and helpless expression, "Forsooth. It's as if the area had been sucked clean of spiritual power…. Even our treasured Scorching Yang Lava had completely disappeared! Aside from rocks, there was nothing else there."

"The Scorching Yang Lava… even the spiritual power in the region… just what happened within there…?" mused the Patriarch, his mind completely shaken.

* * *

Issei's speed was fast as he hurried home. Although his expression was calm, he was actually endlessly cursing inside. Every time he remembered what happened to the Scorching Lava Cave he had been in, he felt pain in his heart.

Such an amazing, filled with fire-attributed spiritual power…

Such good, comfortable golden lava…

Such a perfect place for practicing the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'…

… was gone! All gone!

And whose fault was it?

"Xiao Huo, you gluttonous flame, I swear, what kind of crimes did I commit against you to deserve this?!" cursed Issei in his heart. His pace suddenly increased, and he was only one step away from running back to his residence. Because of what he had _'accidentally'_ done back in the Scorching Lava Caves, he was sure that he would have to face some sort of punishment, regardless of his status.

He remembered what had happened clearly. Everything had been going well; after countless tries, he had gotten the hang of the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', and had been able to support the mental image of the Phoenix for more than two dozen breaths of time. With his progress, it wouldn't have been weird to have reached a certain degree of mastering over the initial part of the 'World Ode of the Phoenix' in a few months time.

Alas, destiny wasn't so kind. Not even five hours had passed and, Xiao Huo, his Flame Essence, suddenly woke up. Not only did it wake up, it was famished. Before Issei could realize just what was happening, all of the golden lava, along with the fire-attributed spiritual power in the atmosphere started madly flowing into his body, as if a vortex had formed around him, pulling everything towards him.

In less than ten seconds, all of the golden-colored lava and the fire-attributed spiritual power in his surroundings had been sucked into the Heretical God Seed, thereupon being used as nourishment for Xiao Huo, who greedily devoured everything. After absorbing it all, Xiao Huo's body went through various changes. Its color, that had once been deep scarlet, now had hints of gold.

Moreover, Xiao Huo's destructive power had been greatly enhanced. Even though it was still a middle-grade earth-step Flame Essence, it could now be considered as the paragon of its grade, and was only a step away from becoming a high-grade earth-step Flame Essence.

If it had been in a normal situation, Issei would have been euphoric because of that. After all, Xiao Huo was his Flame Essence, and if it got stronger, it also meant that his own fighting prowess would greatly increase. However, the current Issei was unable to find any joy in his heart. He had finally found a place suitable for cultivating the World Ode of the Phoenix, but it had been taken away right before his eyes! Not only that, he also knew that the Scorching Fire Cave he had been in wasn't a simple one. It wouldn't be strange if he was punished.

"Xiao Huo… you used to be such a good flame! Why have you gotten so naughty?" murmured Issei grimly, shaking his head to the sides. In reality, he wasn't the only one angered. Feng Xinyi, who had been enjoying Issei's lap in a perfectly-pleasant ambient, suddenly had that luxury taken from her! And it was all the fault of a trifling Flame Essence.

As for the poor Flame Essence, it could only hide within Issei's body, completely afraid of his master and the almighty existence that was under him. In reality, it didn't have any control over what it had done. In those brief moments that it had sucked all of the fire-attributed spiritual power in the cave, it hadn't been in control of itself. In reality, the actual perpetrator was the Heretical God Seed. Xiao Huo was already certain of it, but because its only means of communicating with Issei was rather crude, it was unable to relay that message to him.

Therefore, it could only pray that its master anger was something ephemeral, and would soon fade.

The moment Issei arrived in his home, he immediately sent a transmission to Xiao Yang, "Master, disciple is going to go into closed-doors cultivation for a few days. Please, if anyone have any matter with me, ask them to leave it for later."

Soon after, an answer was delivered to his mind: "Weren't you supposed to be within the Scorching Fire Caves?"

Issei quickly replied, "Disciple met with some trouble within the Scorching Fire Caves. Therefore, he would like to cultivate in his residence."

Xiao Yang's response came after a while: "Very well then. Good luck."

After hearing that answer, Issei unhesitatingly stored away his voice transmission jade slip. He had to admit that it was truly a handy treasure; as long as the one you wanted to talk to was within a certain distance from you, by using this piece of jade as a medium, one could directly transmit voice messages to them. Of course, in order to do so, there's the requirement of the other person's own voice transmission jade slip being registered in yours.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be extremely easy to flood the mind of a person with messages during an important battle? Even the slightest distraction could easily lead to an early death.

As Issei entered his residence, he sent his Spirit Power outwards, searching for Xia Mei, but soon discovered that his house was empty. After some pondering, he figured that she had probably gone to Elder Yang's house in order to meet with Xiao Huan. After all, they had been getting along pretty well these past few days.

"Well, since I'm here, I might as well start practicing those formation skills that I saw on my first day here…," mused Issei. Meanwhile, he quickly walked up the stairs, entering his room. After doing so, he cast a few layers of formations on the door, and also activated a few of the formations in the entrance of the hall. None of them were defensive ones, as Issei didn't want to accidentally injure Xia Mei. Their only purpose was to warn him if someone were to come close to his residence. Once everything was taken care of, Issei could finally calm down. Then, after some thought, he waved his hands, causing Xiao Huo to appear right in front of him.

Issei's expression flashed with anger for a brief moment, but upon seeing the meekness of Xiao Huo's flames, and how it kept trying to distance itself from him, he sighed, erasing from his mind the today's previous misunderstandings. A warm look appeared in his eyes as he said softly, "Xiao Huo, let me see how much you have changed."

Xiao Huo initially revealed a hesitant expression, but upon seeing that Issei truly meant no harm, it excitedly flew back to its master, obediently landing on his hand. The moment it did so, Issei noticed that not only had Xiao Huo's color changed, it had also greatly increased in size. Before, it used to be a mere strand of fire, but now, it was almost as thick as his finger.

"Hmm… it seems that absorbing that golden-colored lava wasn't without benefits," murmured Issei thoughtfully, his eyes constantly analyzing Xiao Huo with a curious glint. Previously, he had been too immersed in his anger to care, but now that he looked at Xiao Huo carefully, he noticed that it had undergone drastic transformations.

"Only a little earth-step Flame Essence!" Suddenly, Feng Xinyi appeared right next to Issei, her expression one of dissatisfaction as she glared at the little Flame Essence, who began to cower under her fiery gaze. "If I still had my power, a single spark of fire from my wings could form a Flame Essence above the heaven-step!"

The extent of Feng Xinyi's hatred of Xiao Huo couldn't be imagined. After all, if it wasn't for it, she would still be inside the Scorching Lava Cave, happily enjoying Issei's company. Alas, that little, insignificant Flame Essence just had to appear and mess it all up! Feng Xinyi wasn't someone proud and haughty, but her dissatisfaction had reached an unimaginable level.

Now, how was she supposed to find an excuse to get on Issei's lap and cling to his body once more!?

"Xinyi, calm down," said Issei, turning his head towards Feng Xinyi. A bewitching smile graced his handsome face, whereas his eyes were filled with warmth. The moment she saw his expression, the words she had been about to say got stuck in her throat. A captivated expression appeared on her face as she faintly nodded.

After finally stabilizing the situation, Issei glanced at Xiao Huo a few more times before letting it return back to the Heretical God Seed. Then, he focused his attention on Feng Xinyi once more. With a serious expression, he asked, "About the 'World Ode of the Phoenix', is there truly no other way to cultivate it? Do I really need to be in an environment full of fire-attributed spiritual power?"

Feng Xinyi turned thoughtful upon hearing her words. She brought her finger to her lips, and after some deep thought, her eyes lit up, as if she had just remembered something. Her expression turned excited as she said, "Actually, there's no need to anymore."

"Really?" Issei looked at Feng Xinyi, slightly surprised. At the same time, his curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah," Feng Xinyi nodded, her smile growing wider, "the only part that truly required the fire-attributed spiritual power was to develop the foundations for the 'two short, five long' breathing technique. You already managed to do that, so the rest can basically be done anywhere." Suddenly, Feng Xinyi's expression changed, turning somewhat bashful. Unsurprisingly, her current expression was only acting; she was celebrating inside. "However, there's a catch."

"What is it?"

Feng Xinyi's expression turned even more embarrassed as she continued, "Even though a place full of fire-attributed spiritual power is no longer a requirement, you'd still need some source of yang-attributed spiritual power in order to successfully cultivate the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. Otherwise, you won't be capable of maintaining that mental picture for even a single breath of time."

"You mean…?!" Issei's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Feng Xinyi nodded, the redness of her face reaching its pinnacle. "The best source of yang-attributed spiritual power would be my spiritual power… which means that I'd have to directly transfer it to you through physical contact."

Issei took in a deep breath and asked, "How… how 'close' is that physical contact you're talking about?"

"Mn?" Suddenly, Feng Xinyi's embarrassment faded away, replaced by a thoughtful expression. "I think… that sitting on your lap should be more than enough..."

The moment he heard those words, Issei let out breath of relieve. At the very least, what Feng Xinyi had said was nowhere as 'intimate' as what he had in mind. Just sitting on his laps…. Issei could manage that. Feng Xinyi had already done so before, so he was rather used to it by this point.

"Alright then, I agree," Issei nodded, causing Feng Xinyi's eyes to light up.

"Really?!"

Issei gazed at Feng Xinyi puzzled "Yeah. Why would I not?"

"Ah…? Nothing, nothing!" Feng Xinyi quickly shook her head, a bright smile appearing on her face. Following that, she jumped onto Issei's lap and raised her fist up in the air excitedly, "Alright! Let's begin!"

"Actually…," Issei sighed helplessly, "there's something I want to do before that."

"What?" Feng Xinyi's excited expression faded away. In its place, a confused expression appeared. After a while, she suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, is it formations? Alright… I can wait a bit."

Issei nodded, and with a wave of his hands, ten scrolls appeared out of thin air. Those were the formations skills scroll that he had found within this room. With a serious expression, he picked up the first one and began to read it. However, because Feng Xinyi didn't show any intention of getting off his lap, it was proving to be quite difficult, both because she was proving to be a distraction, and that the position was far from an optimal one. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore the soft and firm feeling on his nether regions.

In the end, Issei could only shake his head helplessly. After some pondering, he settled for a certain position. He pulled Feng Xinyi's closer to his body, and placed the scroll on her lap. Then, with his arms around her, he began to read it from over her shoulders. This was simply the best he could manage in a situation such as this.

However, because he was completely focused on reading the scroll, he completely failed to notice the reddening of Feng Xinyi's cheek and the hints of intoxication that flashed in her eyes. She only sat there on his lap, dazedly staring at Issei's face, which was only a hair's breadth away from hers. His warm breath gently brushed against her soft cheeks, sending waves of strange, unfamiliar feelings through her body. In her eyes, Issei's expression of concentration was undoubtedly the most perfect scene she had ever seen.

 _ **Read & Review~! (From now on, the chapters will always be posted at this exact time without fail! See you in 24 hours!)**_


	93. Formations Freak (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 93 - Formations Freak (1)**

* * *

The Patriarch arrived at the Scorching Lava Caves with a heavy expression, his brows tightly pressed together. Light flashed from the array formation, indicating that someone had arrived. Alas, before the core disciple in charge of the training ground could even realize who had just arrived, his eyes widened, as the newcomer, whose image hadn't even stabilized, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a gust of wind.

"Who… who was that person?" murmured the core disciple, gazing dazedly at the place where the Patriarch had just been at. The core disciple's expression changed the moment he realized something. His expression was ghastly as he muttered, "Wait… didn't he look like… the Patriarch…!?"

Meanwhile, the scholarly Patriarch suddenly appeared within the fifteenth level, directly parallel to the entrance of the last Scorching Lava Cave, standing above the crimson-colored ground. As a matter of fact, it would be incorrect to continue calling it a Scorching Lava Cave… as it no longer had the right to be called as such.

The Patriarch didn't even need to enter it to see what had happened. The lack of fire-attributed spiritual power in the atmosphere had already confirmed his doubts.

The fifteenth level… had been depleted of anything fire-related.

"What kind of being could have possible done this," though the Patriarch, his expression serious, as if faced with some millennial riddle. "Even if those old monsters from the Burning Heaven Clan were to give their all in devouring everything, they wouldn't be able to do this...

"Furthermore," the Patriarch crouched down and lightly touched on the floor with his hands, feeling an eerie sense of coldness, "whoever did this even managed to absorb the spiritual power within the walls and floor… how could this be possible?"

Forcibly stealing the spiritual power imbued within buildings wasn't something that could be easily done. After all, there were countless layers of formations that sealed the spiritual power deep inside the construction materials, along with the fact that after a certain period of time, the spiritual power would eventually merge with the materials.

Because of that, the only way one could hope to absorb the spiritual power stored within some kind of object or material would be to shatter them, or find some other way to break them apart. However, when the Patriarch had touched the floor, he noticed that it was in pristine condition; it didn't even have the slightest crack.

"A mere Nascent Profound Realm cultivator isn't capable of such feat…," the Patriarch narrowed his eyes, "this must mean that he has some kind of precious treasure on him." Greed flashed in the Patriarch's eyes for a split-second, but it faded away as suddenly as it came. The Patriarch sighed as he shook his head helplessly, "Hah! The almighty Patriarch of the Xiao Sect, an Emperor Profound Realm cultivator of the senior generation, is actually having thoughts about the treasure of one his disciples…? Ridiculous! Simply absurd! I wonder what others would think about me if they knew of that…"

After saying that, he turned around and began to walk away dejectedly. His eyes were unfocused as he murmured, "Everyone has their own destiny, the path that they are supposed to follow… if that kid managed to acquire that treasure, then that means he was meant to do it; he's connected to it by destiny. As his Patriarch, his senior, I shouldn't vie for his treasure… in fact, I should help him protect it! After all…he's a disciple of the Xiao Sect! My sect!"

Eventually, the Patriarch returned back to the Xiao Sect. After glancing in the direction of Issei's residence, he pondered for a while, but in the end, sighed and turned around. He murmured, "He may have destroyed one of the most precious areas of my sect, but… it's not as if anyone used it anyways… I suppose I can make an exception for him once."

* * *

Issei, who had been immersed in comprehending the formations skills, widened his eyes all of a sudden. Even though he didn't know what had happened, he just felt that he had avoided some great danger.

"Issei…?" asked Feng Xinyi, who immediately noticed the sudden change in Issei's expression.

"Nothing," Issei shook his head, smiled at Feng Xinyi, and went back to reading the scroll. Feng Xinyi glanced at him uncertainly, but seeing that he was unwilling to talk, simply continued to stare at his face, just as she had been doing before.

Time slowly passed. Two hours later, Issei glanced at the scroll in his hand, hints of enlightenment flashing in his eyes. He closed his eyes and murmured, a thoughtful expression on his face, "This formation skill… for some reason, it reminds me of a certain something."

According to the scroll in his hand, the formations skill taught on it was rather simple. By using one's own spiritual power and the energy from cultivation resources, and using this skill as a medium, it was possible to increase the quality of formations. In layman's terms, this skill would swallow the spiritual energy provided, refine it, thereupon channeling it into a formation.

However, this skill greatly focused on quality. The quality and purity of the spiritual power provided to it needed to be extremely high. Otherwise, it would take extremely large quantities of raw spiritual power to activate it.

This type of skill reminded Issei of one of his most mysterious secrets… the nine lightning beasts hiding within his dantian. **[1]**

Those nine lightning beasts were a curse disguised as a blessing. Initially, Issei had been euphoric at the notion of gaining a bloodline legacy, but upon discovering its function, his happiness plummeted, giving birth to a feeling of dense bitterness. The nine lightning beasts were no different from famished animals, eating whatever came by. This is where the problem laid – they were within Issei's dantian, which meant that all of his spiritual power would pass through there.

Every time Issei would absorb spiritual power from the atmosphere, a great deal of it would be devoured by the nine lightning beasts. Although Issei didn't have accurate numbers, he imaged that at least ninety-nine percent of the spiritual power he absorbed was used for feeding those damnable beasts. After all, if it wasn't for that, how could Issei's cultivation speed be so slow!?

He was someone with an abnormally high number of profound entrances, eight hundred and sixty-four, whereas everyone else would only have fifty-four. Because of that, Issei's cultivation speed was supposed to be impossibly high, surpassing all his peers…. Alas, because of the nine lightning beasts, his cultivation speed was only slightly above average. This was also one of the reasons why Issei desired the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'. He believed that if he started cultivating using the Phoenix's personal cultivation skill, his cultivation speed would be greatly enhanced.

However, it wasn't as if the nine lightning beasts didn't bring him any advantage. After all, when Issei stepped onto the Nascent Profound Realm, the golden-colored lightning beast merged with his body. Because of that, as long as Issei wants to, he can activate it, increasing his cultivation base by a single level.

Suddenly, Issei's eyes widened as he thought of something, temporarily forgetting about the formations skill. A strange light shone on his eyes as he murmured, "I'm currently in tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm..."

Originally, after leaving the Phoenix Trials, he had only been at the ninth level, but since his body would automatically cultivate, he had eventually entered the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm after two months.

Because of this realization, excitement flashed within Issei's eyes.

"I'm on the tenth level… if I activate the golden lightning, would it be possible for me to enter the… True Profound Realm!?" Issei exclaimed, his expression growing increasingly excited. Previously, he had been too busy, and never had the time to think of this. If it wasn't for this formations skill that reminded Issei of the nine lightning beasts, it was unknown when he would have thought of it.

Feng Xinyi, who was still on Issei's lap, was completely startled by Issei's shout. Just a moment ago, he had been calmly learning formation skills, but all of sudden, it was as if he had just seen a treasure, his expression becoming euphoric!

"Issei?" asked Feng Xinyi, looking at him with a puzzled expression, her eyes slightly widened.

Issei didn't notice Feng Xinyi's words; her was simply too immersed in his thoughts. Suddenly, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, golden lightning could be seen crisscrossing within his pupils.

A rumbling sound came from deep within Issei's body as his profound veins enlarged, whereas the spiritual power within him grew increasingly thicker in density and higher quantity. As if a vortex had been formed around his body, the spiritual power in his surroundings began to madly rush towards him, aiding him in his breakthrough. A golden light flashed in Issei's skin, absorbing the spiritual power, thereupon relaying it to his profound veins. Wave after wave of spiritual power flooded his veins, like the rippling tides of the ocean, thoroughly fusing with his profound veins and dantian.

Soon after, a bang-like sound came from within Issei's body.

He had… stepped onto the True Profound Realm!

Feng Xinyi revealed an astonished expression, clearly feeling the changes within Issei's bodies. It was clear that he had just experienced a breakthrough in cultivation. Suddenly, her expression became one of confusion. After all, the breakthrough had been too sudden, and, most important of all, her own power hadn't suffered any increase.

Back in the Divine Fire Realm, the Evil God had sealed her power, along with the power of the other two Divine Beasts. According to him, their powers would be limited to Issei's cultivation base. The more he progressed, more of their power would be unsealed. Despite that, Feng Xinyi didn't feel any change in her body.

"What happened just now…?" murmured Feng Xinyi thoughtfully, her expression one of puzzlement. Not even with her countless years of experience could she find an answer to what had just taken place.

When he heard Feng Xinyi's voice, Issei suddenly awoke from his daze. He first checked his body, and upon seeing that he had really broken-through to the True Profound Realm, a smile appeared on his face. After that, he took in a deep breath and explained, "Xinyi, this is a certain power of mine. By activating it, my cultivation base increases by a level."

In order to prove his words, Issei deactivated the golden lightning. Spiritual power began to seep out of his body, whereas his profound veins went back to their normal state. His cultivation base was once again on the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm.

"Ah," Feng Xinyi nodded, "now I get it..." After that, she asked a few more questions, but soon the topic lost her interest. After all, she had seen much more interesting things in her lifetime before. A power that can merely increase the cultivation base by a level wasn't anything worth mentioning to her.

As for Issei, although he remained quite excited, he eventually picked up the scroll with formations techniques again and resumed his reading. He had already confirmed his thoughts; now that he knew he could enter the True Profound Realm at will, he felt more at ease. After all, by entering the True Profound Realm, the amount of spiritual power within his body would almost double. This could be considered as a trump card of sorts.

It wasn't exceedingly powerful like his other hidden abilities, but to Issei, the more power he had, the better. After all, it's impossible to have too many trump cards.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed. During this period of time, Issei didn't leave his room, as he was completely immersed in learning those ten formation techniques. Every time he would finish one, he would stop and ponder, sometimes even trying them out, seeing the results with his own eyes. Because of that, he took quite some time. However, by the time he was finished, Issei was more than satisfied with his progress.

"Now that I've some formations skills, I believe that it's time to…," murmured Issei, a smile slowly appearing on his face, "start making formations!"

He turned his head towards Feng Xinyi and said, "Xinyi, I'm going right now."

Feng Xinyi nodded, and in the next moment, her body became a ray of light, burrowing onto the symbol on Issei's hand.

After that, Issei got up from the ground, and after dusting himself off, walked out of his room. First he would see how Xia Mei was faring. Then, he would meet with his master, Xiao Yang. Now that he had the knowledge, he was itching for an opportunity to put it to work.

Unknown to Issei, in the following month, he would truly rise to prominence within the Xiao Sect. To everyone, from the lowest outer disciples to the highest elders, he would be known as the...

...Formations Freak of the Xiao Sect!

 _ **Read & Review~! (See you in 24 hours!)**_

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 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1] -** _This is the same lightning that Issei got in chapter 71 and 72 of Book 1._


	94. Formations Freak (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 94 - Formations Freak (2)**

* * *

In a certain area of the Xiao Sect was a unique building. It was situated in one of those rare areas of the Xiao Sect, which was accessible to all disciples, from the outer ones all the way to the core ones. This building was also in a separate area, quite a distance away from the other buildings. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small either.

Just a week ago, the area around this building had been empty, but currently, a crowd of dozens of disciples formed around it. There were outer disciples, inner disciples, and even core disciples present. In fact, some elders could be seen here and there.

In just a week, this building had gone from one of the most secluded places in the Xiao Sect to one of the busiest ones.

This shocking, astonishing change could be attributed to a single person, who was currently within the building, sitting on a mat. There were three rooms in the building; one was the waiting area, the other one was the storage, while the last room was the one where the youth worked at.

Currently, the youth held a sword in his hands, his expression calm, like stale water. Directly in front of him was another youth, dressed in inner disciple robes. He had an anxious expression, and deep within his eyes, deep respect could be spotted.

"Eldest Brother Issei-–No! Formations Elder Issei, I beg you to draw an inscription symbol on that sword!" said the youth, his eyes set on the sword that rested on the youth's hand.

The calm youth looked at the one opposite of him and said without hurry, "Very well. What kind of inscription symbol are you looking for?"

It was clear that the anxious youth had already prepared beforehand; he didn't even need to think. Immediately, he answered, "This little one wants a water-attributed spiritual symbol!"

"Alright," the calm youth nodded, "I'll work on it right now. Come back in the time it takes three incense sticks to burn."

When he heard that, the other youth quickly nodded, and after saying some more flattering words, turned around to leave. When he was about to walk through the door, he suddenly paused and revealed an awkward expression. Turning his head to face the youth, he said, "Formations Elder Issei… this one forgot to pay… I'm truly a disgrace to my Teng Clan!" As he said so, he quickly took out his cosmos sack, but before he could even take out the spirit stones, he was stopped by the calm youth.

"Pay after you receive your product," said the youth calmly, as if he couldn't care less for this payment.

The other youth was surprisingly stubborn. He still tried to pay in advance a few times in order to show respect, but in the end, the calm youth managed to convince him to go away.

Once that anxious youth had left, the calm youth glanced at the sword in his hands and smiled calmly. After some pondering, he placed the sword in front of him, and searched through his mind for a suitable inscription symbol.

This youth was obviously Issei.

"This sword is an Earth Profound Treasure," murmured Issei, his expression thoughtful, "Although I don't know much about other clans, if I remember correctly, the Teng Clan isn't a powerful clan… moreover, this Teng Fei should be one of the core members of the Teng Clan, since he's an inner disciple of the Xiao Sect. So, could it be that the sword in my hand is actually…. The heirloom? After all, it's unlikely that such a small clan can have more than one Earth Profound Treasure..."

Issei glanced at the swords in his hands once more and sighed, "Oh well, even though I'm not sure whether this is truly the heirloom or not, I might as well give him some special service. He asked for a water-attributed inscription symbol? Alright, let's choose one not too shabby."

After saying that, he closed his eyes, and searched his memories for a water-attributed inscription symbol a grade above those that he had previously created. Once he found it, he pondered for a while before calling out, "Xinyi, do we still have Earth Soul Bamboo?"

A small, beautiful girl suddenly appeared next to Issei, her expression cheerful. She nodded happily, "Yup! That Yang guy just sent someone to deliver a new batch of materials! We have plenty of Earth Soul Bamboo!"

Ever since five days ago, when Issei had started his small business as a formations master in the Xiao Sect, Feng Xinyi had been in charge of handling the materials. She was a helper of sorts. Surprisingly, the dignified Phoenix had been the one to volunteer for the job.

If it had been before, someone of her status would have never lowered herself to a mere helper, but since she could spend time with Issei, and it could be quite entertaining at times, she had immediately volunteered. Furthermore, with this, she could personally see Issei creating inscription symbols, a scene that was simply mesmerizing to her.

Obviously, this was done in secret. If Feng Xinyi's existence were to be suddenly revealed, it could cause some scandal. After all, people wouldn't think lightly of the fact that Issei had brought a little girl to the Xiao Sect without anyone knowing. Xia Mei was one thing, as she had been accepted under the cover of his maid, but no one knew of Feng Xinyi's existence. If she were to suddenly appear, trouble would follow.

Xiao Yang, Issei's master, wasn't someone foolish. He knew that there was someone helping his disciple, but since he seemed to not have any intention of telling him, he wisely didn't bother him, pretending to not know anything. Moreover, Xiao Yang had been quite busy; her daughter had recently asked him to impart some techniques onto Xia Mei. Because of her daughter's plead, and that Xia Mei was someone whom he considered to be the beloved of his dear disciple, Xiao Yang had taken Xia Mei as his honorary disciple, and was teaching her some of what he knew.

He simply didn't have the time to care for his disciple's mysterious helper. As long as it didn't cause any ruckus or trouble, he was completely fine with it. Therefore, every time he would send someone to give Issei some materials, he would instruct them to leave it by the back door.

Xiao Yang had to admit that he was quite proud of his disciple. Five days ago, he had gone to him, and asked him for a way to further develop his skills as a formations master. Initially, Xiao Yang had wanted to give him some templates to study, but before he could do so, he remembered something that he had done a long, long time ago, back in his days as the Formations Heir.

In order to consolidate his knowledge on inscriptions, he has asked his master to build him a small building in a certain location of the Xiao Sect. Xiao Yang was constantly spoiled by his master, as he had quite a special place in his heart. When he heard Xiao Yang's request, the master didn't hesitate to order a few inner disciples to build an establishment for his disciple. For years, Xiao Yang had worked in that building, listening to requests of his fellow disciples, perfecting his skills in formations.

This was something that had happened a very long time ago, but upon hearing Issei's wish to consolidate his skills as a formations master, he was reminded of his past self, and, consequently, of what he had done back then. Therefore, he told Issei to do the same thing. Unsurprisingly, he accepted without needing to think twice.

When Xiao Yang had given Issei this idea, he had expected that he would become quite popular in the Xiao Sect, and gain a few costumers. Alas, his expectation had been a far cry from the result. In less than five days, Issei's reputation had skyrocketed, and he had officially become one of the most influential members of the Xiao Sect. In fact, he was the hottest topic of the month, discussed by both elders and disciple. For the past few days, everyone from the senior generation had been showering Xiao Yang with praises, telling him that he had picked up an amazing disciple. Even the Xiao Sect's Patriarch had congratulated him more than a few times.

The reason for Issei's success could be attributed to two things. Most important of all was that his formations were all high-quality, and they were done in a speed that could put many formations master to shame. Additionally, Issei's price was much lesser than that of a normal formations master. Whereas most would charge a few dozen spirit stones for a regular inscription symbol, Issei would normally charge one or two, which was only slightly above the price required to buy the materials.

His profit per symbol may be somewhat insignificant, only 10% higher than the price of the materials, but it had to be taken into account that Issei would receive requests from hundreds, if not thousands, of disciples every day, whereas most formation masters would find it lucky to have a dozen costumers in that same period of time.

Because of that, although Issei's current wealth was nowhere near that of Xiao Zhong, the previous World Spiritist Heir, he could already be considered as a small typhoon, possessing quite a fortune. And that was considering that it had only been five days since he opened his business.

However, in front of his progress, his materials gains were almost insignificant. Drawing formations day and night without stop, let Issei reach an extremely high realm of drawing formations. He may not be comparable to those old timers, such as Xiao Yang and other formations master from the senior generation, but if it was only in the junior generation, it was a completely different matter.

It could even be said that Issei's image was indelibly carved into everyone's minds as the most talented formations master of the junior generation. In these five days, Issei had been the subject of envy, respect, awe and amazement.

In these five days, Issei gained many titles, some of them ridiculous even. Between those various titles, the most shocking and acknowledged ones were: Formations Elder, Formations Freak, Monstrous Formations Genius and Child of Formations.

In these five days, Issei's name had reached far and wide. Although his existence hadn't been announced to the world, and was only limited to the Xiao Sect, it could be said that there wasn't a single member of the Xiao Sect that didn't know of his name.

From the lowest outer disciple all the way to the patriarch, everyone knew of his mighty name!

Alas, not everyone respected him. There were some narrow-minded cultivators, who believed that strength was all that mattered. To them, things such as formations weren't even worthy of being a hobby, and they completely looked down on those that followed paths that hadn't to do with cultivation. To them, this new 'sensation' of the Xiao Sect was only a coward, who hid behind his 'petty' ability of making drawings.

There weren't many with that line of thought, but there weren't few either. After all, the Xiao Sect was a colossal sect, and was far from united. There were many diverging factions, holding different ideals and beliefs. To some of those factions, Issei was simply an eyesore.

Be that as it may, those factions could only despise him from the shadows. After all, it was clear that the Patriarch favored this new formations master, and no one was willing to go against the Patriarch, an expert of the Emperor Profound Realm. The members of those factions could only comfort themselves with thoughts that if a true battle were to take place, the object of their contempt would show the world how weak he truly was.

Issei was more than aware of the fact that there were people secretly looking down on him. However, a few minutes after hearing about it, he had already completely forgotten. Since when did he ever care about the public's opinion of him? He was someone that stole shamelessly, killed ruthlessly and wasn't afraid to employ dirty tricks to achieve victory. His skin was almost as thick as he walls that surrounded the Xiao Sect. He couldn't care less about what others thought about him.

"People are allowed to think whatever they want. If they want to be retards, let them be retards. It's not my fault if they are mentally challenged." Were the words Issei had said after hearing about it from Xiao Yang.

To him, those who pursued solely the path of cultivation were nothing short of foolish. Cultivation wasn't everything. If it weren't for medics, how would your wounds heal? If it weren't for blacksmiths and refiners, how would you have weapons? If it weren't for formations master, how would their weapons be so strong and their armors be so hard? How would they have talismans?

The world didn't revolve around cultivation alone. Although cultivation was an essential part to everyone's life, it wasn't all there was to the universe. This was something that Issei had comprehended after living in this world of cultivation for many years. Therefore, Issei considered those who thought that cultivation was the only way to lead one's life and looked down on other professions as foolish and childish.

Alas, Issei didn't have the time to care about those people. After all, ever since he had opened his business, he didn't even have a single moment of rest. Sometimes, he would extend the amount of time required to create a formation just so he could meditate. Of course, the fact that Feng Xinyi would provide him with some of her spiritual power every once in a while was extremely helpful, as they simply eased Issei's mind, making his tiredness fade way.

Unknowingly to Issei, during this few days of constantly drawing formations, even though he hadn't cultivated at all, his cultivation base had been rapidly increasing, at a much faster rate compared to before. Every time Issei would draw formations, he would require spiritual power. Therefore, as his spiritual power being constantly emptied and replenished, it started to rapidly grow, just like a child in growth's spurt.

Although his true cultivation wasn't exactly close to the True Profound Realm, he wasn't too far away either. Issei could use the golden lightning to forcibly enter the True Profound Realm, but in his view, that was only a foreign power. What he truly desired was to have his true, actual cultivation enter the True Profound Realm. Only then would he be able to truly experience the difference between the Nascent Profound Realm and the True Profound Realm.

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	95. He's What?

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 95 - He's what!?**

* * *

Issei sighed as his body collapsed onto the ground. Faint moonlight shone from the window, illuminating his tired features in an ethereal light. He closed his eyes, and began to slowly unwind, his face eventually relaxing.

Suddenly, the soft sound of footsteps reached his ears. He didn't bother to open his eyes. Soon after, he heard a soft sound, while a warm breath softly brushed against his face. Feng Xinyi moved closer to him, her head resting by the side of his body.

Issei smiled faintly. Without opening his eyes, he turned his body side-ways in the ground, his chest now directly opposite of Feng Xinyi's head. He whispered softly, "Good night." As he said so, his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her closer to his body.

"Mn," Feng Xinyi softly moaned in response, wriggling her body closer to his. Her lips twitched into a pleased smile, her expression one of satisfaction. Meanwhile, she subconsciously begun to transfer her own spiritual power into Issei's body.

"Thanks," Issei whispered back, feeling the influx of Feng Xinyi's warm spiritual power. It slowly nurtured his mind, the feeling of tiredness fading away, as if carried away by the wind. After giving some time for his mind to reach peak condition, Issei began to silently cultivate the 'World Ode of the Phoenix'.

Feng Xinyi opened her eyes and noticed what he was doing and rolled her eyes, humphing in dissatisfaction. She pouted angrily, "How come you _never_ sleep? All you do is to draw formations and cultivate, only to cultivate again… don't you feel tired or anything?"

"I don't have such luxury," Issei opened one of his eyes and shoot her a teasing look. "I'm a busy man."

Feng Xinyi pouted again, mumbling, "It wouldn't hurt to sleep every once in a while..."

Issei didn't say anything in response, opting to close his eyes. After some thought, he pulled Feng Xinyi's body even closer, resting his chin on top of her head. He believed that if he decreased the distance between them, she would stop complaining.

Unsurprisingly, he was right.

* * *

Five more days passed in the blink of an eye.

As incredible as it may seem, Issei's reputation didn't decrease, nor did it stop increasing. His business was growing rapidly, and more and more people would visit him every day. The amount of customers was so high that even Xiao Yang and other elders were starting to envy him.

As for Issei, he kept progressing in the path of formations. If his current abilities in drawing formations were to be compared to when he first opened his little business, the difference would be like heaven and earth. Although his practical ability was still nowhere close to his theoretical knowledge, it was already above and beyond that of many inscription masters that were much older than him.

That was understandable. After all, Issei wasn't any simple youth. Not only was he naturally talented in inscriptions, he had the memories from an elder from the Higher Realm! His formation skills were also top-notch, whereas his endurance and persistence were nothing short of frightening.

All of that summed together enabled him to reach his current level.

Alas, Issei wasn't satisfied. Although his skill in formations had reached a frightening degree, he didn't think it was sufficient. After all, one of the reasons he began studying formations was to reach a level in which he could create inscription symbols from the Higher Realm. To be more specific, inscription symbols that could be used on one's body and soul.

When compared to the Higher Realm's inscription symbols, the Middle Realm's ones were more than lacking. After all, the research on inscription symbols in the Middle Realm was only in its initial phase, and had yet to mature. In fact, using inscription symbols in the body and soul was something that had never happened before in the entire Middle Realm, nor had anyone ever thought of it. On the other hand, such inscription symbols were quite commonplace in the Higher Realm.

Issei's current mastery over formations was high, but if someone were to ask him how high were his chances of successfully drawing a body-type inscription symbol, he would unhesitatingly say that they were frighteningly low. This just showed how hard it was.

It could be said that formations were drawings made from special materials that could be used for almost anything. They could be divided into some categories, such as inscription symbols and array formations. Those were more specialized versions of formations. Inscription symbols were further divided into normal, body-type, and soul-type inscription symbols. The normal ones were relatively easy to make, but the difficulty to draw a body-type inscription symbol was simply abnormal, much above that of a normal one. As for soul-type inscription symbols, they were quite rare even in the Higher Realm. It wasn't anyone that could reach such a shocking degree of mastery over inscription symbols.

Issei knew that better than anyone else. Because of that, he didn't let his current fame get to his head, and kept on practicing and drawing, striving for the acme of formations.

More time passed, and before Issei knew it, it had been twenty days since he opened his business. By that point in time, the amount of customers had already started to decrease. After all, most disciples had already spent all their money. Be that as it may, Issei's reputation showed no hints of decreasing. In fact, it kept increasing even faster than before. It could even be said that many disciples believed that Issei had already reached a godly level at drawing formations.

Someone so young, and yet so talented in formation… people naturally would respect such a person. Even the narrow-minded cultivators had to admit that Issei had some talent. This fact was simply undeniable.

In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that the Xiao Sect was making sure that Issei's name wouldn't get released to the outside world, his fame would have already rocked the Blue Wind Nation. In fact, there was a chance that it would cause tremors even in the other nations. After all, someone so talented in formations would only come once every one thousand years. It was more than unlikely that the other countries were hiding a genius of Issei's level.

Alas, the Xiao Sect knew better than to disclose such crucial information. After all, if others were to get wind of Issei's existence, the amount of clans and sects that would try to sway him into their side would be simply unimaginable. After all, everyone envied the Xiao Sect for having so many formation geniuses, as they weren't easy to come by. If Issei were to appear, it was possible that many sects would go crazy overnight.

Obviously, the Xiao Sect didn't want that. Therefore, the higher-ups decided that they would only disclose such vital information the moment when Issei reaches a certain degree of intimacy with the Xiao Sect. He had only been there for a month or so; no one there was foolish enough to believe Issei had deep feelings for their sect. At the very most, they were only superficial. Therefore, before Issei develops a sense of belonging, they wouldn't dare to reveal such information.

One day, Issei sat within his room, chatting with Xia Mei. These days, there hadn't been as many costumers, so he had been getting some short breaks. Every time he had a chance, he would talk with Xia Mei, asking if she had any doubts regarding cultivation or needed any help.

He had already been informed that she was now his master's honorary disciple, so he tried to help her out as much as possible. After all, he had a feeling that he had been neglecting her too much lately, as his time had been most spent either with formations or with Feng Xinyi. Not only that, he had been actually missing her lately.

Therefore, now that he had some spare-time, he would make sure to give her some attention. Feng Xinyi wasn't too fond of that; she was heavily opposed to Issei giving attention to other girls. However, when she remembered that once this 'intruder' left she would have him all to herself, she managed to accept it, even if reluctantly.

Suddenly, as they talked about miscellaneous matters, Xia Mei remembered something. Her expression was thoughtful as she said, "Issei, have you heard the news?"

Issei shook his head to the sides. "What happened?'

"The inner disciple competition for the position of core disciple is in two days," explained Xia Mei with a somewhat happy expression.

"And?" asked Issei, gazing at his friend strangely. He didn't understand what that had to do with him.

"Xiao Luocheng… he's participating!" exclaimed Xia Mei, greatly surprising Issei. She knew that Xiao Luocheng and Issei were good friends, so she figured that he would like to know such news. As it appeared, she was correct.

Disbelief flashed in Issei's eyes as he asked,"Really? Xiao Luocheng is… participating?"

Although Issei didn't know much about the Xiao Sect, he at least had some superficial knowledge on how some things worked. Because of that, he knew that in order to participate in the core disciple promotion competition, one had to go through a series of tests, some of which extremely hard. In fact, many inner disciples of the middle-stages of the True Profound Realm would fail every year.

Xiao Luocheng had been at the tenth level of the Nascent Profound Realm when he entered the sect. Considering his talent, which was only average in the Main Sect, Issei believed that even if his friend cultivated every day like a mad man, there was simply no way to become powerful enough to pass those preliminary tests.

Xia Mei's next words only served to further increase Issei's astonishment. With a smile, she stated, "Not only is he going to participate, he's even one of the seeded participants!"

"What!?" When he heard those words, Issei's shock soared to new heights. Seeded participant!? Only those of the Spirit Profound Realm were able to acquire such position! At that moment, Issei was sure that Xia Mei was only messing with him. He sighed and said, "Mei, who are you trying to kid? There's no way that Xiao Luocheng has already reached such a level."

Surprisingly, Xia Mei stood her ground. She looked at him seriously and said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask around. From what I was able to understand, a month ago, something happened to him, and he started to experience massive growth in cultivation! He's now a legend amongst inner disciples."

As she said so, she took out what seemed to be a small jade-slip from her cosmos sack. Without saying a single word, she handed to Issei. He stared at the jade-slip in puzzlement before sending his consciousness inside it.

When he saw what was inside, his mind reeled.

Within was a list with various names. Those were the participants of the inner disciple competition. At the top of the list were the inner disciples with the biggest chance of winning and becoming a core disciple. And, not only was Xiao Luocheng's in the top-five, he was actually… the first on the list!

Next to the names were a number; that was the amount of spirit stones that had been bet on him. Shockingly, the number next to his name was more than twice the numbers of the remaining top-five added together!

The difference between the first place and the second place was like heaven and earth! Not only that, Issei soon discovered that beneath the name was the disciple's cultivation. Everyone had their cultivation level written under name, including the top-three, but beneath Xiao Luocheng's name was actually the word 'unknown'!

But, what shocked Issei the most was that the second place was already in the second level of the Spirit Profound Realm! And yet, he was below Xiao Luocheng! What did this mean? This could only mean that Xiao Luocheng's strength had reached a frighteningly high degree!

After looking at the list a few times, Issei handed the jade slip back to Xia Mei, his expression still one of shock. Xia Mei, noticing his current mood, smiled, but didn't say anything, allowing him to slowly come to terms with what he had just read.

Eventually, Issei sighed and murmured, "Xiao Luocheng… just what has happened?" After saying that, he looked at Xia Mei and seriously said, "Two days from now, let's got watch that competition. I want to see just how strong has Luocheng gotten."

Xia Mei had already been expecting that answer. She smiled brightly and said, "Sure!"

 ** _Read & Review~! _**


	96. Hooded Disciple

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 96 - Hooded Disciple**

* * *

In one of the mountain peaks of the Xiao Sect was a small arena. It was located in the inner disciple area, and was one of the biggest and most important building to those that lived there. Normally, it was the place where the most important inner disciple competitions were held. The tournament for the position of core disciple was no exception.

Normally, only a few, low-ranking elders would spectate this competition. After all, the more influential elders were either focused in their cultivation or didn't bother with the small affairs of the inner disciples. To the majority of them, the matters of the core disciple held much more flavor.

Therefore, the moment the various inner disciples caught sight the various elders present in the audience, they all took in a deep breath, whilst their eyes flashed with shock. As inner disciples, their status wasn't high, so this was the first time they had seen so many elders at the same place.

Most surprising of all was the fact that Xiao Yang, one of the most influential elders of the Xiao Sect, was present. Next to him were three youths; two beautiful ladies and a handsome young man. Most of the inner disciples didn't recognize the two young ladies, but they immediately realized who that young man was.

After all, there was literally no one in the Xiao Sect that was unaware of who he was.

"That… isn't that Eldest Brother Issei!?"

"Heavens! Am I dreaming right now!? The… the legendary Issei actually came to watch this lowly competition?!"

"That's Issei!? Impossible! He's much more handsome than the rumors say! How could someone be so… so perfect?!"

"I know, right?! I didn't believe it at first… ah, how I want become his beloved..."

"You?! Aren't you a man, dammit!? What the hell are you talking about!? What is your wife going to think when she hears of this?!"

The hundreds of inner disciples were all talking amongst themselves while stealing glances at Issei every once in a while. Their expressions were a mixture of shock, awe and disbelief. Although many inner disciples had already seen Issei before, considering that a great deal of them had inscription symbols drawn onto their weapons and armors by him, most of them were either too poor or bashful, hence they did not have the courage to ask for his services. Therefore, now that they could finally see him, they couldn't control themselves.

This scene was a definite proof of how much of a blinding star Issei had become in the Xiao Sect.

Even Issei, when faced with such a scene, was startled.

"Am I really that famous?" he murmured to himself, bewildered.

"This is nothing," Xia Mei, who seating next to him, smiled, "everyone in the Xiao Sect already knows your name. In fact, this is not even the tip of the iceberg."

Xiao Huan, who had been listening to their conversation, nodded. She smiled sweetly and added, "Right now, you're the most popular disciple. I'm sure that even if the Patriarch's son were to come out of seclusion, he wouldn't be nearly as well-known as you."

Issei could only sigh in response. His purpose had never been to become well-known or anything. From the very start, his objective was to increase his mastery over formations; fame never had anything to do with it. In fact, if one were to ask Issei about his opinion on it, he would definitely say that he would rather remain incognito, unknown to most. That way, he would be able to cultivate in peace, whilst his close ones wouldn't have to suffer.

Alas, fate wasn't so kind. He was almost like an attention-magnet. No matter where he went, after a couple of days, there would be no one in the vicinity that didn't know his name. This was simply something that he couldn't help. The world seemed to be hell-bent in forcing him into demonstrating his power.

Eventually, the participants of the competition began to arrive. In total, there were twenty of them. Most of them seemed to be between their late teens and mid-twenties in appearance, but Issei wouldn't be surprised if there were a few thirty and forty-year-olds hidden in that group. After all, because of cultivation, one tends to keep their youthful looks for a long time.

In the very lead were three youths. Obviously, they were the top-three. Behind them were seven more inner disciples. Even further behind were fourteen more inner disciples. In total, there were twenty-four of them participating.

Issei's gaze was immediately drawn to the disciple in the lead. By logic, he was the one supposed to be the seeded disciple, Xiao Luocheng. However, for some reason, he wore a hood over his head, shrouding his face in darkness.

"Is that Luocheng?" asked Issei as he stared at the hooded young man in the lead with a serious expression. For some reason, he could sense a dark aura seeping from his friend's body, revolving in the air. Not only that, it could be seen that the moment Xiao Luocheng appeared, the temperature got considerably colder. Not only that, he was unable to see through his cultivation. Issei's eyes narrowed darkly, "That's… killing intent. Moreover, it isn't faint… it's extremely thick."

"Luocheng… just what happened to you?"

After the participants arrived, an elder stood up and walked forward, a small pouch in his hand. Once he reached the middle of the arena, he called the inner disciples forward one by one, and told them to choose a token from the bag. After everyone had chosen, he called two random numbers.

"15 and 12."

Two inner disciples stepped forward. Surprisingly, the two of them were complete opposites. The one who drew '15' was actually the one ranked as twenty-third, while the one who drew '12' was the fourth in the rankings! Furthermore, the difference in levels between them was of over six levels!

As those two walked forward, the other inner disciples made their ways to the edge of the arena, giving them plenty of room to fight.

There was no suspense to the fight. In less than an incense stick worth of time, the disciple who had drawn '15' was laying on the ground unconscious, his body riddled with wounds. It could be said that since the beginning of the fight, the result had already been determined.

The following matches weren't anything note-worthy either. With the exception of the third, which involved two disciples from the top-five, the other matches were easily won by the stronger opponent. The seventh match, however, caught Issei's interest.

"3 and 20," announced the judge.

The moment those words were said, the hooded disciple, who hadn't moved at all since the beginning, took a step forward. Meanwhile, the other disciple, who had been about to walk forward, stopped in his tracks, realizing who he was faced again.

His expression blanked, whilst roaring sounds filled his mind. Fear appeared in his eyes, clouding his vision. The disciple immediately took a few steps back, and unhesitatingly exclaimed, "Number 3 forfeits!"

No one seemed to be surprised by his words. Even though he was the first person that had forfeited so far, everyone thought that it was understandable. After all, the one whom he was up against was absolutely frightening.

The elder merely glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes and said, "Number 20 wins." After that, he announced two more numbers, which would be the participants of the next match. Eventually, the first round ended, and the disciples that hadn't been eliminated had to draw numbers once more.

In contrast to the first round, the second round was undoubtedly more exciting. After all, the disciples that remained were the strongest ones. In fact, some of the top-ten had been eliminated, making some of the previously unknown disciples stand out.

However, just how like it happened in the first round, the moment the hooded disciple's match was announced, the opponent immediately forfeited. Shockingly, the opponent was ranked fifth in the rankings, yet didn't dare to face the hooded disciple.

The more Issei saw, the more he understood how strange this situation was. In his mind, he had already made plans, that after this tournament, he would definitely pay his friend a visit. After all, he needed to know just what had actually been able to cause the inner disciples to be so frightened of him.

After the second round ended, the elder called the disciples once more to draw lots. The third round was just like the second; the hooded disciple's opponent forfeited before the battle even began.

Finally, on the fourth round, there were only three disciples remaining. Therefore, one of them would draw a blank and go directly to the finals. Unsurprisingly, the hooded disciple had been the one directly advanced. It was unknown whether that was done on purpose or not.

Eventually, after a grand battle, the fourth round ended. It was finally time for the final round, the fifth.

The only remaining disciples were the hooded disciple and a youth named Xiao Xin. Surprisingly, Xiao Xin, who had prevailed over all the other disciples, wasn't the second one in the rankings. In reality, he was only ranked sixth, not even in the top-five. As it seemed, he had been hiding his strength his entire time, and only revealed it in this tournament.

Currently, in the middle of the arena, Xiao Xin and the hooded disciples faced each other. Although Xiao Xin's expression displayed some fear, he didn't forfeit. Ever since the beginning of the battle, he had been the only disciple with enough guts to fight with the mysterious, hooded disciple.

"I don't care who you are," declared Xiao Xin, his voice packed with determination, "I'll not forfeit!"

The hooded disciple didn't say anything in response, but those with good vision could see that he had faintly nodded.

The elder glanced at the two disciples, his gaze lingering on the hooded one for a few moments, and sighed. Following that, he announced, "The final shall begin."

The moment those words had said, Xiao Xin waved his hands, producing a dark-red saber from his cosmos sack. The moment the saber appeared, Xiao Xin's aura abruptly changed. He was like a sword that had been unsheathed, fierce, sharp and deadly. His eyes narrowed, whilst spiritual power began to build up around him.

With a cold and serious voice, he said, "I'm going to go all out on you. If you still manage to clinch victory, then… you'll have my respect!" As he said so, he changed his stance, placing his sword in front of him. His pupils constricted as he exclaimed, "[Thousand Killing Blood Saber]!"

A blood-red phantom image of sword suddenly appeared behind Xiao Xin, positioned in a way that its tip was directly facing the enemy disciple. The scent of blood wafted from it, making many disciples to frown or reveal grim expressions.

The mysterious disciple, on the other hand, didn't move at all. It was unknown what he was thinking.

When he saw that his opponent had yet to draw his weapon, or even pay attention to the battle, Xiao Xin's expression sank. He thought darkly, "That damn bastard! He's looking down on me!" Suddenly, his lips twitched into a sinister smile as he murmured, "Very well then. If you won't take me seriously, don't blame me if you get hurt..."

The illusory, blood-red saber behind Xiao Xin suddenly grew in size, reaching over a dozen meters in length. Meanwhile, a crimson-colored aura condensed around Xiao Xin, causing his hair and even his eyes to become crimson. Although his cultivation base hadn't increased, it was clear that his power had skyrocketed.

Without waiting for the hooded disciple to take action, Xiao Xin lunged forward with his saber, causing blood-colored ripples to spread in the air, like the raging waves in an ocean. Xiao Xin's saber was like a fierce, red-colored tiger trying to devour the hooded disciple.

Right at that moment, the hooded disciple, who had been as still as a statue, made his move, causing everyone's eyes to widen in shock.

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	97. Shocking Events

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 97 - Shocking Events**

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A shocking scene took place before the audience's widened eyes. The hooded disciple, faced with such overwhelming power, merely lifted up his hand, placing it right in front of the incoming sabers. Everyone took in a deep breath; in their minds, they were already picturing how he would lose his hand.

Alas, what happened was beyond all of their expectations. The moment the mighty, red-colored saber collided with the hooded disciple's palm, a deafening sound filled the air, as if something had exploded. Web-like cracks began to appear on the saber's blade, spreading outwards like waves. Before long, the entire blade was full, and even the golden-colored hilt was damaged. Meanwhile, the illusory, blood-red saber behind Xiao Xin was trembling, on the verge of bursting apart.

"What?!" Xiao Xin's eyes widened in shock, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. He had heard rumors that this hooded disciple was strong, but he would have never thought that he was actually THIS strong!

Little did he know that this was only the beginning.

The hooded disciple's hand, that had parried the saber, suddenly turned, the fingers stretching out. With a swift movement, he grasped the saber's blade, and pulled it towards his body. Xiao Xin, who had been unable to release his hand in time, was also pulled forward, straight towards the enemy disciple. Right at that moment, the hooded disciple's other hand clenched into a fist, thereupon punching out toward Xiao Xin's face.

Two opposing forces collided against each other, greatly increasing the impact. Xiao Xin's body was thrown into the air, rapidly sailing through it like a kite without a string. His entire face was a mangled, completely drenched in blood. The moment he fell to the ground, his body rolled a few times before colliding against the opposite wall and finally coming to a halt.

The hooded disciple merely glanced at the downed disciple before turning his head around to look at the elder. As he did so, Issei accidentally entered his line of sight. For a split-second, the hooded disciple's body shuddered, but in the following moment, he regained his composure, and as if nothing had happened, glanced at the elder.

The elder smiled awkwardly at the hooded disciple. He glanced at the completely roughed up Xiao Xin out of the corner of his eyes and let out a tired sigh in his heart. After some thought, he cleared he throat and said, "According to the rules, you're the winner. Are you willing to become a core disciple?"

Although the hooded disciple didn't say anything, he still nodded. The elder stared at him deeply before saying, "Go home and rest for the time being. In three days, I'll send someone to fetch you."

The hooded disciple nodded, and upon seeing that there was no reason to remain there any further, began to walk away. It was only after he had left the arena that people dared to open their mouths. Before, they had been too scared to even breath.

Everyone in the audience began to talk amongst themselves, all of them in awe of the hooded disciple's sheer ruthlessness and power. Quite a few of them were even pitying Xiao Xin, who had already been taken away to the medicine pavilion.

As for Issei, a few moments after the hooded disciple left, he excused himself and rushed out of the arena, using his Spirit Power to lock onto the hooded disciple, who was calmly walking away. Issei ran with breakneck speed, and before long, he had caught up to the hooded disciple.

"Wait up!" exclaimed Issei, causing the hooded disciple's body to tremble. Slowly, he turned his head back, and upon seeing who had called for him, his body shuddered with deep emotions. Whether those emotions were good or bad was unknown.

"Luocheng?" asked Issei as he carefully took a step forward.

The hooded disciple seemed to hesitate, but in the end, he still nodded his head. From behind the hood, a cold and dignified voice came out, "It's me."

When Issei heard that voice, his eyes narrowed. Even though it was restrained, the voice was filled with deep and boundless killing intent. At the same time, Issei could clearly feel that it wasn't directed at him, and was actually something inherent to it. In order to reach such a level, the amount of people that need to be killed is not a small one. Even with all the people Issei had killed, he still hadn't reached that point.

Issei took in a deep breath and asked, "What happened to you?"

Xiao Luocheng didn't say anything at first, simply gazing at Issei strangely from behind his hood. Eventually, he opened his mouth and said, "Follow me."

After saying so, he began to walk away, in the direction of his house. As for Issei, he didn't hesitate. He hurried after his friend, making sure to not lose sight of him. Before long, they reached his house, which was quite close to the arena. It was small, only barely larger than a normal inner disciples' dwelling. Clearly, Xiao Luocheng had changed residences after Issei's last visit. Xiao Luocheng glanced at Issei out of the corner of his eyes and sighed. Following that, he opened the door and motioned for Issei to follow him inside.

Once Issei walked inside the house, Xiao Luocheng led him to what seemed to be a small living room, which was scarcely decorated; there was only a table with two chairs. After closing the curtains, Xiao Luocheng sat on one of the chairs Issei stared at him strangely, but ultimately sat down on the chair opposite of his.

Xiao Luocheng seemed to hesitate, but after a moment, he raised his hands up to his head and pulled down the hood, revealing his face. The moment Issei saw his appearance, his eyes widened slightly, surprised.

Xiao Luocheng's original appearance was long gone. His hair, that had once been black, was now silver, just like the blade of a sword. His eyes were now amethyst-colored, whilst his entire face seemed to have become even more handsome and dignified. Surprisingly, if one looked closely, they would see that there was an endless river of purple-colored blood flowing deep within his eyes.

Furthermore, because of Issei's pure Yang body, he was able to sense that Xiao Luocheng's body was unnaturally cold, filled with yin-attributed spiritual power. Although it wasn't enough to consider it as a pure Yin body, it wasn't so far from that.

However, Issei also knew that pure Yin bodies would only appear in women. This only served to further increase the aura of mystery around Xiao Luocheng.

Xiao Luocheng sighed upon noticing Issei's expression. His eyes flickered with emotion, and after a long time, he said, "You're wondering what happened, right?" Without waiting for Issei to answer, he straightened his body and began, "Well, a month ago, I left the sect to do a mission, along with a junior sister. It was only a simple investigation mission. A few months ago, an outer disciple came across some strange ruins and reported it back to the sect. Our mission was basically to see if we could discover anything from it.

Issei nodded, waiting for Xiao Luocheng to continue. At the same time, he recalled the cute, petite girl that Xiao Luocheng had saved from the son of an elder.

"In the beginning, everything went fine," Xiao Luocheng laughed mockingly, "but, after a while, 'something' happened. You see, those ruins were quite special; they were hidden deep within a mountain range close to the Xiao Sect. From what I could find out, they were once the dwelling of some powerful cultivator…," his expression turned grim, "a demonic cultivator."

Xiao Luocheng smiled darkly and continued, "Since we hadn't seen anything unusual in the outer region of the ruins, we decided to head deeper inside. The junior sister I brought with me was quite daring; she insisted on going forward. After a while, we came across a… strange room."

"Strange?" Issei cautiously asked.

"Yes," Xiao Luocheng nodded. "Within that room were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of corpses. Corpses of men, women, children and even demonic-looking beings. This room extended deep underground, and apparently was some kind of storage house made solely for keeping corpses. Not only that, all of those corpses were frozen, surrounded by ice crystals."

Xiao Luocheng paused for a moment, but in the end, still continued, "In the room next to this one, we found what I believe to be the demonic cultivator, the owner of the dwelling. Apparently, he had passed away in meditation, as his dry bones were still in a position of meditation.

"However, those bones… weren't normal." Reaching that point, Xiao Luocheng smiled grimly. "They were amethyst in color, and shined like jade. My junior sister showed interest in them, so I volunteered to get them. But, the moment I touched them, they became spheres of light, which flew into my body. Because of the pain, I lost consciousness.

"When I woke up… I discovered that the junior sister that I had brought along was dead," Xiao Luocheng suddenly revealed an expression of disgust, "her heart, dantian and profound veins were no longer in her body. The most terrifying part?"

Issei suddenly felt a chill run down his body. His eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.

Xiao Luocheng continued darkly, "My mouth was filled with the taste of blood. Even my face was drenched in the very same red-colored liquid. That blood… wasn't my blood."

Issei didn't say anything, only closing his eyes for a moment, his expression complex. Even though he had already been expecting that, hearing it from his friend's mouth was completely different. After taking in a deep breath, he asked, "What happened next?"

"I freaked out." Xiao Luocheng smiled darkly. "It took me quite some time to come to terms with what had happened. Once I managed to do so, I began to closely look at my body. At that moment, I noticed that my appearance had completely changed. My hair had become silver, while my eyes had turned amethyst. Even my complexion had changed, growing sharper and colder."

"But those are just the external changes, right? What truly changed… was inside, wasn't it?" asked Issei, his expression serious.

Xiao Luocheng nodded. "That's right. Compared to my changes in appearance, the changes that took place within my body are much more shocking. The first thing I noticed was that my bones were now the similar to the ones belonging to the demonic cultivator; amethyst and shining like jade. After that, I realized that my skin had grown thicker, while my dantian and profound veins had grown larger, sturdier and, for some reason, colder.

"However…. the biggest change was without a doubt my cultivation base. I had suddenly reached to the fifth level of the True Profound Realm."

The moment those words were said, Issei took in a deep breath. Although he managed to maintain a normal expression, he was extremely shocked deep inside. After all, Xiao Luocheng was only sixteen years old this year, and was already at the mid-stages of the True Profound Realm. He knew that in the entire Blue Wind Nation, the amount of people Xiao Luocheng's age with such cultivation base could be counted in one hand.

Issei himself was only fifteen years and five or so months old, but considering his current cultivation speed, although it wouldn't be impossible to reach that level in a few months, it wouldn't be easy either. Furthermore, he was sure that Xiao Luocheng's current combat prowess was completely different from his cultivation base. From what Issei had seen in that fight between Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Xin, Xiao Luocheng's true power could be comparable to someone of the late stages of the True Profound Realm.

Now Issei was sure that even if he were to give it his all, his chances of winning against Xiao Luocheng wouldn't be that good.

After some pondering, Issei asked, "Aside from that, something else changed, right? Your killing intent has reached a frightening level. That has to do with the demonic cultivator, right?"

Xiao Luocheng unhesitatingly nodded, "That's right. I also gained some of the demonic cultivator's memory… to be more exact, the memories of him killing people. I was forced to see all of those moments from his eyes. It was probably because of that that my aura changed so much. Not only that, I also acquired his cultivation skill..."

Issei's eyes narrowed. A demonic cultivator's cultivation skill normally involved killing. At the very least, they weren't anything good. Therefore, he quickly asked, "What is it?"

Xiao Luocheng revealed a strange expression. His eyes flashed with seriousness as he said, "It's called 'Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement'."

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	98. The Mysterious Client

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 98 - The Mysterious Client**

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"Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement," murmured Issei, his expression thoughtful. After some time, he asked, "What do you plan on doing now? Are you going to cultivate it?"

"I…," Xiao Luocheng gazed at Issei seriously, his two, amethyst-colored eyes gazing straight at his dark-brown ones, "I have decided to cultivate it."

Issei stared blankly at Xiao Luocheng for a long time before sighing, "Are you sure of this? You know what could happen in the future, don't you?"

"I know that demonic cultivators are..." Xiao Luocheng sighed, "badly viewed…. by other cultivators because of their cultivation methods, which are based on... killing, plundering, and following one's desires, along with countless other taboo things. However, I still want to practice it."

After hearing those words, Issei shot Xiao Luocheng a meaningful glance. He sighed and said, "If you know the risk and still wants to go along with it, very well then. Just… just make sure no one finds out. Otherwise, it wouldn't be strange if you'd lose your life in the next moment."

Xiao Luocheng nodded; he knew all too well the risks involved in practicing a demonic cultivation method. Never mind the actual backlashes from cultivating such terrifying skills, orthodox cultivators, such as the ones from the famous sects, were the archenemies of demonic cultivators. If it was revealed that Xiao Luocheng was in reality a demonic cultivator, it wouldn't be needed for other sects to take action. The Xiao Sect itself would make sure to give him a painful death.

In reality, it could be said that out of all cultivators in existence, only a few of them were demonic cultivators. Because of that, the other cultivators, known as orthodox cultivators, had the superiority in numbers. Moreover, demonic cultivators were normally lone wolves, and very rarely did they establish sects or clans. Considering that demonic cultivators were also badly viewed by the general population, unless you're extremely powerful, it would be nigh impossible to survive as a demonic cultivator.

Xiao Luocheng knew of all of that. And yet, he still made his decision with no hesitation whatsoever. Such deep, arrogant confidence stemmed from the memories he had acquired from the demonic cultivator, along with the fact that ever since he absorbed the bones of that unknown demonic cultivator, his physique had been slowly changing, growing more and more apt for practicing demonic cultivation methods. In fact, Xiao Luocheng believed that in a few months, his body wouldn't be able to accept normal cultivation techniques anymore; either he started cultivating demonic methods or he would have to quit cultivating all together.

Aside from that, Issei and Xiao Luocheng talk about other matters, such as Xiao Luocheng's future plans, and what he would do once he became a core disciple. Unsurprisingly, his answer had been rather simple; he planned on going on quests that involved a lot of killing. After all, all demonic cultivation methods had something related to killing. There were absolutely no exceptions to that rule.

Near the end of their conversation, Issei finally asked Xiao Luocheng something that had been in his mind for a long time already. He looked at him seriously and said, "Luocheng, I won't ask much about your cultivation method. Though, there's something that I can't not ask. Does it, for some reason, change your body into a pure Yin body?"

"A pure Yin body?" Xiao Luocheng revealed a thoughtful expression, his purple-colored eyes shining with a strange light. A short period of time later, he nodded, "I believe that something like that was mentioned… why? What of it?"

"Nothing," Issei shook his head, an enigmatic smile on his face. Deep inside, he was quite curious as to how this would affect Xiao Luocheng. Pure Yin bodies normally only appeared in woman, but it was clear that his friend, a male, would eventually develop one. Because of that, Issei had no ideas on how that would influence his friend. Though, since it seemed that the mysterious demonic cultivator had been able to cultivate it just fine, Issei believed that there would be no problems.

A few hours later, Issei finally left Xiao Luocheng's house. They had already talked about most of the recent events, and it had been decided that once Xiao Luocheng became a core disciple, Issei would be his backer in the sect, allowing him to effortlessly make his way to the upper echelons. In fact, Issei was hoping that if Xiao Luocheng's cultivation base were to reach a certain stage within a month, it wouldn't be impossible to have him participate in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, which would happen in that same timespan.

Once Issei arrived home, he was about go to his room for some rest, but before he could do so, he received a voice transmission from Xiao Yang, his master. There wasn't much content; it only ordered him to go meet him at his residence as fast possible.

Issei immediately changed his plans. After all, judging by his master's tone, something serious had happened. Therefore, he quickly rushed to Xiao Yang's residence, which was quite near to his. The moment he arrived there, he realized that aside from Xiao Yang, there was another person there.

This other person, although Issei hadn't seen him many times before, wasn't unfamiliar. He had a scholarly aura, along with a handsome and dignified face. In the Xiao Sect, there was only one person who matched that description – the Patriarch!

The moment Issei arrived, Xiao Yang and the Patriarch, who had had been in the midst of a conversation, turned their heads towards him. Issei politely bowed and said, "Greetings, Patriarch, master. You called me here?"

"Indeed," said the Patriarch as he rose to his feet. He gazed at Issei seriously and asked, "You master told me that you have a certain expertise in plants and rare materials. Is that correct?"

Issei nodded faintly, "Although this disciple doesn't want to brag, I have to admit that do I have some understanding regarding various matters related to plants and whatnot." Issei paused for a moment, and asked, "Though, why is that important? Could it be that the Patriarch has some quest to me?"

"That's exactly it," confirmed the Patriarch. "Not too long ago, a certain member of a certain clan asked for the service of the Xiao Sect. They required someone with extremely high knowledge in plants and materials, along with medicine and pill recipes. Originally, I had planned to ask Xiao Yang, but surprisingly, he suggested you. Therefore, I must ask you: If you were to compare your knowledge in plants, pill recipe and medicines to your knowledge in formations, how far would the difference be?"

When he heard that question, Issei adopted a thoughtful expression. After a long time, he said, "Although this may sound hard to believe, but… I actually think that my skill in apothecary is above that of my skill in formations."

The Patriarch stared blankly at Issei when he heard his answer, as if he couldn't believe his words. It was only after some time that he chuckled faintly and asked, "Is this the truth?"

"It is," Issei firmly nodded.

"Very well then," the Patriarch nodded, "if you're so sure, then I'll give your master some face and trust you this once. But, I'll warn you this – don't overestimate yourself. The client asked for someone with deep and profound knowledge on apothecary. If you're all talk, then you'll lose an enormous amount of face for our Xiao Sect.

"So, I'll ask you again," the Patriarch looked at Issei straight in the eye, "do you truly think you can do it?"

"I am." Issei nodded once more, his answer the same. Deep inside, he had already decided that no matter what it took, he would accept this quest. A client that could make the Patriarch personally take action was definitely someone incredibly high status, perhaps ever higher than that of the Patriarch himself! Issei had already realized that in this world, connections were extremely important. If he was able to befriend someone so important, then his own status would also skyrocket.

On the other hand, depending on the length of this mission, it could somehow hinder Issei's cultivation. However, he wasn't too worried about that. As long as he had Feng Xinyi by his side, then no matter where he went, he would be able to easily cultivate. Moreover, it wasn't as if he could spend a month or two without cultivating.

When the Patriarch saw Issei's resolute expression, that didn't betray a shred of doubt, he could finally set his heart at ease. From what Xiao Yang had told him, his disciple wasn't someone foolish. If he said he could do it, then he could most likely do it. Furthermore, Xiao Yang had kept praising his disciple's ability in plants and materials for hours; obviously he had something to base himself on.

Since he had already found a solution to this matter, the Patriarch excused himself by saying he would relay the message to the client. In the next day, Xiao Yang was to bring Issei to the entrance of the sect, where they would be introduced to the mysterious client.

Once the Patriarch was gone, Xiao Yang beckoned for Issei to come closer and gave him some warnings. After all, this mission was directly related to the face of the Xiao Sect. They couldn't afford any mistakes or slips.

"Disciple, although I'm not sure as to who the client is, I can say for certain that whoever it is, it's definitely someone of high status. Therefore, no matter what happens, try to curry some favor with them. Depending on the person, they may even reward you with some precious pill."

Issei nodded and said, "I'm aware of that, master. I promise to not disappoint you."

"Good," Xiao Yang smiled with satisfaction, "I believe your words. If you say you'll do something, then you'll do it. That's what I like about you." After saying that, he changed subjects, "Oh yes, my disciple, there's another matter that I would like to talk about. It's about junior Mei."

"What is it?" Issei asked, curious.

"It's about her cultivation speed," said Xiao Yang with a strange expression. He sighed and continued, "Truth be told, I have never seen such a slow cultivation speed in my entire life. Moreover, she's only at the middle stages of the Nascent Profound Realm. I think… I think that if it continues like that, she won't have any chances of reaching the True Profound Realm in this lifetime."

Surprisingly, not only was Issei not shocked, he simply nodded. His expression was complex as he said, "Actually, I was already aware of that."

"You were?" Xiao Yang revealed a surprised expression, but soon shook it off. All of a sudden, he seemed to have remembered something. "There's another thing that stood out about her. Once, I was curious as to why she was so slow at cultivating, and even thought that it might have been a problem in her profound veins. So, I brought her to one of the best medics of the Xiao Sect. After some throughout analysis, he discovered that her profound veins are unnaturally thick. Not only that, although the spiritual power within them is almost insignificant, it's actually of extremely high purity and density, much more so than someone of her cultivation level should have."

Xiao Yang paused, organized his thoughts, and continued, "I believe that her unusual profound veins have something to do with her cultivation speed. Aside from that, I have also noticed that…," he suddenly revealed a strange smile, "for some reason, she has this strange aura of power around her. When I first saw her, I actually believed her cultivation level to be extremely high! It's extremely shocking that she can have such an aura with a cultivation base so low."

Just like before, Issei nodded plainly, telling his master that he was already aware of that. After conversing some more, Issei excused himself, and went back to his home, where he spent the night cultivating in preparation for the next day. Consequently, that involved more cuddling with Feng Xinyi.

On the next day, Issei informed Xia Mei that he would go in a mission. After saying their goodbyes, Xiao Yang brought him to the entrance of the Xiao Sect. Surprisingly, the Patriarch was already there, waiting for them.

When they arrived, Xiao Yang walked forward and asked, "Is the client not here yet?"

"She should be arriving at any moment," explained the Patriarch with a smile.

"She?" thought Issei, slightly surprised. "So the client is a woman?"

Before he could think too much, the Patriarch suddenly motioned for him to come closer. After Issei did so, he looked at him deeply and said, "Issei… I'll call you junior Issei. Anyways, junior Issei, there are some things I must tell you before she arrives."

Issei's expression turned serious. He nodded solemnly, "Please advise me, Patriarch."

The Patriarch nodded and quickly began, "First things first, you are not, under any occasion, to stare too much at her. Keep a certain distance, and more than anything, don't even dare to have any lewd thoughts regarding her. This is for your own safety."

Issei's expression turned strange, but he nodded nonetheless. "Is there anything more?"

"Well…," the Patriarch revealed a thoughtful expression, "I suppose I should give you a brief introduction on her." The moment he said so, Xiao Yang also came closer, interested in knowing who this client was. The Patriarch turned his head towards Xiao Yang, "Yang, you probably know who she is. Three years ago, in the previous Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, she… was the champion.",

"What?!" Xiao Yang's expression suddenly changed, turning into one of deep shock. "You mean she is…?!"

"That very person," the Patriarch nodded, "She is the girl who, at the age of fifteen, managed to completely and utterly crush all of the geniuses of the Blue Wind Nation. The very girl who was crowned as the most beautiful woman in the entire Blue Wind Nation not even a week after the tournament. She is Frozen Cloud Asgard's mysterious genius and head of the Seven Fairies, Chu Yuechan."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 _ **A/N:**_ before those who read ATG complain, I'll tell you this right now: I KNOW what I'm doing. The changes that were hinted this chapter, and that will be explicited next chapter, all have a reason behind them. Let me remind you of something: I changed the Xiao Sect. I changed the entire Profound Sky Continent. Why would I not change the background of a character, dammit?! However, worry not; although _she_ will have a completely different story, her personality will remain basically the same (At least I'll try my best in doing that). Therefore, just sit back... and enjoy the show. ; )


	99. Chu Yuechan

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 99 - Chu Yuechan**

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"Chu… Yue… Chan?" murmured Issei, his expression one of surprise. Obviously, the real reason for his surprise wasn't the client's name, but instead, the words said by the Patriarch. Apparently, in the previous Blue Wind Ranking Tournament which was three years ago, his client managed to trample over all the other geniuses, acquiring the position of first place.

According to the Patriarch, she had been fifteen that year. Therefore, since three years had already passed since then, her current age was eighteen-years-old. Most surprising of all was the fact that his Patriarch, someone of the Emperor Profound Realm, actually spoke of such a young person with unconcealed respect, and even hints of envy!

"My disciple, judging from your expression, can I assume that you don't know of who the woman mentioned by the Patriarch is?" asked Xiao Yang, paying close attention to Issei's reactions.

"That's indeed the case," Issei nodded respectfully. "Please forgive this disciple for his obliviousness."

"No matter, no matter," said the Patriarch as he shook his head to the sides. Then, he turned towards Issei and smiled mysteriously, "You're probably thinking why I'm so respectful of this young woman, correct?"

Issei nodded, "Yes, this disciple is truly curious."

"Then let me enlighten you," the Patriarch's enigmatic smile widened, "as to what that girl, Chu Yuechan, represents." He straightened his back and continued, "Not only is Chu Yuechan the most beautiful woman in the Blue Wind Nation – and possibly in the entire world –, she's also a cultivation genius. Back then, at the age of fifteen, she was already… at the Sky Profound Realm."

This time, it was Issei's turn to become astonished. His eyes widened as he said, "Sky.. Sky Profound Realm?! At the age of fifteen?!"

"Shocking, isn't it?" The Patriarch smiled. Then, after noticing Issei's skeptical expression, he mysteriously said, "You can choose whether or not to believe me. When she arrives, the truth will naturally be revealed."

Surprisingly, just at that moment, all three of them felt an overbearing pressure weigh down on them. Out of reflex, they all raised their heads to look at the sky, only to see that far away on the horizon, an azure-colored cloud was quickly approaching. The spiritual power around it created ripples that spread in the air, making it completely shocking in appearance.

Atop that unfathomable cloud was a young woman, who wore a long, icy robes, which concealed her godly figure. As for her face, it was hidden behind a veil completely made out of icicle shaped crystals.

When he saw that young woman. the Patriarch smiled ruefully and murmured, "It seems that she has arrived..." Just at that moment, he could clearly sense that the aura of that young woman… was clearly above his. The Patriarch shook his head to the sides, "Only three years has passed, and she has already surpassed this old one… ah, is this what they call 'a difference in talent'?"

The Patriarch wasn't the only one paying attention to her; Xiao Yang and Issei were also marveling at the view.

"Is that… her?" murmured Issei, his expression one of shock and surprise.

Meanwhile, within the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine suddenly rose to her feet, her eyes widening. Through Issei's eyes, she could clearly see that mysterious, azure-colored cloud, and could also sense the pressure it emanated.

"That… the Snow Song Realm…," murmured Jasmine, her expression growing more and more astonished by each passing second. "How is it possible for their divine ability to appear in the Middle Realm…?" All of a sudden, Jasmine's expression changed again. Her brow furrowed as she said, "Furthermore, that girl… her physique… isn't it… _that_ one?! And that technique is clearly _that_ one too!"

Eventually, Jasmine's expression of shock faded away, quickly replaced by one of interest. She slowly laid back down on the ground and murmured, "For now, I'll just observe this from afar. Let's see how this situation will develop..."

All of Jasmine actions were completely unknown to Issei, as all of his attention was focused solely on that cloud far in the distance, which was rapidly approaching their current position. Before long, the azure cloud began to descend, and in the span of a couple breaths, it had already reached the ground.

All of a sudden, the azure cloud dispersed, and the veiled woman gracefully landed on the ground. She immediately turned her attention to the Patriarch, not even giving Issei and Xiao Yang a glance. "Xiao Sect's Patriarch, I gave your sect a lot of face by asking this request of you and not of the Heavenly Sword Villa and the Burning Heaven Clan. Tell me, who is it that you arranged to help me?"

Faced with the woman's cold and indifferent tone, not only did the Xiao Sect's Patriarch not get enraged, he even smiled at her politely. "Lady Chu, this one thanks you for your favor. As to who I arranged for you…," he suddenly turned his head towards Issei, "it was this little disciple."

"Him?" asked the veiled woman, surprise evident in her voice. Her tone then became one of scorn as she said, "Xiao Sect's Patriarch, is this some kind of joke? I clearly requested for someone with deep and profound knowledge on apothecary… why would you send me a little kid?"

"It's not as you think, Lady Chu," explained the Patriarch, his expression slightly embarrassed. The day before, he had tried to contact her and tell her who he had chosen, but she had immediately rejected all of his voice transmissions. The current situation was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. Therefore, he hurriedly tried to explain himself, "Lady Chu, although that disciple may seem young, he's actually extremely gifted in the field of plants, medicines and pills. In fact, it could be said that in the entire Xiao Sect, he's unrivaled in that area."

Even though the Patriarch himself had said such words, even he was having a hard-time believing it, never mind the arrogant woman. After all, how could such a young person actually have deep and profound knowledge on something?! Even more, to say that he was _unrivaled_ _in the entire Xiao Sect_ , would certainly seem as an exaggeration. Despite that, he had decided to trust Xiao Yang this once, and still said it.

As for the veiled woman, the moment she heard the Patriarch's words, she grew quiet. Because of the veil that completely covered her face, no one could see what she was thinking. After some time, she waved her jade-like hands, causing a small, red-colored plant to appear in front of hear.

The woman turned her head towards Issei and coolly said, "Identify it."

The moment Xiao Yang caught sight of that plant, he revealed an expression of astonishment. Within his heart, he thought, "That plant… how come it seems somewhat familiar? It reminds me of a Blood-Veined Lily, but… the shape is somehow different." All of a sudden, his expression changed, "Wait… not even I'm able to identify it… then, is Issei able to do it?!"

However, the moment he saw Issei, his expression turned even more baffled. Instead of being flustered or thoughtful, Issei calmly stared at the plant with an unassuming smile on his face, as if it was only child's play.

After glancing at the red-colored plant once, he closed his eyes and said, "Blood-Veined Slaughter Lily, a variation of the Blood-Veined Lily. Normally, it can only grow on places with an extremely dense aura of death and blood, and impossibly difficult to harvest due to its berserk-like nature. If directly ingested, it can forcefully increase one's killing intent and spiritual power for a certain period of time. Moreover, it can also be used as an ingredient for various pills, such as the Blood Slaughter Pill and the Legacy Blood Strength Pill."

Issei's eyes slowly opened, and as they did so, the words he said became more and more shocking. "Alas, that's not a simple Blood-Veined Slaughter Lily. Judging by its length and saturation, it's most likely over a thousand years old, and is about to evolve into a Bloody Slaughter Veined Chrysanthemum. If provided with a certain amount of blood, it can reach such a level in the time-span of exactly one year, three months and twenty-five days. Once it reaches such a level, it can be used to concoct the many different types of pills, including the Legacy Soul Pill, which can aid a cultivator into entering the Sovereign Profound Realm."

Issei then smiled politely and gazed directly at the veiled woman. Following that, he placed his hands behind his back like a peerless expert, and asked, "Was that explanation correct?"

No one could say a single word. The Patriarch and Xiao Yang both wore expressions of raw disbelief on their faces, as if they had just seen a ghost. As for the veiled woman, she kept quiet for a long time. Because of the veil that covered her face, no one could see her reaction to Issei's shocking description.

After a long time, the veiled woman turned around and began to walk away, surprising Xiao Yang and the Patriarch. Issei, on the other hand, calmly stared back at her, as if he had everything under control. After the veiled woman had taken five or step, she suddenly stopped, and without turning around, said, "Come with me."

A sly smile appeared on Issei's handsome face. It was quickly concealed, but it had been clearly noticed by the Patriarch and Xiao Yang, who gazed at him with blank expressions. As they watched him walk away in the direction of the veiled woman, they turned their heads towards each other. They stared at each other for a long time, but didn't say anything. Eventually, they sighed.

"How long will they be gone?" asked Xiao Yang, glancing at Issei out of the corner of his eyes. Even though he was still baffled by what had just happened, he knew better than to think too deep into it. He may not have known his disciple for a long period of time, but he was more than aware that logic couldn't be applied to his very existence. Therefore, whenever he met some spectacular event, he opted to simply ignore it.

The Patriarch seemed to share the same feelings; he simply gazed in Issei's direction and said, "According to her, it would be at most in one week." He suddenly stopped, apparently having thought of something. After that, he continued, "Therefore, there will be two more weeks until the Ranking Tournament. I have already decided… I'll have him participate. This will be a good way for him to gain some experience."

"Xiao Yang thanks the Patriarch." Xiao Yang clasped his hands and bowed. He knew that each sect could only send three of their disciples to participate in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. Therefore, the fact that the Patriarch was willing to give Issei one of the three slots was already an enormous favor.

"Don't worry about it," said the Patriarch as he shook his head. Meanwhile, he glanced at Issei's direction, only to discover that he had already disappeared, along with the veiled woman. He sighed and said, "Your disciple… Issei… deserves it."

Xiao Yang only nodded in response. He had also glanced at the place Issei had just been, and knew that they had already departed. After that, he pondered over it for a while before asking, "Patriarch, there's something I must ask… do you know where they are actually going?"

"To the Wasteland of Death," the Patriarch thought about it before replying, "apparently, Lady Chu is searching for some specific plants that can be found there."

"The Wasteland of Death…?" Initially, Xiao Yang revealed a worried expression, but upon remembering whom Issei was with, he relaxed. Following that, both he and the Patriarch walked back to the sect while conversing about many matters. At some point, Xiao Yang couldn't help but to ask, "Patriarch, this one has been wondering… will your son, Xiao Kuanglei, participate?"

The Patriarch paused his steps, his expression turning complicated. Then he sighed and said, "Although it pains me to say this, he still has yet to come out of seclusion. You know how he is… after thoroughly losing under Lady Chu's hands in the previous Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, he has been cultivating non-stop ever since… Most likely, he won't be able to participate in this Ranking Tournament."

"Oh?" Xiao Yang's eyes widened. "Then, who are you planning on sending?"

"Aside from your disciple, I'll send little Yi's disciple, Xiao Nan. She's the Martial Heir, after all. As for the third one, I'm not too sure yet. If Kuanglei'er truly does not come out of seclusion by the time of the competition, then… I'll probably send Xiao Zhen, the strongest core disciple."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	100. Shocking Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 100 - Shocking Truth**

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A certain distance from the Xiao Sect's entrance, two figures slowly strolled under the sun. Even though the day was clearly hot, neither figure seemed to be bothered by the heat. This was especially the case for the person in the lead, a woman. The area around her body was surprisingly cold, in clear contrast to the scorching temperature of their surroundings.

As for the second figure, a young man, he simply didn't feel anything. In fact, he felt it was somewhat pleasant, and was calmly enjoying the feeling of warmth that permeated his body. His expression was unassuming and calm as he walked with his hands behind his back, following the young woman in the lead.

"I wonder… where are we going?" thought the young man, feeling quite puzzled inside. After all, not too long ago, he had seen the woman riding what seemed to be cloud. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't just bring it out again.

At the very least, it would be much faster to travel by air.

However, the young man, who was obviously Issei, knew better than to question the woman. From what he had seen of her personality, she was someone that shouldn't be offended or questioned. Somehow, she reminded him of a certain girl he had met almost three years ago. Unknowingly, a small smile appeared on his face. Distant memories flashed through his mind.

"Qingyue… I wonder how you're doing," thought Issei, reminiscing about to the moments he had spent with the young girl. Although they had only spent ten days together, Issei deeply treasured those days as some of his most important memories. When all is said done, she was still his first love. Even if thousands of years passed, he wouldn't forget about her.

All of a sudden, Issei's expression changed. Because he had been thinking too deeply about Xia Qingyue, he was somehow reminded of the naughty and charming World Spirit that had always been there for him. "Eggy… when are you planning to wake up?"

Issei wasn't someone foolish; he knew that Eggy's current situation was something extremely serious. She had been in a state of slumber for a long time already, and she didn't show any signs of waking up anytime soon. He knew that something must be done, but he didn't what that he could do. Even Jasmine was at a loss. According to her, World Spirits of the Higher Realm are extremely sturdy and resilient; she never had to worry about things like this. Therefore, she, who was usually all-knowing, had no solution for Eggy's predicament.

It could be said that Issei's situation was just like a blind man at a maze. He couldn't tell left from right, and was constantly meeting with dead ends. He had already tried to feed Eggy thousands of different medicines and herbs, but they seemed to have absolutely no effect. Actually, Issei believed that with the Vermillion Bird's power, it wouldn't be impossible to nurse Eggy back to health. Alas, his relationship with the Vermillion Bird and the Golden Crow was strained, and he couldn't ask any favors from them. Out of the three divine beasts, only Feng Xinyi harbored feelings for Issei.

"There's nothing that I can do with my current powers… However, maybe there's someone who can!" thought Issei, suddenly remembering a certain someone. "Xiao Zhong… isn't he a World Spiritist? Maybe he can find a solution to Eggy's situation!"

At that moment, Issei vowed that as soon as he got back to the Xiao Sect, the first thing he would do would be to search for the previous World Spiritist Heir, Xiao Zhong.

However, before he could think too much about it, Chu Yuechan suddenly stopped walking. "She stopped? Why?" thought Issei, puzzled. Nevertheless, he also stopped in his tracks. Meanwhile, he swept his eyes around his surroundings, searching for whatever had caused Chu Yuechan to pause. Because of that, he noticed that directly in front of them was a small pond.

Chu Yuechan gazed at the pond for quite some time, pondering over something. Eventually, she waved her hands, and a small, azure-colored streak of light flew from her sleeves, flying directly into the pond. The moment the small object made contact with the water, a shocking scene took place before Issei's eyes. All the water in the pond was suddenly sucked into the object within seconds. Then, in the next moment, tangible, white-colored smoke began to seep out of the azure jade slip. Before long, it formed a cloud exactly the size of the small body of water it had just absorbed.

"Follow me," the woman said plainly as she took a step forward, walking onto the recently-formed azure cloud. Issei gazed at it curiously, but after seeing that the woman was waiting for him, he quickly walked towards it. Once they were both on top of it, Chu Yuechan waved her hands, causing the cloud beneath them to fly up into the skies. Its speed was shockingly fast; not even ten seconds later, they were already hundreds of meters into the air.

After verifying that everything was working as it should, the woman sat down on the cloud, and entered a meditating position. Noticing that, Issei looked around some more before doing the same. Deep inside, he was quite surprised. Even though they were going forward at an extremely high speed – much above that of a Sky Profound Realm cultivator – Issei couldn't feel even the slightest bit of wind on his body. In fact, he couldn't even hear the sound of the wind howling by his ears.

"Is there some kind of barrier around this cloud?" thought Issei, taking another glance at his surroundings. The more he looked, the more amazed he became. Clearly, this cloud wasn't a simple treasure. Just by absorbing a small body of water, it was able to fly at speeds higher than that of someone of the Sky Profound Realm, and it also managed to keep whoever rode on it safe from harm.

"Don't bother looking around; you won't get anything out of it." Jasmine's words suddenly reached Issei's ears.

"Why not?" asked Issei through their mental connection.

"This is a Saint Profound Treasure… don't think that someone like you, of your pitifully low cultivation level, can possibly comprehend something like this."

When he heard Jasmine's words, Issei revealed an expression of raw astonishment. "A… Saint Profound Treasure…?"

What were Saint Profound Treasures?! They were treasures made by cultivators of the Saint Profound Realm or higher! However, such a treasure should have been impossible. After all, in the entire Profound Sky Continent and in the contents surrounding it, there weren't any cultivators of the Divine Profound Realm, never mind the legendary, god-like Saint Profound Realm. Therefore, how could a treasure of the Saint Profound Realm possibly appear? In the hands of someone from the junior generation, no less!

"Jasmine, are you certain about this?" asked Issei solemnly, his expression turning serious. Jasmine wasn't someone to kid around. She would only say something she was absolutely certain of. If this cloud was truly a Saint Profound Treasure, then this would mean that this Chu Yuechan was someone… completely different from what others thought.

"Are you doubting this princess?" Jasmine crossed her arms and humphed. She said with disdain, "Why would this princess lie to you?! If I say this is a Saint Profound Treasure, then this is a Saint Profound Treasure!"

Silence ensued after Jasmine's words. Issei glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eyes, and he couldn't help but to think that her existence had suddenly turned incredibly mysterious. After a long time, he sighed and asked, "Jasmine, tell me… is her cultivation… at the Sky or at the Emperor Profound Realm?"

For a long time, Issei received no words from Jasmine. It was only when he was starting to get restless that she answered, "Yes… and no. Her current cultivation is at the mid stages of the Emperor Profound Realm. However… that isn't her real cultivation."

"What do you mean by that?" inquired Issei.

"Her true cultivation base is sealed," Jasmine sighed. "It wasn't sealed by her… it appears that some external force… an extremely strong existence… sealed it for her."

Issei's eyes narrowed even further. Someone that Jasmine would call as 'extremely strong' certainly is an existence above and beyond his scope of knowledge. However, this gave birth to new questions: What was her real cultivation base, and… why would someone seal it?

"I know what you're thinking." Suddenly, Jasmine's words rang in Issei's mind. "Although I'm not too sure myself, it appears that her cultivation base was sealed… for her own benefit." A strange light shone in Jasmine's eyes as she mysteriously asked, "Have you ever wondered why there isn't anyone of the Divine Profound Realm in the Profound Sky Continent?"

Before Issei could answer, Jasmine continued, "That's because it can't be simply achieved through cultivation alone. You see, there are three great bottlenecks in cultivation. The first one is between the Sovereign Profound Realm and the Divine Profound Realm. The second one is between the Divine Profound Realm and the Saint Profound Realm. Finally, the last one is known as one's last step as a mortal. It's the bottleneck between the Saint Profound Realm… and the forsaking of one's mortality."

Suddenly, Jasmine's tone changed, "Don't bother with the last two bottlenecks. It will take countless of years for someone like you to reach such a level. What's truly important is the first bottleneck, the one between the Sovereign Profound Realm and the Divine Profound Realm. Although many may not know this, in order to reach such a level, one must experience the outside world, leaving through countless life and death circumstances.

"Normally, people that manage to reach the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm lead sheltered lives, hence they haven't acquired enough experience to enter the Divine Profound Realm. Because of that, some extremely powerful clans seal the cultivation base of their disciples at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm and send them to some foreign and dangerous land. If they survive, they will breakthrough into the Divine Profound Realm. If they fail, they… perish.

"As for this Chu Yuechan, she's one such disciple."

The moment he heard Jasmine's words, Issei's eyes widened, whilst his expression turned flabbergasted. "Then… you mean… that Chu Yuechan is actually at the… peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm?!"

"Precisely," Jasmine nodded. "Apparently, she comes from a powerful sect at another planet. Before being sent here, she probably had her cultivation base permanently sealed at the Sky Profound Realm. Also, it seems that the more she progresses, the more of her original cultivation base will be unsealed."

Even though Jasmine said such words, she was omitting various facts. In reality, she knew better than anyone where Chu Yuechan had come from, and how she ended up here. Alas, she wouldn't reveal that to Issei. After all, this was something that he had to discover on his own.

For a long time, Issei didn't say anything. He only kept quiet, slowly digesting the information he had just learned. He would occasionally glance at Chu Yuechan's slender back, and every he did so, he would let out a sigh. Eventually, he asked Jasmine, "Then, what about her age? Is she truly eighteen right now, or…?"

"She's exactly eighteen and a few months old," Jasmine unhesitatingly answered.

"An eighteen years old cultivator at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm with a mysterious background… just what kind of situation did I get involved in?" murmured Issei with a complex expression. If it was before, he would have been extremely surprised, but he managed to slowly accept it. He wasn't as narrow-minded as before, and a much broader view of the world.

It's as they say: "There's always a person beyond a person, a mountain beyond a mountain, and a sky beyond a sky."

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	101. Icy Soul Lavender

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 101 - Icy Soul Lavender**

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After conversing with Jasmine for some time more, Issei eventually ended the conversation, as Jasmine had suddenly grown reluctant to reveal any new information. Therefore, as he didn't have anything else to do, he simply closed his eyes and began to cultivate, waiting for them to arrive at the Wasteland of Death.

Even though Issei's respect and awe for Chu Yuechan had greatly increased, he managed to keep it well hidden. After all, it would be too strange if he started treating her with even more reverence out of nowhere. He was certain that she would feel that something was amiss.

Suddenly, as Issei was cultivating, he accidentally let out a thread of spiritual power flow out of his body. Considering that he wasn't really used to cultivating the World Ode of the Phoenix, and he was only using the residual energy Feng Xinyi had left behind on his body, he couldn't control it well, and thus ended up committing this blunder.

Even though it was only an insignificant, minuscule strand of spiritual power, Chu Yuechan, who had kept quiet the entire time, instantly reacted to it. Her body stiffened, as a tremor ran through it. Her clear, icy eyes widened in shock behind her frosty veil.

"This aura… is the aura of a Divine Beast…," she murmured to herself, her expression turning colder. After that, she turned her body around, and stared straight at Issei, as if searching for something. For some reason, her eyes were specially focused on his forehead, as if something should be there.

Issei quickly noticed Chu Yuechan's sudden action. He looked at her puzzledly and asked, "Lady Chu? Is everything alright?"

Unsurprisingly, Chu Yuechan didn't answer him. Instead, she waved her hands, causing a cold wind to brush against Issei's forehead. As it did so, the concealment formation that Issei had laid on it dispersed, revealing the three-colored flame imprint that he had kept hidden this entire time.

At that moment, if Issei could see through the young woman's veil, he would see that her expression had suddenly turned serious. She icily glared at Issei for a long time, not uttering a single word. Eventually, she opened her mouth and coolly said, "You have the bloodline of a Divine Beast."

It wasn't a question; she said it as if she was stating an unquestionable fact.

Issei's eyes narrowed, but aside from that, his expression didn't betray his surprise. He didn't bother denying it; instead, he calmly asked, "Is Lady Chu interested?"

"Which one is it?" inquired Chu Yuechan, her voice as icy as ever.

"The Phoenix," Issei replied in a nonchalant manner. Even though he wouldn't lie in this situation, he knew better than to reveal the entire truth. If he were to say that he also had the blood of the Golden Crow and the Vermillion bird coursing through his veins, it definitely wouldn't end well.

Chu Yuechan didn't say anything after that. Although the bloodline of the Phoenix was something extremely rare even in the Higher Realm, it wouldn't provide any benefit to her. After all, she cultivated ice-related cultivation skills, which were incompatible with it. In fact, the vital blood from fire-attributed Divine Beasts would only end up harming her. Eventually, she turned around and coolly ordered, "Keep it hidden. Don't let others find out about it."

Issei earnestly nodded. As he did so, his fingers danced through the air, creating countless different symbols, which flew towards his forehead, making layers on it. The flame-like mark quickly disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. This time, Issei laid even more powerful concealment formations. Not only that, he even added a few protective formations on top.

Although those formations were simple and crude, considering that they had been formed solely out of spiritual power, they still did a good job in concealing the mark on his forehead. Issei believed that as long as someone didn't focus too much on it, even if they are in the Emperor and Tyrant Profound Realm, they wouldn't be able to find any abnormalities.

After that little incident, nothing more even slightly interesting took place. Throughout the next few days, Issei and Chu Yuechan didn't talk even once. They only cultivated above the azure cloud, occasionally taking out some pills to quench their thirst and hunger.

In the third day, Chu Yuechan's eyes opened. Within them shone a faint, profound light. After using her eyes to find out where they current were, she closed her eyes again. Three hours later, she waved her hands, causing the cloud to begin its decent.

Startled by the sudden change in altitude, Issei hurriedly opened his eyes. Immediately, he noticed that they were only a few dozen meters away from the ground by this point. Beneath them was a large forest, while far in the distance was a large mountain peak. Occasionally, groups of cultivators could be seen walking around in the woods.

Chu Yuechan led the azure cloud to a deserted area, where she finally landed it. After getting out of it, she waved her hands, causing it to transform back into an azure jade slip, which was stored within her sleeves.

Without even glancing at Issei, she turned around and began to walk deeper into the forest. Issei stared at her, sighed at her behavior, but in the end, followed after her, making sure to not lose sight. She was his client, after all.

Along the way, they met with various kinds of cultivators and profound beasts. When it came to profound beasts, they didn't need to do anything; just Chu Yuechan's aura alone was enough to make them tuck their tails between their legs and run. As for cultivators, Chu Yuechan completely ignored them.

Eventually, they reached the deepest region of the forest, which lead to the foot of the mountain. Not too far away from them was a warning sign, which warned cultivators below the Nascent Profound Realm to not enter. Obviously, Chu Yuechan didn't even glance at it. As always, Issei followed after her.

Surprisingly, as they walked deeper into the mountain, Chu Yuechan gradually slowed down her pace. From her initial hurried steps, she began to leisurely stroll. Her eyes were constantly darting left and right, sweeping over her surroundings. Obviously, she was searching for something.

After a few minutes of silence, Issei tentatively asked, "Lady Chu? Are you searching for something?"

At first, she didn't say anything, but a few moments later, she coolly replied, "Icy Soul Lavenders."

Issei revealed a slightly shocked expression upon hearing those words. After all, 'Icy Soul Lavenders', although not especially rare, weren't common either. Furthermore, they were normally found in regions with high-density of ice-attributed spiritual power. The mountain they were in, the Wasteland of Death, clearly didn't fit that criteria.

However, his questions were answered by Chu Yuechan's next words, "Mutated types. Mountain-attributed."

"Ah," murmured Issei, finally understanding the situation. After recalling the image of an Icy Soul Lavender, he also started to look around. Even though Chu Yuechan had yet to explain what his purpose there was, he believed that it involved searching for the materials. Otherwise, she wouldn't have specially requested for someone with high-attainments in apothecary.

"Though, why would she need that plant?" thought Issei, his expression slightly puzzled. "Moreover, she wants mountain-types. As far as I'm concerned, there aren't many pills that can be used with them… normally, because of their special properties, they are used to concoct antidotes to poisons—Wait! Could it be…?!"

Issei immediately focused his eyes on Chu Yuechan's body. As he did so, he sent out a thread of spiritual power towards her. It extremely thin, and held no power at all. Thus, she completely missed it. Celebrating his success in his heart, Issei lead the thin thread of spiritual power into her body. Because of its insignificant power, all it could do was to temporarily monitor her breathing speed, her heart-beat and the temperature of her body.

When Issei received back the results, his brows furrowed. Her heat-beat was unusually slow, while her breathing rate was even slower. Moreover, the temperature of her body was shockingly low to the point of freezing. In normal occasions, that wouldn't be weird. After all, she did practice ice-related cultivation skills, and these symptoms were common effects. However, Issei could sense with his medical expertise that all of these abnormalities were due to some kind of poison.

"She's poisoned," thought Issei, his expression gradually turning serious. "Not only that, it isn't some simple poison… from what I could see, if let be, this poison could possibly shorten her life-span!"

He immediately put his mind to work. He recalled every memory he had that had to do with Icy Soul Lavenders, and which type of antidotes they were used to concoct. He wanted to find out just what kind of poison was contained within her body.

It didn't take long for his effort to bear fruits. A few minutes later, Issei narrowed the possibilities to two different antidotes. One of them had the purpose of curing someone from the poison of an Atavistic Frost Snake, while the other could be used to eradicate the poisonous spiritual power left behind by an ice-attributed Emperor Profound Beast right before their death.

Because of Liang Ye's memories, Issei was aware that Atavistic Frost Snakes were extremely rare, and could only be found in places like the Martial Holy Lands. Because of this, he could finally determine that within Chu Yuechan's body was actually the poisonous spiritual power of an Emperor Profound Beast.

In most occasions, before an Emperor Profound Beast meets its end in battle, it would gather all of their spiritual power in a desperate move, infusing it with their own life-force. Then, they would expel the resulting substance through their mouth. If their enemy were to be touched by this substance, it would burrow into their skin, transforming into a poisonous spiritual power that would slowly devour the host's life-force.

The stronger the profound beast, the stronger and more resilient their poisonous spiritual power. Because of that, any cultivator had to think twice before battling an Emperor Profound Beast. Even if they were to take the risk and fight them, they had to always be aware of their surroundings, and make sure to not be touched by that poisonous substance.

Moreover, ice-attributed Emperor Profound Beasts were especially dangerous. For some unknown reason, instead of expelling a liquid substance like most Emperor Profound Beasts, they would expel it in its gaseous form, making it much more difficult to avoid. Not only that, it could only be treated by antidotes that had both the mountain and the ice attributes.

Because of that, even a Tyrant Profound Realm cultivator would have to think twice before engaging in a life-and-death battle with ice-attributed Emperor Profound Beasts.

However, it was clear that Chu Yuechan, the eighteen-years-old young woman, actually dared to do so with her cultivation base sealed at the mid stages of the Emperor Profound Realm! This was simply as reckless as one could be. Originally, Issei had thought that Chu Yuechan was prudent and wise young woman based on her behavior, but it appeared that she was quite daring instead.

"Well, what's done is done. Right now, the priority is finding the materials for that medicine," thought Issei, his expression gradually softening. After all, it wouldn't do any good to worry over what had already happened. His current mission was to find the materials required in order to concoct the antidote. "If I remember correctly, aside from a mountain-attributed Icy Soul Lavender, there are still some other materials needed… although other materials can be used in their place, there's a certain recipe that would provide the best of effects. Out of the materials needed for that one, the most precious ones are over a dozen Fire Spirit Grass…"

Suddenly, Issei's eyes widened. "Wait…didn't I get hundreds of those some months ago from Ddraig's cave…?"

Back in the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range, within Ddraig's cave, Issei had discovered hundreds of strains of Fire Spirit Grass. Back then, due to his greed, he had reaped almost all of them, leaving behind only a single strain for Ddraig. His original purpose had been to plant them on his own personal garden, but because so much stuff had happened, he ended up completely forgetting about them.

As he thought about the hundreds of strains stored within the Sky Poison Pearl, the corner of Issei's lips gradually curled into a sly smile.

He had just found another way to profit.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	102. Thief

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 102 - Thief**

* * *

After organizing his thoughts, Issei decided to focus on finding the mountain-attributed Icy Soul Lavender for the time being. Then, after finding it, he would see how Chu Yuechan planned on concocting the medicine. In case she didn't have any Fire Spirit Grass, he would offer some of his own. That way, he could make her owe a favor to him.

From the memories he had gotten from Liang Ye, along with the memories he had absorbed from the Magic Cube, he came to the conclusion that the prouder the cultivator, the more indebted they would feel. If Issei were to help Chu Yuechan right now, she would definitely repay this favor in the future. If it was before, Issei wouldn't have bothered with something like this. But now, since he would eventually end up making enemies much stronger than him, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of backer.

Eventually, Issei and Chu Yuechan delved deeper into the mountain. By the end of the day, they had already walked past countless warning signs. Issei remembered that the last one he had seen strictly warned cultivators below the Spirit Profound Realm to not tread further. Clearly, they were now in a relatively dangerous position of the mountain.

As they walked, Issei noticed that the number of cultivators in their surroundings would gradually thinned. Currently, they were the only ones so far into the mountain. After all, not everyone could be like them, effortlessly shooing away all of the beasts in the Wasteland of Death that they came across.

Suddenly, as they were walking across a clearing, something caught Issei's attention, causing him to suddenly stop. Chu Yuechan also seemed to have noticed, as she also came to a halt. Not too far away from them was a small, blue-colored lavender. Surprisingly, each of its miniature petals closely resembled a mountain! Moreover, the stalk was completely brown in color, resembling dirt.

That was… a mountain-attributed Icy Soul Lavender!

Immediately, Chu Yuechan waved her hands, causing a stream of cold wind to gush forth. The Icy Soul Lavender was immediately uprooted, and was thrown into the air. However, before Chu Yuechan could take hold of it, a shocking scene took place. A small bird-like beast flew past them, and in a swift movement, grabbed the Icy Soul Lavender from mid-air. After that, it glanced at Chu Yuechan and Issei, scorn evident in its eyes. In the next moment, the small thieving beast flew in the direction of the mountain peak, disappearing in seconds.

This happened so fast that even Chu Yuechan, a cultivator of the Emperor Profound Realm, had not time to react. Before she even knew it, the bird had already disappeared. Issei was just as baffled as her. He stared blankly at the direction in which the small had thief flown towards.

Suddenly, Issei felt a shocking coldness overwhelm his senses. When he turned around to look at Chu Yuechan, he discovered that the area around them was completely frozen, the air filled with dense killing intent.

Although Issei couldn't see her face, he was certain that she was livid right now. It was understandable; after all, what she had been searching for the whole day had been taken from her right before her eyes. Moreover, the cold aura around her kept increasing, causing even Issei to shudder in fear.

Issei didn't dare to speak a single word. He only watched from afar, wandering what Chu Yuechan's next action would be. He didn't need to wait long. In the next moment, Chu Yuechan suddenly appeared next to him, and after waving her hands, they were both thrown into the air. This time, she didn't use her azure cloud. She was solely relying on her own spiritual power to chase after the bird.

Issei's body was completely enveloped by what appeared to be spiritual power. However, this spiritual power was faint blue in color, and was chilling to the bone.

It was said that once a cultivator reaches the Sky Profound Realm, they would gain the power to travel amongst the clouds. Chu Yuechan was using that exact ability to fly in the direction of the bird, bringing Issei along with her.

Because it wasn't the first time Issei had been through this, he wasn't too amazed. After all, Xiao Yang had once used the same method with him. However, Issei was still shocked by their speed. It was dozens of times faster than Xiao Yang's own flying speed! Moreover, because of the icy temperature of the spiritual power, Issei felt somewhat uncomfortable. Despite that, he kept quiet, silently enduring it. He knew better than to complain. Furthermore, he had been through much worse before.

After a few minutes of constant flying, the shadow of the bird-like profound beast appeared over in the distance. In one of its claws was the beautiful Icy Soul Lavender. Originally, the farrow had been flying leisurely; it didn't even dream that the humans it had just stolen from would chase after him.

When the bird-like profound beast noticed that the air had grown colder all of a sudden, it turned its head around, only to be met with Chu Yuechan's chilly aura. The bird-like beast's eyes widened, and it immediately increased its speed. Like an arrow that had left its string, it flew forward even faster.

Chu Yuechan's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. With a wave of her hands, their speed suddenly doubled, causing the distance between them and the bird to gradually decrease. When the bird noticed that, it led out an ear-splitting shriek and increased its speed once more. By now, the outline of the bird could no longer be seen. It was simply a black blur in the sky.

At that moment, Issei heard the clear sound of Chu Yuechan gritting her teeth. The spiritual power around him got even colder, and in a burst of speed, they rapidly sped towards the small, bird-like beast. It was more than clear that Chu Yuechan was going all-out.

"Just what kind of bird is that…?" thought Issei, amazed. "Even though it's being pursued by Lady Chu, who is currently at the mid stages of the Emperor Profound Realm, he actually doesn't seem to be disadvantaged! What kind of terrifying speed is that?!"

Even Chu Yuechan was impressed. Although she was unable to accurately determine what kind of species that bird belonged to, she could at least tell that it was at least a Sky Profound Beast. Moreover, its entire body was designed for speed, enabling it to match the flying prowess of a cultivator of the Emperor Profound Realm. She had never expected to find such a strange beast in such a place.

Most surprising of all was that she had the luck to have her objective stolen by it right before her eyes.

If she didn't know any better, she would have thought the heavens were conspiring against her.

The chase continued for a long time. Time quickly passed, and before they knew it, it had already been over five hours since the chase had begun. And yet, they were still at a stalemate. The distance between Chu Yuechan and the bird was apparently fixed; it wouldn't increase, nor would it decrease.

The bird had long since grown tired from flying. However, it wasn't willing to part with the Icy Soul Lavender. In reality, he had been searching for it for countless years already. After all, that very plant was exactly the material he needed to complete its evolution, and possibly step onto the Emperor Profound Realm. Therefore, it unhesitatingly burned down its own vitality and life-force. For the sake of its evolution, it was willing to put its life on the line!

As for Chu Yuechan, her reasons were completely different. Obviously, one of her concerns was not finding any other Icy Soul Lavender. However, according to her previous investigation, there were at least three of those in the Wasteland of Death. The real reason she kept on chasing after the bird was simply for the sake of her pride.

How could she, a heavenly genius, possibly have her target stolen by a measly Sky Profound Beast?! If others were to know of this, she would definitely become a laughingstock! Even though her current cultivation base was sealed the Emperor Profound Realm, she still had the pride of someone at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm!

In her eyes, the current situation was simply complete humiliation!

"She isn't giving up, is she?" thought Issei, secretly sighing in his heart. "All of this for this flower… it has already been hours since this search began. During this period of time, it wouldn't be strange if we manage to find another of those mountain-attributed Icy Soul Lavenders. And yet, she doesn't give up!"

In reality, he was even considering bringing Ddraig out. After all, Ddraig was an Emperor Profound Beast, and because it was a dragon-type profound beast, it could use its bloodline might to completely overwhelm the small bird-like beast. Despite that, Issei was quick to discard that idea. After all, Ddraig was somewhat of a trump card to him. He was unwilling to take it out so easily.

Therefore, Issei gradually grew used to the chase, and before long, his body slowly adapted to the frigid spiritual power that surrounded him. He leisurely stared at the bird in front of them, then glanced at Chu Yuechan, whose face still couldn't be seen. He sighed and slowly closed his eyes. To him, this chase had already grown monotone.

Suddenly, Issei heard Feng Xinyi's voice in his mind, "Issei? Can I come out right now?"

Issei immediately answered, "It wouldn't be a good idea."

After those words were said, Issei could clearly hear the sound of Feng Xinyi pouting. She murmured, "But it has already been three days since I last came out! I want to cuddle—," Feng Xinyi suddenly stopped and corrected herself, "Wait! I meant… I meant that I want to help you in cultivation!" After saying so, she hurriedly changed the subject, "What's happening right now anyways?"

"I'm currently being dragged around by a woman, chasing after a bird…," Issei sighed as he shook his head.

Feng Xinyi remained quiet for a while. After a while, she asked, "Why?"

"It stole her flower," Issei plainly answered. He quickly added, "A very important flower. A lavender, to be exact."

"Ah...well... I see…," Feng Xinyi awkwardly replied, not sure about how she was supposed to react. Eventually, she said, "Anyways, try to find some spare time today! You need to continue practicing the World Ode of the Phoenix! Don't slack off!"

"Don't you just want to cuddle….?" murmured Issei, sighing at the same time. Thankfully, those words weren't said through their mental-link, so Feng Xinyi failed to notice them. After this short conversation with Feng Xinyi, Issei immersed his consciousness within his dantian. He wanted to check on the situation of the lightning beasts.

Lately, he started to realize that aside from giving him a small boost in power, those lightning beasts brought him another advantage; by closely observing them, Issei discovered that it wouldn't be impossible to deepen his understandings on the Dao of Lightning. These days, he had been progressing in many areas, but because of certain circumstances, his Dao of Lightning had been quite stagnant for a long period of time.

Alas, before Issei could do so, his body trembled all of a sudden. Just now, he had felt a drastic change in the atmosphere. Not only had his environment grown even colder, he could also feel that two colossal auras had abruptly appeared next to his current position. Moreover, they seemed to be filled with dense and thick killing-intent!

"What?!" Issei's eyes snapped open, allowing him to find out what was happening. Chu Yuechan hovered a few meters away, with her back towards him. Farther off in the distance were two humongous dragon-like beasts. They both had shocking auras, and wingspans of dozens of meters. As for the little, bird-like beast, it was currently being held in the claws of one of the dragons.

 _ **Read & Review~! (We didn't reach 30 reviews. Therefore, if we don't reach 40 reviews with this chapter, there'll be no chapter tomorrow.)**_


	103. He Appears!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 103 - He Appears!**

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Issei stared in shock at the scene before him. He had only closed his eyes for a few minutes; he couldn't believe how so much could happen in such a short time-span. Not only that, the two profound beats in front of them, which closely resembled flood dragons, were completely terrifying! Although Issei couldn't accurately judge them, it was more than clear to him that they were in no way inferior to Chu Yuechan's own power.

Moreover, there were two of them! They hovered in the air, emanating a shocking aura. Their snake-like, wingless bodies swirled around in the air like atavistic sea leviathans. It was disturbing enough to scare people witless!

Issei stealthily glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eyes, wondering what she planned on doing next. Deep within his heart, he thought with hope, "Obviously she doesn't plan on taking on these two Emperor Profound Realm beasts on her own….right?"

Alas, all it took were a few words from Chu Yuechan's mouth to thoroughly shatter his thoughts.

"You... get far away from here," Chu Yuechan turned her head around to look at Issei, her cold eyes staring at him from behind her veil. "Things will get dangerous," she added.

Issei's expression froze. He stared strangely at Chu Yuechan, then glanced at the pair of wingless dragons, which were glaring daggers back at them. Following that, he took in a deep breath and asked, "Are you planning on facing them… on your own?"

Chu Yuechan didn't answer him. She simply moved forward and waved her hands, causing an azure-colored icicle to appear right next to her body. Shockingly, that icicle was colossal in size, almost as big as the two dragons! Chu Yuechan glared coolly at the two flood dragons, her gaze akin to an ocean of frigid waters. Suddenly, she turned around to look at Issei and coldly asked, "Why are you still here? Begone! Do you want me to directly throw you out?!"

Issei didn't say anything in reply, only staring straight at the veil that covered her face. Deep inside his heart, he felt quite bitter. He knew that the probability of Chu Yuechan dying was simply far too high to be ignored. Not only would this mean the death of a great a genius, he would also have gone on this trip for nothing.

Issei could not – would not – accept that.

"Let me fight," Issei decisively took a step forward. Meanwhile, he paid close attention to the two flood dragons; his eyes locked onto them, just like devilish beasts eyeing their prey. As he observed them, he felt that something was amiss; they could clearly attack, and yet they didn't take action. Obviously, there was something restricting them, keeping them in place. Suddenly, Issei's gaze landed on the ground beneath them, causing his expression to flicker. A sly smile appeared on his face as he thought, "So it was like that…"

After that, he turned his attention back to Chu Yuechan and calmly said, "Let's go away. The flood dragons can't attack us."

"What?" Chu Yuechan dubiously asked.

Issei immediately pointed at the ground beneath them and plainly stated, "Were they able to attack us, they would have already done so. Clearly, they can only move within a certain area, and are incapable of roaming around freely." The smile on his face turned cunning as he concluded, "Right now, we are outside their range."

The moment he said those words, not to mention Chu Yuechan, even the pair of flood dragons were shocked. They simply couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that a human had found out their secret so effortlessly, figuring it out within seconds. If they didn't know any better, they would have assumed that he had already been informed of it beforehand.

Although Chu Yuechan's expression didn't change, her mind was filled with roaring sounds. She coolly glared at the two flood dragons, then quickly turned her attention to the ground. Because of that, she noticed that the area where the flood dragons were, being directly above the peak of the mountain. On the other hand, she and Issei were hovering above an area that was still quite some distance away from the peak. After discovering that, she turned her attention back to the flood dragons, and when she saw the expression of shock on their faces, she realized that Issei's words held some truth.

However, even though she was clearly aware of that now, she didn't step back, nor did her heart waver. She coldly stared at the two flood dragons and coldly ordered, "Hand me the bird."

Surprisingly, she was still unwilling to let that bird go!

The pair of flood dragons remained quiet, but from their expressions, it was clear that they were thinking: "Take it from us if you can!"

This was clearly a challenge. Even someone stupid could see that they were deliberately trying to enrage Chu Yuechan.

When he saw that, Issei's expression sank. Although he didn't know much of Chu Yuechan's personality, he had already determined that she was someone exceedingly proud. She definitely wouldn't allow these two wingless dragons to ridicule her like that.

Just as expected, Chu Yuechan's aura suddenly grew even colder, causing snowflakes to condense all around her, while the colossal icicle began to tremble, as if anxious. A chilling gust of air blew by, softly brushing against Issei's cheeks. Chu Yuechan's aura kept increasing, and within seconds, it had grown to an overwhelming height.

"You abominable moron! Get out of there right now!" All of a sudden, Jasmine's voice reverberated within Issei's mind like thunderclaps, snapping him out of his daze. Jasmine continued, her voice full of derision, "That's a battle between three Emperor Profound Realm existences! Just the after-shocks can easily annihilate you! Even if you want to die, you aren't allowed to bring this princess down with you!"

Issei quickly organized his thoughts. Eventually, he shook his head and said, "No. I have to do something!"

"Getting yourself killed isn't something!" Jasmine's eyes narrowed, whilst her expression turned dark. "Do you want this princess to personally got out there and kill you herself?! Get away right now! Don't get involved in this fight! Your life is directly linked to that of mine! If you die, then this princess also dies!'

Issei's expression didn't suffer any changes; he remained completely calm even under Jasmine's poisonous rebuke. He unhesitatingly responded, "Don't worry, I won't kill myself. I have something planned."

As he said so, he decisively waved his arm sideways. A flame-like mark mysteriously on top of his left hand, causing Issei's atmosphere to suddenly change. The flame-like mark sprung to life like a candle that had been lit, shining forth with a blinding light. Eventually, a scarlet-colored streak of light flew from within it, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present.

The scarlet streak of light hovered in the air next to Issei, its size quickly increasing. In less than five seconds, it had already reached a height of dozens upon dozens of meters, surpassing the size of the flood dragons. The light gradually began to take shape, growing longer, wider and more tyrannical. Four limbs sprouted from it, followed by a long tail and two colossal wings. After the neck had grown out, the scarlet light suddenly shattered, and just like a mirror that had been broken, it scattered in the air. Like a butterfly that had escaped from its cocoon, a colossal scarlet dragon appeared in front of everyone present.

Unlike the two flood dragons, its body was massive and robust, just like a lofty mountain. It also had two large wings, which constantly flapped, sending out ripples in the air. With each breath the red dragon took, waves of fire would spread out around it. Its two blood-red eyes arrogantly swept over his surroundings, making all onlookers tremble. Eventually, it opened its mouth, revealing countless rows of extremely sharp teeth. An earth-shaking roar reverberated through the air, causing the clouds in the sky to scatter, and the ground to tremble.

In that exact moment, all of the beasts living within the Wasteland of Death suddenly fell to their knees, prostrating themselves towards the sky.

The dragon was the king of beasts! Even though that red-colored dragon wasn't truly a dragon, and instead a dragon-type profound beast, it still possessed a dragon's shocking might!

The bloodline of all the beasts within the Wasteland of Death was immediately suppressed because of the appearance of the scarlet dragon, making them get down on their knees and kowtow. Even the two flood dragon-type beast were trembling in fear.

Flood dragons weren't real dragons; in fact, they were more like a special breed of fish that carried the blood of ancient leviathans. Even though they were only flood dragon-type profound beasts, and not real flood dragon, they still had to submit to a dragon, even if it only was a dragon-type profound beast. This was known as 'bloodline suppression'!

The appearance of the scarlet dragon completely shocked everyone present with the exception of Issei. Chu Yuechan's gaze alternated between the colossal dragon and Issei, as if she couldn't believe what was happening. The two flood dragon-type profound beasts trembled, their eyes filled with fear. Not only were they of inferior bloodline when compared to the scarlet dragon, they also knew that in overall power alone, they were also incomparable to do it! The three of them were all Emperor Profound Beasts, but there was a clear difference of power between them!

In fact, even Issei was shocked. The last time he had seen the scarlet dragon, it had only been in the mid-stages of the Emperor Profound Realm. However, he could clearly sense that the scarlet dragon's current cultivation was almost at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm! Somehow, it had managed to improve even while stored away within his body! And this improvement was definitely a great one!

"Oh? This aura… a dragon?" Feng Xinyi's voice rang in Issei's head. Although she had been with Issei for a long time already, he had never mentioned having a dragon as a contracted profound beast, so she had been completely oblivious to the fact. Therefore, when she sensed that Issei had suddenly brought out a dragon-type profound beast, she was slightly shocked.

Jasmine glanced at the scarlet dragon from within the Sky Poison Pearl and crossed her arms while murmuring, "So he actually took him out… well, at the very least, this means that this princess won't have to worry about losing her life anymore. However.. it seems that the damnable dragon really benefited from this! Because of the aura of the Fire Seed within the idiot's body, it managed to cultivate with half the effort and twice the result!"

When Issei heard Jasmine's words, he understood what had happened. He secretly thought in his heart, "So because I absorbed the Fire Seed, he actually benefited from being stored within my body? That damn dragon… how lucky can it be?!" However, Issei knew that it was not the time to fuss over little things. He leisurely stared at the scarlet dragon and calmly asked, "Ddraig?"

The scarlet dragon's colossal head turned towards him. Its next actions shocked everyone. While hovering in the air, it suddenly bowed towards Issei and respectfully asked, "Master? For what reason have you called for me?"

Issei's eyes slightly widened, somewhat surprised by the change in Ddraig's attitude. As far as he remembered, Ddraig hadn't been nearly as respectful back then. Nevertheless, he ignored that for the time being and turned his head towards the two flood dragons. He extended his finger in their direction and smiled darkly. He coolly ordered, "Those two. Kill them." After that, he quickly added, "But spare that bird. I need it alive. Also, make sure to keep that flower intact."

Ddraig glanced at the two flood dragon-type profound beasts. Slowly, a feral grin appeared on his face, revealing its countless rows of sharp teeth. "Very well," Ddraig's deep baritone voice filled the air, "I'll be done with them shortly."

After saying so, Ddraig's impressive frame suddenly flickered, and with a mighty flap of his wings, he darted forward like an arrow. Even though his frame was colossal, spanning for dozens of meters, he was surprisingly fast, like a mighty eagle!

Just as he was about to reach the two flood dragons, one of them, who was slightly bigger than the other one, suddenly cried out, "Wait! Don't kill us! There's…. there's something that we can do for you!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	104. Ancient Presence

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 104 - Ancient Presence**

* * *

Although Issei's expression didn't change when he heard those words, he still raised his hand and commanded, "Ddraig, stop. Let them speak."

Like an obedient kitten, Ddraig immediately stopped his advance, disturbing the wind in the region. His current position was only a few meters away from the two flood dragon-type profound beasts. At that moment, the two wingless dragons suddenly realized that if they had spoken a second later, it would have been too late for them.

From afar, Chu Yuechan also looked at the flood dragons with interest. Although she didn't say anything, she was also quite interested as to what they had to offer. Like dragons, flood dragons were known for keeping precious treasures within their dwellings.

However, the wingless profound beast's next words completely surpassed her wildest dreams.

"The reason why we can't move from this area is because we're guarding something," explained the flood dragon-type profound beast. "We're guarding…. The legacy left behind by a True Dragon."

The moment those words were said, Jasmine's eyes widened. Meanwhile, Issei and Ddraig revealed expressions of shock, their eyes widening. As for Chu Yuechan, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking because of the veil that covered her face. Issei took in a deep breath and asked, "What type of legacy?"

"I'm not too sure," said the wingless beast, feeling quite pleased with himself. After all, it was clear that it had gotten the human's interest. At the very least, it, along with the other wingless profound beast, were safe for the time being. Noticing the anxious expression on Issei's face, it quickly explained, "However, I can tell you that it's some shocking legacy."

Issei glared strangely at the flood dragon-type profound beast, not masking his doubt. He found this situation too strange; he had just obtained the heritage of the Phoenix, the Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird, but not even a few months later, he was already presented with the opportunity to acquire the legacy of a True Dragon? Even someone like him felt that his current situation was somewhat ridiculous.

Nevertheless, Issei still decided to believe the dragons. However, before giving his answer, he glanced at Chu Yuechan and asked, "Should we go?"

She remained quiet for quite some time, but eventually she turned towards him and tersely nodded. After that, she walked forward, stepping onto the two wingless dragons' territories. Issei quickly followed after her. As he did so, he ordered Ddraig to pay close attention to the two dragon-type profound beasts at all times.

Issei glanced at the two wingless dragons and said, "Before you show us this legacy you speak of, hand over the bird first."

The two flood dragons didn't hesitate anymore. The bigger wingless dragon quickly threw the thieving bird towards Issei, who caught it mid-air. The moment he took hold of it, he immediately pried off the Icy Soul Lavender that was still stuck on its claws. With a swift movement, he stored it away within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. As for the bird itself, he threw it to Ddraig, who opened his mouth and ate it whole. Originally, he had wanted to keep it for himself, but considering that Chu Yuechan completed loathed the poor bird, he decided against it.

After doing so, he was about to follow the two flood dragons into their cave, but stopped the moment he noticed that Chu Yuechan's gaze was on him. He immediately turned towards her and explained, "Lady Chu, don't worry, I'll definitely hand it to you later. Just let me keep it for safeguarding for the time being. After we see what these two dragons have to show, I'll naturally give it back to you."

Chu Yuechan's gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds, as if she wasn't sure of whether or not she should trust him. Eventually, she turned around, no longer paying attention to him. Issei sighed with relief. After that, he turned his attention back to the two wingless profound beasts and ordered them to lead the way.

"It's here," the bigger wingless dragon flew into a cave, motioning for Issei and the others to follow after it. As for the slightly smaller dragon, it stayed behind, warily gazing at the others. Eventually, it sighed and also followed the bigger flood dragon into the cave.

"This place is…," Issei's eyes widened the moment he entered the cave. Even though it looked completely plain and ordinary, with only a few rocks scattered around, he could clearly sense a shockingly strong and majestic presence all around him. It was as if some ancient, archaic beast had laid its eyes on him, causing a chill to run down his spine. Cold sweat drizzled down his forehead, whilst roaring sounds filled his mind.

As this happened, Jasmine's body suddenly trembled within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. She instinctively stood up and narrowed her eyes as she murmured, "This aura… this isn't a simple True Dragon. This aura belongs to–-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Feng Xinyi materialized right next to Issei in her bird form. Her eyes were filled with excitement as she looked around the cave. She chirped excitedly, "Blue Bro! This is Blue Bro's aura!"

Even Chu Yuechan's expression changed. She was so entranced by the pressure that she completely missed Feng Xinyi's sudden appearance. Her expression was thoughtful as she murmured to herself, "This aura is… could it be… yet another Divine Beast?"

As for Ddraig, he immediately fell to the ground, panting. Deep within his eyes shone deep and boundless shock. Just now, he had felt an extremely ancient, yet familiar aura! The blood is his body entered a state of turmoil, as it started burning. This was the most complete, ultimate form of bloodline suppression!

Issei silently observed the reactions of everyone around him, trying to acquire as much information as he could. In his opinion, Feng Xinyi's reaction particularly stood out. Not only had she disobeyed him and appeared on the outside world, it was clear that she knew to whom that aura belonged to. Moreover, through their mental-link, Issei could also feel that the Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird were also trembling.

An existence that could cause three Divine Beasts to tremble, and Jasmine to be shocked… Issei didn't even dare to fathom it. Whoever it was in this case was definitely someone that he didn't want to offend. In fact, Issei didn't even dare to make a sound; he stood there quietly, waiting for the mysterious existence to take action.

At first, nothing happened, but a few breaths of time later, the cave suddenly began to shake. A deep and archaic voice suddenly came from all places at the same time, "The two children, ye may leaveth. Waiteth by the entrance of the cave."

Initially, Issei had thought that it had been talking to him and Chu Yuechan, but much to his surprise, the ones who reacted were actually the two flood dragons. Deep reverence shone in their eyes as they both exclaimed, "We shall do so, Ancestor!" After that, they both turned around and exited the cave.

Once they were gone, the ancient voice continued, "Scarlet child, thou art rath'r intriguing. Thou progressed by bathing in the essence of Old Evil. Shocking changes hath happened to thy body…. As my descendant, thou deservest aid. Therefore, this ancient one shalt bestow thee with some valorous fortune. Best sure not to wastest it."

All of a sudden, an azure streak of light appeared right next to Ddraig. It then flew into Ddraig's massive body, easily passing through his skin and fusing with him. Ddraig's scarlet scales began to shine, whilst what seemed to be an azure-colored crystal appeared on his chest. Following that, Ddraig's body suddenly turned into a streak of scarlet-azure light that flew back into Issei's hands.

Currently, only Issei, Chu Yuechan and Feng Xinyi remained within the cave. All of them had different expressions. Issei's expression was one of astonishment, while Feng Xinyi was almost bursting apart with joy. As for Chu Yuechan, she remained serious, as if contemplating over something.

Finally, the ancient existence turned its attention to the three remaining living beings within the cave. Just as it was about to speak with Issei and Chu Yuechan, it suddenly paused. For some reason, it felt that the small, flaming bird looked somewhat familiar.

" _Eee_? You… you are… how could you still be alive?!" Much to everyone's surprise, the ancient and archaic tone of the mysterious being suddenly faded, replaced by complete and utter shock.

"Blue Bro! I knew it!" Feng Xinyi started doing circles in the air, happily chirping. At that moment, she felt extremely excited. Out of all Divine Beasts, the one she was the closest with was this 'Blue Bro'. In her eyes, he was just like an older brother figure.

"Little Xinyi… it's actually you!"

In the following moment, ripples began to spread out in the air like mighty waves, shocking everyone. It was as if space was being bent apart; cracks and fissures appeared all throughout the cave, each of them surrounded by a shocking aura. All of a sudden, a mysterious azure fog condensed around them, quickly spreading out in the entire cave.

Issei's expression immediately changed. His eyes were widened as he carefully looked at his surroundings, making sure to keep his guard up. Even though he couldn't feel any ill-intent, the shocking might and mysteriousness of the fog completely astonished him. He knew that whoever had caused all of this to appear could effortlessly kill him with a single thought. Before such a mighty being, he was just livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

Eventually, the azure fog began to converge towards the center of the cave. A vortex was quickly formed, absorbing all of the azure-colored fog like a famished desolate beast. Upon reaching the vortex, the azure fog began to take form, and before long, it looked like a male human figure. His facial features were indistinct, and aside from the basic outline of his body, nothing else could be seen.

After all of the mist had been absorbed by this azure-colored person, another transformation occurred. The figure's facial features, that had originally been blurry, slowly became more defined. The azure color, that once been covering the figure's entire body, formed a long, azure-colored robe. As it did so, it revealed the mysterious figure's true appearance.

With sharp eyes and fair skin, although the facial features of the mysterious person weren't handsome, they emanated a certain aura of nobility, dignity and power. He had long black hair that hanged freely from his broad shoulders. On his waist hanged a small, azure-colored sword.

The moment this mysterious person appeared, he immediately turned towards Feng Xinyi. His face was full of happiness as he exclaimed "Lil' Xinyi!"

Feng Xinyi spun around in the air, her flaming wings flapping excitedly. She directly dived towards the mysterious person, leaving behind a flaming trail in the air. As for Issei and Chu Yuechan, they stared at the two of them, completely surprised. However, the reason for their surprise was completely different.

"Who's this guy?" thought Issei, his eyes narrowing. Although it was faint, he could sense an incredibly shocking aura from within the mysterious person's body. For some reason, Issei felt like what he was looking at wasn't a person, but instead some archaic, Divine Beast with powers that could rival the heavens.

Chu Yuechan took a few steps back. Her eyes were completely focused onto the small bird. "That bird… those flames… those are the phoenix flames! But… how is this even possible?! Humans can inherit the legacy of Divine Beasts, but other animals are completely unable to! That bird is clearly formed from Phoenix Flames… could it be that it is..."

However, before she could think any further, her eyes widened. Slowly, her head turned towards the azure-clothed man. Her expression turned blank, as if she had seen a ghost. She thought with fear, "That… that aura… is above that of my master's!"

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	105. Primordial Azure Dragon

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 105 - Primordial Azure Dragon**

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When Feng Xinyi noticed Issei's puzzled expression, she immediately explained the situation. She introduced the azure-clothed man as the Primordial Azure Dragon, the ruler of the Divine Beasts and possibly one of the most powerful creatures in existence. Needless to say, Issei was immensely shocked. Even Chu Yuechan had her eyes widened in disbelief.

Shortly after, the Primordial Azure Dragon used some powerful technique to temporarily render Chu Yuechan unconscious. He was afraid that if he hadn't done so, there was a chance his and Feng Xinyi's whereabouts would spread to the outside world, which was something he definitely didn't look forward to. In fact, the azure-clothed man even went as far as to erase her most recent memories.

After that, Feng Xinyi explained in detail how the Primordial Azure Dragon was actually some kind of older brother to her. According to her, they first met millions of years ago, back when the Divine Beasts were only infants and held no actual power. In that time, the ones who ruled were True Gods, existences older than the Evil God and many other famous gods. Feng Xinyi then told Issei that after wandering around the universe for a few hundred years with the Primordial Azure Dragon, they slowly developed a relationship similar to that of siblings. Furthermore, because of Feng Xinyi's curious and childish personality, the Primordial Azure Dragon had had to save her from troubles every once in a while, which greatly deepened their bond.

She also told him that after the fall of the Gods and Divine Beasts in the Primordial Era, the Primordial Azure Dragon went missing. Feng Xinyi searched for him for many years, but ultimately found nothing. Years later, she helped the Golden Crow and the Vermillion Bird to create the Divine Fire Realm, where she slumbered for the next millions of years.

Throughout the entire time, Issei's expression was one of amazement and awe. After all, he was standing in front of one of the strongest beings in existence, the almighty Primordial Azure Dragon. Aside from that, he was also curious. He couldn't help but to ask himself: "What is an existence such as the Primordial Azure Dragon doing in the Profound Sky Continent… Actually, what is it even doing in the Middle Realm?"

Once Feng Xinyi finished explaining her story with the Primordial Azure Dragon, the azure-clothed man turned to Issei, faintly narrowed his eyes, and asked, "What about you, young man? What's your relationship with Lil' Xinyi? Moreover… how did you, a mortal, acquire Old Evil's legacy?"

When Issei heard that question, his eyes narrowed; he could feel some faint hostility within the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice. If it wasn't for the fact that his senses were greatly enhanced, he probably wouldn't have even noticed it. However, now that he did, he immediately became wary. Obviously, the primordial existence before him didn't trust him.

Feng Xinyi was completely oblivious to what was happening. After hearing the Primordial Azure Dragon's question, she happily flew over to Issei's side, and quickly morphed into her human form. Following that, she circled her arms around Issei's arm and cutely pressed her soft and petite body against his. She looked at the baffled Primordial Azure Dragon, revealed a wide smile, and said, "He's my husband!"

The moment those words were spoken, never mind the Primordial Azure Dragon, even Issei was startled. At that moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked at the dazed Primordial Azure Dragon and bitterly complained in his heart, "Xinyi, please, don't fool around now! Your big brother isn't really that fond of me! Don't add fuel to the fire!" After thinking that, he glanced at Feng Xinyi out of the corner of his eyes and darkly thought, "Besides, when did I become your husband, you naughty bird?! Did we marry? No!" He shook his head with dismay, "Damn it! Are you trying to create trouble on purpose?!"

Little did Issei know that Feng Xinyi herself was surprised by the words she had just said. Surprisingly, the reason why Feng Xinyi had said those words were completely different from what Issei imagined. In reality, she had said that without thinking; because she could once more see the one she called as her older brother, she was simply too excited, and thoughtlessly said whatever came to mind. In fact, the moment she said those words, her face became like that of a ripe tomato, completely crimson and bright. Even her neck and ears were completely reddened.

However, it was too late – it wasn't possible to take back one's words. What was said had already been said, there was no way around it. Despite that, Feng Xinyi still tried to explain herself, though she miserably failed at it. "B-blue Bro! It's... it's not like that! I mean, we're… we're only friends! That's it! Friends! Only friends and nothing more!"

Alas, the Primordial Azure Dragon was an existence that had lived for countless years. There was simply no way that someone like him could be fooled by Feng Xinyi's poor excuse. The Primordial Azure Dragon's eyes were filled with an eerie light as he glared at Issei, his gaze akin to sharp swords that pierced through the young genius' body. Suddenly, the Primordial Azure Dragon thought of something. A mysterious smile appeared on his face as he coolly said, "I'm sorry, but this one doesn't approve of your relationship with Little Xinyi. As a mortal, how could you possibly be worthy of a Divine Beast like her, an existence above that of even gods?!"

Issei's face sank. He was about to say something, but before he could so, the azure-clothed man opened his mouth and mysteriously said, "However… there's a way to prove yourself."

Those words made Issei's eyes widen. Originally, he had been planning to explain himself, but now that the Primordial Azure Dragon had offered him a way to prove himself, he couldn't help but to ask, "How?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon flourished his sleeves, causing a fissure in space to appear next to him. It was completely black, and looked absolutely terrifying. The Primordial Azure Dragon glanced at the rift next to him and continued, "On the other side of this mystical space rift, you'll find yourself in a mysterious land filled with extraordinary beings and existences. That mysterious, ancient land is a separate realm that was created by me many years ago to serve as a trial of sorts. In fact, my original plan was to have young heroes from all over the world to come here and challenge it. If they could win, they would acquire my legendary legacy, which would transform them into peerless existences; the true geniuses of their generation. Alas, even after countless years, almost no one managed to find this place, and even the ones that actually came were far too weak, and perished within the trials."

The mysterious and eerie smile on the Primordial Azure Dragon's face widened as he continued, "Your chance to prove yourself is to pass those trials. If you are able to, then you'll have my permission to take Little Xinyi as your beloved. In fact, I'll even grant you with some of my blood and powers; consider it as a dowry. However," the Primordial Azure Dragon suddenly waved his hands, causing his massive power to surge out, "if you fail, I'll personally end your life, child. I don't care if you're Old Evil's inheritor; if I deem your unworthy, you can forget about leaving this place alive."

"Trials again…," thought Issei as a smile appeared on his face. The last time he had the opportunity to go on a trial, he didn't back down even though he was warned there weren't any chances of succeeding. In the end, he got himself the bloodline of three divine beasts, and also had those same divine beasts turned into his companions. He hadn't hesitated the last time and struck it big, so why would he hesitate now?!

Issei opened his mouth, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped. As he did so, his gaze came to rest onto Chu Yuechan, who soundly slept on the floor. A complicated expression appeared on his face, as if he was faced with some difficult problem. Eventually, he turned his head towards the Primordial Azure Dragon and asked, "If I go, then what about Chu Yuechan?"

"You mean the girl?" asked the Primordial Azure Dragon. He glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eyes and sighed, "Well, she can go with you, but in the end, she won't get a reward or anything."

"Why?" asked Issei, curious.

The Primordial Azure Dragon glanced at Chu Yuechan one more time and sighed, "There are two requirements for someone to successfully inherit my legacies and blood. The first requirement is the gender of the person; only males are able to receive my legacy. That's because everything relating to me is filled with boundless Yang energy. Normal females would immediately die by coming into contact with it, never mind this girl, whose whole body is full of Yin energy. As for the second requirement…" he shot Issei a meaningful look, "your body must be strong enough to handle my own power. Therefore, you must either have the body of a god, or… the body-cultivation technique of a god."

The moment he heard those words, Issei's narrowed. He deeply looked at the azure-clothed man in front of him and stated, "Although I do have the legacy of the Evil God, and the blood of the Phoenix, the Golden Crow, and the Vermillion Bird, my body isn't anything special. I may practice a superb body cultivation technique, but it definitely isn't something created by a god."

Surprisingly, the Primordial Azure Dragon nodded, "I'm well aware of that. However, I know someone who does have such a body-cultivation technique…. In fact, she's here right now."

Issei revealed a shocked expression, "Are you talking about..." Before Issei could finish his sentence, Jasmine suddenly appeared right beside him. Her expression was one of seriousness as she glared at the Primordial Azure Dragon.

"How did you know?" she coolly asked.

"How could I not know?" the Primordial Azure Dragon shook his head. "Although you were trying to conceal your aura by hiding yourself within the Sky Poison Pearl, I'm just too familiar with the energy signature of a Star God to not sense it. Moreover, I have also sensed Old Rage's aura within you… you have the 'Forbidden Heavenly Tome' with you, don't you?"

Jasmine's eyes darkly narrowed. After some pondering, she ignored the Primordial Azure Dragon and turned around to face Issei. Then she waved her hands, causing a white-colored streak of light to pierce into his forehead, landing directly within his sea of consciousness. After doing that, she coolly said, "This is the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Cultivate it."

Jasmine turned back to the Primordial Azure Dragon, and after shooting him a dark glare, akin to that of a devil, she turned around and disappeared, only to reappear once more within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Her eyes closed and she begun to cultivate in silence, surrounded by a gloomy and dark atmosphere. Obviously, she was nothing short of enraged. As for what had caused her to become like that, it was unknown.

Issei stood there shocked, unsure of what had just happened. He had seen Jasmine enraged before, but never had he seen her so mad and murderous. Even he, who was used to her antics, was somewhat frightened by what had just happened. What was worst was that he didn't know what had caused her to become like that. "It must have been something the Primordial Azure Dragon said," thought Issei, "but… in my opinion, he didn't say anything absurd or dangerous. What actually caused her to become like that…?"

Meanwhile, the Primordial Azure Dragon sighed, and after glancing at the place Jasmine had just been standing at, his gaze landed on Issei. After pondering over something, he closed his eyes and said, "Since it seems the little Star God won't explain it to you, then I might as well. The cultivation skill she just gave you, the 'Forbidden Heavenly Tome', also known as the 'Great Way of the Buddha', is most likely the best body-cultivation skill in existence."

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	106. Quarrel

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 106 - Quarrel**

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The Primordial Azure Dragon explained the 'Great way of the Buddha' in detail, as if it had been him who had created the technique. According to him, the 'Great Way of the Buddha' wasn't a conventional body-cultivation skill. It had twelve stages in total, which were completely unrelated to the cultivator's cultivation base. In fact, one of the things that made the 'Great Way of the Buddha' special was that it didn't have any direct relation to cultivation base, different from all other techniques.

"The 'Great Way of the Buddha' doesn't increase your cultivation base," explained the Primordial Azure Dragon. "It affects your blood, meridians, muscles, skin and hair, but aside from that, it has no other effects. Therefore, it shouldn't be used as an auxiliary cultivation skill, and definitely not your main one." Suddenly, he paused and glanced at Feng Xinyi. He sighed and said, "Although I probably don't have to tell you that… Lil' Xinyi has most likely already begun to teach you her 'World Ode of the Phoenix', hasn't she?"

Both Issei and Feng Xinyi nodded, confirming the Primordial Azure Dragon's assumption. It was clear that the Primordial Azure Dragon already knew of their relationship, so they no longer hid anything. In fact, as the Primordial Azure Dragon explained the 'Great Way of the Buddha', Feng Xinyi even went as far as to sit on Issei's lap. Obviously, the Primordial Azure Dragon was far from pleased, but he didn't do anything to stop her.

The Primordial Azure Dragon sighed and continued, "Anyways, another thing that special about the 'Great Way of the Buddha' is the way how one progresses to the next stage. In normal cultivation skills, this can be done by repeatedly using it, but this doesn't apply to it. The 'Great Way of the Buddha' is a cultivation skill that's completely centered around comprehension. In order to go to the next stage, one must comprehend the truths and mysteries of their current stage."

When he heard those words, Issei's eyes widened. Never before had he heard of a cultivation technique that was completely unrelated to cultivation. This was simply a contradiction in itself! However, he was also quite excited at the same time. From what he had heard so far, the cultivation skill he had just gained was definitely something more than extraordinary.

"Anyways, that's about all there is to the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. As for how it should be cultivated it will naturally be explained in the memories the Star God princess gave you…," suddenly, the Primordial Azure Dragon shook his head, "Oh yes, there's also something else; the reason why this technique is so heaven-defying. As I said, there are nine stages. In each of those stages, your strength increases by leaps and bounds."

The corner of the azure-clothed man's lips curled upwards as he continued, "The first stages provide you with the strength of 1,500 kilograms. The second stage further increases it by 4,000 kilograms. The third stage increases it by over 10,000 kilograms, hardens your body, and enhances your healing abilities. Those three stages are considered the initial stages. Starting from the fourth stage, we have the intermediate stages. The difference between the initial stages and the intermediate stages is astonishing. In fact, in the fourth, you gain the bodily strength of 50,000 kilograms."

"That strong?!" Issei's eyes widened in disbelief. The words said by the Primordial Azure Dragon were simply too shocking in his opinion. Issei already considered himself as someone extremely strong, but he knew that even if he mustered all of his strength, he wouldn't be able to surpass 1,000 kilos. Despite that, the first stage alone already gave one the strength of over 1,500 kilograms! This was simply too heaven-defying!

The Primordial Azure Dragon glanced at Issei's expression. He sighed and said, "That's not really amazing. In fact, upon reaching the seventh stage, you can easily regenerate limbs and even restore one's vision. However… that's the limit."

"The limit?" Issei's eyes widened, surprised by the Primordial Azure Dragon's last words, as well as by the abilities one gained upon reaching the seventh stage. "What about the other stages? Weren't there twelve of them?"

"Yes," the Primordial Azure Dragon shoo his head, "but the limit of your body should be around the seventh stage. In fact, most cultivators wouldn't even be able to cultivate the first stage, never mind the ones after the seventh. It's only because you have the power of the Evil God, along with the bloodlines of three Divine Beasts, that you have a chance of reaching the seventh stage."

Issei's expression turned thoughtful. After a long time, he asked, "Then… is there something I can do to further improve my body?"

"Well… if you were to acquire my bloodline, it wouldn't be impossible to reach the eighth stage," said the Primordial Azure Dragon after some thought. "However, for the ninth, tenth and eleventh stage, you'll need incredible good fortune, along with a ridiculous amount of luck to acquire the necessary materials and legacies to strengthen your body."

"And the twelfth stage?" questioned Issei. "You only mentioned up to the eleventh."

"If you reach the twelfth stage…," the Primordial Azure Dragon paused for effect, "you'll be able to acquire the original body of Old Rage, the True God who created the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. By saying that, I mean that you'd have the body of a True God. In the entire universe, there wouldn't be anyone with a body sturdier that yours. Alas, in order to reach that stage, there's a certain requirement; not only must you have managed to cultivate it all the way to the eleventh stage, you must also acquire the legacy of Old Rage himself. That's the only way to reach the twelfth stage."

After that, the Primordial Azure Dragon told Issei a few more bits of information pertaining to the 'Great Way of the Buddha', along with some warnings. Although it didn't look like it on the surface, the Primordial Azure Dragon was making sure that Issei was ready to face the trials. Different from what many would think, he was actually hoping that Issei would manage to create a miracle and emerge victorious. Deep within his heart, he was amazed by the young man's talent. Moreover, he truly didn't want to kill Feng Xinyi's beloved. However, if Issei were to fail, he wouldn't hesitate twice in ending his life.

Aside from all that, this trial would also serve as a test of Issei's personality. If he were to show a dark and cruel side, then even if he passed, the Primordial Azure Dragon would still personally kill him.

Eventually, they finally reached an agreement. Issei would enter the trials created by the Primordial Azure Dragon along with Chu Yuechan. Obviously, this would increase the difficulty of the trial, but the reward would also be greater. Considering that the reward wouldn't be able to provide any help to the young maiden, Issei would end up getting the whole reward for himself. As far as he was concerned, this was a win-win situation for him.

Issei stared at the fissure in space in front of him, his expression serious. Chu Yuechan slept soundlessly in his arms, the veil that covered her face constantly fluttering, but not enough to reveal her heavenly semblance. According to the Primordial Azure Dragon, as soon as they entered the trials, she would wake up.

A resolute expression appeared on Issei's face. Just as he was about to step onto the fissure, he suddenly stopped, as if he had just remembered something. He immediately turned around to look at Feng Xinyi and the Primordial Azure Dragon.

"Primordial Azure Dragon… can I ask for a favor?"

"What is it?" The Primordial Azure Dragon stared back at Issei, slightly surprised by Issei's sudden question.

"You see, I have a World Spirit… and she's currently harmed, and isn't able to wake up," Issei's expression darkened, and he had difficulty saying the next words, "no matter how much I try. I was… I was wondering if you could use your divine powers to heal her."

The Primordial Azure Dragon calmly nodded, "Very well. If you manage to pass through my trials, then I'll see what I can do."

"Many thanks," said Issei, slightly bending his body forward. In reality, he wanted to bow, but because he was carrying Chu Yuechan in his arms, he was currently unable to. Then he looked at petite young girl with teary eyes who stood next to the Primordial Azure Dragon, "Xinyi, wait for me. I'll come back shortly."

"Mn!" Feng Xinyi nodded, her eyes reddening even further. Originally, she wanted to go with Issei, but the Primordial Azure Dragon prohibited her from doing that. She knew the Primordial Azure Dragon better than anyone, and knew that he wasn't someone of false threats; he had mentioned that the trials would be extremely difficult, so Feng Xinyi clearly knew how dangerous it was. Even though she had complete trust in Issei, she was still afraid that he would perish.

"Don't worry," Issei looked at Feng Xinyi and calmly smile. "I'll be back before you know it." After saying so, he turned around and stepped into the spatial fissure, leaving behind a teary-eyed Feng Xinyi and a solemn Primordial Azure Dragon.

The moment Issei fully disappeared into the spatial rift, the Primordial Azure Dragon looked at Feng Xinyi. Instantly, his expression softened, whilst his eyes revealed deep tenderness and fraternal love. His voice was as soft as cotton as he said, "Lil' Xinyi..."

Feng Xinyi looked at the Primordial Azure Dragon with anger, her teary eyes reddening. She crossed her arms in dissatisfaction and stomped her feet on the ground furiously, "Why are you so mean?!"

"Xinyi, look, I'm only trying to protect you," said the Primordial Azure Dragon, his expression complex. He truly didn't like seeing the one he considered as his little sister in this state.

"Protect me?! From whom?! Issei?!" Feng Xinyi snarled at him, no longer able to repress her anger. All this time, she had been concealing all her hatred within her heart, unwilling to let Issei see this side of her. Now that he was gone, she was like a volcano, exploding with rage. She shouted at him, "I don't need your damn protection, you overprotective bastard!"

The Primordial Azure Dragon's expression faltered. He had thought that Feng Xinyi was only slightly mad at him, but now he realized how wrong he had been. She was just like a vicious beast, glaring at him as if she wanted to shred his entire body into pieces. He stared at the enraged girl in front of him in dismay and thought, "Her relationship with him was actually this deep..."

Feng Xinyi's expression kept growing more and more vicious. She was completely unlike the charming and cute little girl she had always been; at this moment, she was nothing short of a devil thirsting for blood. Her eyes were red as she uttered, "I'm telling you… if _he_ is even slightly harmed, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I'm taking you down with me!"

The Primordial Azure Dragon's face sank. He quickly said, "Feng Xinyi, calm down and think! That guy… he was accepted by the Evil God's power! Both of us know what that means! His personality is definitely not a good one! Moreover, do you think I haven't noticed the seal that's binding you to him?! Right now, you are basically his slave! And, to make matters worse, there's also the power hidden within him!"

After saying that, a dark light flashed in the Primordial Azure Dragon's eyes."That power within him… I'm sure you have also noticed it. He isn't a human. He isn't a beast. He isn't a god. He's simply… something completely different, a unique and terrifying existence, even more frightening than True Devils. An endless expanse of darkness is sealed deep within his heart, a power that can shock the entire universe!"

"Who cares?!" Feng Xinyi stomped her feet on the ground, causing the entire cave to tremble and quake. Surprisingly, the seal the Evil God had placed on her was temporarily negated because of her dark emotions. She viciously glared at the Primordial Azure Dragon and coldly said, "I know all that! How could I have not noticed it?! But I don't care. In the past millions years, he's the first person to give me attention, to show me love! Years ago, you disappeared, leaving me all alone. My entire universe dimmed, and I was submerged in endless and cold darkness.

"Many years later, I met Issei!" Tears streamed down Feng Xinyi's eyes as she raged, "He was like a blinding star, illuminating my entire universe again! He gave me a reason to live on! He gave me love, he gave me attention! Slowly, he became my whole world!" Suddenly, Feng Xinyi's expression greatly changed, becoming incomparably dark, vicious and cold. A devilish aura emerged from her body, along with boundless killing intent. "And I swear, if you dare to take my world away from me, I'll make the whole universe perish along with him!"

 _ **Read & Review~! (We didn't reach enough reviews last chapter. I want more for this one.)**_


	107. First Trial (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 107 - First Trial (1)**

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In swirl of golden, majestic light, akin to that of a golden crow descending from the heavens, a young man appeared in a mysterious, unfathomable place. There was white as far as the eyes could see, filling his entire vision in the heavenly color, while the ground seemed to have been carved from the whitest of jades, without even a single blemish. The place where Issei had suddenly appeared could only be described as otherworldly.

Issei's eyes narrowed as he took in his surroundings, committing everything to memory. As he held onto the heavenly beauty with his arms, he took a few steps around, his narrowed, cold eyes constantly darting around. As someone who had already taken part of a trial before, he could be considered to be quite experienced. "This place is the location of the First Trial?" Issei asked puzzled.

No matter how he looked at it, this place didn't resemble a trial at all. There were no enemies, no challenges, only a vast and boundless expanse of white in all directions, seemingly without end. Either there was something he was missing, or there was something wrong with the trials.

Issei's expression gradually turned thoughtful, his brows slightly creasing. After pondering over it, he looked at the sleeping beauty in his arms, his expression gradually softening. Now that he was so close to her, although he couldn't see her face – courtesy of the damned veil – Issei was able to accurately determine that she was extremely beautiful, as if it hadn't been clear before. Obviously, he wanted to look beyond the veil. Alas, he didn't dare to commit such a daring action, afraid of incurring Chu Yuechan's wrath.

"The Primordial Azure Dragon said that she would wake up when the trials begin," Issei slowly laid Chu Yuechan on the floor, "which can also be interpreted that the trials will begin when she wakes up." He shrugged his shoulders unassumingly. "An unintentional riddle, I guess."

He took a few steps back, paying close attention to Chu Yuechan's breathing and behavior. Issei wanted to be at least a few feet away from her by the time she wakes up. After taking a few more measured steps, he stopped and waved his hands, causing a wind current to gush through the air, sweeping towards the immobile beauty and softly brushing against her skin. Her snow-white veil rippled enticingly, like the waves in the ocean, as if daring Issei to come closer and looking at the heavenly semblance hidden beneath.

He sighed. "This should be enough to wake her up, right?" Issei murmured, gazing at the heavenly beauty from a distance.

Soon after, Chu Yuechan's body began to stir. A familiar, oppressive aura surged out from her body, transforming into an overwhelming pressure that weighed down on Issei. "Right from the start?" Issei grit his teeth and revolved his cultivation base, just barely resisting against the boundless pressure. He didn't know whether Chu Yuechan had done this on purpose or if it was instinctively, but he sure wasn't enjoying it.

As a matter of fact, no _sane_ person would want to feel the full-blown pressure of an Emperor Profound Realm cultivator. Surprisingly, Issei could still be regarded as sane. In this situation, at least.

Eventually, as Chu Yuechan slowly realized where she was in, and to be more specific the fact that she wasn't in any kind of danger, the bone-crushing pressure faded away, giving Issei some room to breathe. Chu Yuechan lifted her body from the ground in one swift movement, her long gorgeous robes rippling and fluttering around her body. For some reason, the veil – apparently bound by some kind of magic – didn't move in the slightest, not even giving Issei a hint of the shadow of the face hidden beneath. Maybe Issei just wasn't destined to see her face in this lifetime.

"It isn't as if I'm _that_ eager to see it," thought Issei exasperatedly, trying his hardest to come to terms with the fact that he most likely would never be able to glance at Chu Yuechan's face, "it's more of a curiosity, actually. Seeing it or not seeing it wouldn't affect my life in the slightest."

Chu Yuechan's cold eyes, after carefully analyzing her surroundings, landed sharply on Issei, like an eagle would eye their prey. "Where are we?" Chu Yuechan asked coolly, her voice seemingly capable of freezing water into ice.

"How much do you remember?" Issei looked at her deeply and inquired, disregarding her question.

Chu Yuechan paused, somewhat startled. After a few moments, her cold eyes locked onto his. Deep within them was a mysterious, eerie sense of danger. "Not much. Only up to the moment we entered the cave." She sharply said her next words, "What did you do to me?"

Issei's face sunk. It was as if a blade rested against his neck, and if he dared to move even slightly, it would pierce through his jugular, and make his blood gush out. He straightened his body and carefully chose his words. "After we entered the cave, an unfathomable existence appeared." He sighed. "Lady Chu, in order to keep his identity a secret, he erased your memories." He tried to smile, but because of the pressure, it looked sickly. "If it was up to me, I would gladly tell you everything that happened, even mentioning the smallest of details, but that decision isn't up to me. Sadly, the ancient existence made me swear with my life to not reveal anything about it, not even to you."

After hearing Issei's words, Chu Yuechan remained quiet, silently determining how much of what he had said she could believe. Eventually, she reached the conclusion that at least 50% of what he said weren't lies. Her eyes locked coldly on to his, and the pressure increased even further. "Where are we?" Chu Yuechan inquired with coldness.

"Trials." Noticing that his surroundings had suddenly grew colder, he quickly added, "The trials created by that ancient existence."

"Why?" Chu Yuechan questioned.

Issei creased his brows; he wasn't sure how he should explain this. He quickly organized his thoughts, thinking of the best way he could say it. "By entering the cave, we disturbed the ancient existence from his slumber. Therefore, he forced us to participate in this trial," Issei explained succinctly.

"Then, if this is a trial," said Chu Yuechan, her gaze as piercing as that of a vicious wolf, "then there is a reward. What is it?"

Once more, Issei's expression turned dark. From the beginning up to this point, Chu Yuechan had only been asking hard, almost unanswerable questions. He couldn't possibly tell her the whole truth, but he couldn't lie either. "Actually… there is a certain problem with the rewards. Unfortunately, because you're female, you aren't able to acquire the ancient existence's legacy and powers." Issei paused and sighed. "This means that there isn't anything in this for you."

Issei knew that it would be better to reveal to her the situation right now instead of lying, and having Chu Yuechan discover it only at the end. If it the truth was going to be revealed either way, Issei presumed that it would be better to just get it over with.

For a long time, cold and hollow silence reigned over their surroundings; even the slightest movement could be clearly heard. "What's done is done." Chu Yuechan eventually said, her voice as cold and icy as always. "For now, I'll help you clear the trials. In return, once we get out, you're to help me with something."

Issei nodded. From the tone of her voice alone, he could tell that it wasn't a suggestion, but an order. "May I ask what is it you need my help with?" Issei stared at her curiously.

"Pills," she crisply replied, "and medicine. You know how to make them, don't you?"

"Yes." Issei unhesitatingly nodded. "As long as it's within my capabilities, I'll definitely help you."

Chu Yuechan turned around, not saying anything more. Silence ensued. Issei slowly came to the realization that something was wrong – why wasn't the first trial starting? Chu Yuechan had already woken up. According to theory, it should have already begun.

Just at that moment, as if the heavens were mocking Issei's thoughts, something happened. A few dozen feet away from them, a bright, silver-colored light flashed. Both of their heads snapped towards that direction just in time to see a stone soldier rip apart the silver light in the same manner that a butterfly would emerge from their cocoon. However, whereas the butterfly was graceful and majestic, this stone soldier was brutal and savage, forcibly tearing apart the silver light as it was some kind of restraint.

The moment the stone soldier managed to tear apart the silver light that had once surrounded him, a shocking scene took place before Issei's eyes. Chu Yuechan, who had been still the entire time, was suddenly submerged in a silver splendor, almost blinding to the eyes. Gradually, the silver light began to fade away, revealing an intact Chu Yuechan. At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed, but after a few moments, Issei took a few steps back in shock.

Just as what he had imagined, nothing regarding Chu Yuechan's exterior appearance had changed in the least. However, the moment Issei used his Spirit Power to probe her cultivation base, he was shocked to find out that it was actually at the True Profound Realm, and not at the Emperor Profound Realm.

Chu Yuechan also noticed the change. Beneath the veil, her beautiful, almost heavenly face was set in a frown. "My cultivation base was sealed again," she thought grimly. Originally, her cultivation base had been astonishing – at the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm. However, it was currently at only the True Profound Realm. It wasn't difficult to imagine her current thoughts; obviously, she was far from pleased.

"So it was like that," Issei murmured with a complex expression, "the damnable Primordial Azure Dragon obviously wouldn't let a Sky Profound Realm expert help me breeze my way through the trials… so he further sealed Chu Yuechan's cultivation base." Issei looked up at the sky and darkly chuckled. "Good move… good move indeed."

Meanwhile, the stone soldier, that had been strangely staring at the two of them from afar, made his move. Like a fierce beast that had been unleashed, it leaped towards Issei, its cultivation base surging out. A great sword made of dark, onyx-like stone suddenly appeared on the stone soldier's hand, further increasing its deadly aura.

"What?!" Issei's eyes narrowed as he jumped back, just in time to see the stone soldier striking at the place he had just been at, cracking a deep fissure into the jade-white floor with its sheer strength. "This stone soldier is at the low stages of the True Profound Realm," Issei concluded after probing it with his Spirit Power. "Nothing I can't handle."

He waved his hands, causing various Spirit Formations to appear around him in the form of countless blades. "It has been quite some time since I last used my World Spiritist powers," Issei thought as he stared at the stone solider that was now heading towards him, "so I might as well use this fellow as my punching bag."

After glancing at Chu Yuechan and determining that she wouldn't interfere, Issei didn't hesitate any longer. He snapped his fingers, and the dozens of Spirit Formations around him were sent flying towards the stone soldier like the mighty arrows of a god, capable of piercing through anything under the heavens.

Dull, opaque sounds rang in the air as the Spirit Formations collided against the stone warrior's body, pulverizing various chunks of its body. Issei didn't stop. He waved his hands again and again, creating more and more Spirit Formations. Within seconds, the body of the stone guard had been reduced to a pile of dust and tiny fragments of stone.

Even though he had just thoroughly defeated his enemy, Issei didn't let his guard down. He knew that that stone guard had only been an appetizer; the main dish had yet come. 0All of a sudden, five silver-colored lights flashed, and five stone soldiers appeared.

"Low True Profound Realm again?" Issei thought in surprise, his expression turning complex. For some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed. "Well, I'll just see where this leads," he murmured darkly. In the same manner that a predator would pounce at its prey, he leaped forward, his cold eyes set on the five stone soldiers.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

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A/N: So, some of you might be wondering: Why the hell didn't I post a chapter yesterday?! Well, the answer is simple - my hand. Yesterday, I accidentaly pierced my hand with a pencil (A REALLY sharp pencil, mind you), and well... I cut it. Long story short, it hurts. I managed to write this chapter, but until it fully heals (At most by Friday), the release rate will be rather chaotic, so I apologize in advance. At the very least, I can guarantee that there'll be at least one chapter Wednesday and Friday. Not sure about Tuesday and Thursday though.


	108. First Trial (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 108 - First Trial (2)**

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Just like a bystander, Chu Yuechan silently observed from afar as Issei's body flickered around the battlefield, leaving behind a trail of stone, dust and flying limbs. Even though he was clearly clashing against various enemies, if Chu Yuechan hadn't known any better, she would have thought that he was gracefully dancing amongst the various stone soldiers; his steps were light and measured, full of a dignified, vibrant splendor, almost blinding to the eyes. His movements, although savage, were dignified at the same time, filled with an inherit sense of regal nobility, unlike anything she had ever seen before.

He fought without fancy techniques or skills, just like a monk would live frugally, without excess of secular pleasures or riches. From the start until the end, Issei didn't use a single martial skill. Everything he used was purely ability; a fantastical, almost whimsical fighting style birthed from his various experiences. His movements held happiness, and yet sorrow. They contained glee, but at the same time, a deep sense of melancholy.

At that moment, as she observed Issei dancing across the battlefield, she realized that she had completely and thoroughly underestimated him. She had thought he was merely a sheltered young man, and although he seemingly possessed absurd apothecary skills, it wasn't as if she had never seen anything like that before. In the place she had come from, dragons that were dozens of miles long were as rare as sparrows, while creatures that could shatter mountains with each steps and create tornadoes with each breath could be found almost anywhere.

Despite that, in her eighteen years of life, her eyes seldom had the pleasure of gazing upon such a shocking scene. She had seen countless earth-shaking, sky-tearing battles herself, but in terms of profoundness and meaning, they couldn't even come close to Issei's unique and deep style of fighting.

"He… just who is he?" Chu Yuechan thought in daze. "He brought out an Emperor Profound Beast before… but as if that wasn't enough, he also possesses a frightening amount of knowledge on plants and medicines. Furthermore, there's also this fighting style… this isn't something that can be learned.

"This is something that is naturally acquired… as a person experiences the baptism of time.

"Through living their lives, experiencing pleasure, sorrow, pain and grief, a person slowly develops their own understanding of the world.

"There isn't such a thing as a shortcut. In order to acquire their understanding, one must live through everything destiny has to offer them, be they good or bad…"

Chu Yuechan stared deeply at Issei, seemingly trying to peer into his very soul and discover all his secrets. As of that moment, she only felt astonishment towards him.

"Countless experts and geniuses back where I came from have tried to acquire that little piece of understanding their entire lives. And yet, many of them have failed, and so will many more. However, I can see traces of that very same understanding within his every move. He, who's only a youth, actually managed to comprehend such a profound, esoteric concept!"

She knew what that implied. Issei wasn't some ordinary, sheltered youth. He had been through thick and thin, experienced countless different changes and life-changing events. It was only at that moment that Chu Yuechan realize that. And, as she did so, the light she viewed him in experienced equally great changes. His cultivation base may be pitifully low, but Chu Yuechan was aware that if they were to compare life experiences, she would fall short. Moreover, it wouldn't be by a small margin. With his life experiences alone, he would most likely be able to completely overwhelm her.

At that moment, Chu Yuechan pledged that she wouldn't underestimate him anymore. Just the fact that he had been able to develop his own understanding of the world meant that he was more than worthy of her respect and admiration. From that moment onward, she would consider Issei as an equal, completely disregarding his actual power and cultivation base.

Eventually, Issei's body halted. Surrounding him was a pile of broken armor that had once belonged to five different stone soldiers. On his own, without using any abilities or weapons, he had managed to effortlessly clash against five opponents of higher cultivation, and still clinch victory. That alone would already be enough for one to feel proud of themselves, but Issei was anything but joyous in that moment.

Even though his expression was calm – almost leisurely – he was quite alarmed, with his guard constantly up. He had long since realized that this trial wouldn't be an easy one – he had already killed six enemies of the True Profound Realm, and it was more than clear to him that it wasn't even the beginning. Surprisingly, he didn't feel any despair. In fact, he was actually looking forward to it. He wanted to see… how much he had grown.

He was just like a kid that had just received a new toy and couldn't wait to play with it. He anxiously looked around, eagerly awaiting the next batch of opponents. He would gladly take them on. No matter how many of them there were. Regardless of how strong they were.

Initially, he had entered this trial in order to acquire the legacy of the ancient existence known as the Primordial Azure Dragon, but he had long since forgotten about it. At that moment, he just wanted to test his limits, see how far he could go. He also wanted to let go of all the troubles that had been eating him from inside these past few days. Although it didn't seem like it, he was constantly worrying. Worrying about Eggy, who couldn't wake up. Worrying about Xia Mei, who was deemed to never become strong. And worrying about Xia Qingyue, his first love, and at the same time the girl he hadn't seen in years.

It was if with each blow he sent out, with each ripple he made, the burden on his mind would lessen. It wasn't by much, but it still helped. Issei desperately needed to blow off some steam. He deserved it.

"Keep 'em coming," Issei thought ruthlessly. "The more… the merrier."

In the next moment, it was as if some heavenly body had descended from the skies in the form of ten beams of silver-colored light. They fell down around Issei, encircling him. From within those beams of light, ten stone soldiers walked out. Like before, they were all at the low stages of the True Profound Realm.

"Ten?" Issei silently counted the number of stone soldiers around him. "In the first batch, there was only one. In the second, five. And now ten. Could it be that fifteen of them are coming next?" Issei thought with a smile. In his opinion, it would be better to release them all at once, but he couldn't find much fault with this method either. He would enjoy it either way.

Just like before, Issei was like a fierce wolf jumping at a flock of sheep, effortlessly slaughtering his way through. Before long, all ten stone soldiers were reduced to little fragments of dust. In the following moment, fifteen beams of light descended, and like Issei had thought, fifteen stone soldiers appeared.

Supposedly, this would end as easily as before, but Issei immediately realized the change after killing the first stone soldier. The moment its body shatter apart, another beam of light descended, and a single, mighty stone soldier of the middle stages of the True Profound Realm walked out.

Issei paused for a slight second, his pupils slightly shrinking. "Could it be…?" he thought as his heart raced, sending bursts of warmth through his body. He immediately turned around and pressed forward with his fist, reducing yet another stone soldier into dust. A bright, silver light flashed, and another stone soldier appeared on its Place. With a slight difference. It's cultivation base… was at the middle of the True Profound Realm.

Currently, Issei was faced with thirteen stone soldiers of the low True Profound Realm, and two of the middle True Profound Realm. Although it didn't seem like it at first glance, the pressure on Issei increased. This wasn't because of the addition of the two stone soldiers. This pressure came from what they represented.

"I need to kill one more to be sure," Issei grit his teeth and struck forth with his fists in various directions, his long legs kicking at his surroundings like whips. In a haze of dust and smoke, over four stone soldiers fell to the floor. Four beams of silver light fell from the skies, and four stone soldiers of the middle True Profound Realm appeared.

By that point in time, Issei's guess had long since become an undeniable fact. His gaze was cold like ice as he glared at the fifteen stone soldiers around him. Even though the numbers were the same, over six of therm were now at the middle stages of the True Profound Realm. "Now… there's still a question that remains: is this truly the limit, or is there something beyond…?"

Unwilling to leave his questions unanswered, Issei turned his attention to one of the middle True Profound Realm stone soldiers. His eyes flickered with a sharp glint, akin to that of a predator, as his feet struck against the jade-white ground, causing wind to build up around him. Like an arrow that left its string, he practically flew through the air, shredding apart anything that dared to block his way with his fingers, which seemed as sharp as blades.

Issei's target didn't even have the time to react. Before the stone soldier could even lift its sword up to block, Issei's hand had already pierced through its chest. Easily and effortlessly, Issei annihilated a stone soldier of the mid stages of the True Profound Realm.

A heavenly beam of silver light descended from the skies, falling directly in the place where the stone soldier had once stood. From within that mystic, blinding light a stone soldier walked out. The moment Issei noticed its cultivation, he immediately jumped back a few meters, putting some distance between them.

"Late stages of the True Profound Realm," Issei murmured, his expression not falling short of shocked. An enemy of the late True Profound Realm wouldn't be enough to pressure him, that's a given. However, if the other stone soldiers followed suit, he would actually end up with a whooping amount of fifteen enemies of the late stages of the True Profound Realm, whereas Issei was only a single person. A single person of the pitiful Nascent Profound Realm.

"It's not as if I don't have trump cards." Suddenly, Issei's expression changed, as he had suddenly remembered about his countless life-saving methods. "I have yet to use the flames of the Phoenix, nor have I actually put to use any of the gates of the Evil God… I have been holding off from using them for a long time already. Might as well put them to use here," Issei murmured to himself as he slowly adjusted his posture. His back straightened, his eyes narrowed, and his feet slightly changed their position, adapting to the situation. All over his body and stance, minute changes took place.

In a true clash between powerhouses, having good footwork was half the battle. With a few simple steps, you could easily dodge, block, or increase the power behind an attack. This was one of the many things that Shinso had taught Issei.

Issei's style of fighting was focused on the word 'adaptability'. He wouldn't use the same fighting style to fight against twenty enemies when clashing against a single one. Moreover, their difference in power, speed and movement all had to be taken into account in order to make some fine, minute adjustments.

Issei's eyes were almost all-seeing. He stared at all his opponents, taking in every detail he could, including even the smallest, most insignificant ones. His enemies were quickly closing in on him, but he didn't show any sign of moving, as if he was completely unaware of what was happening. It was only when the sword of a stone soldier was right above his head that he made his move. A fierce and ruthless light shone in his eyes, emitting a dark, eerie coldness, chilling to the bones. As if he had suddenly awakened form his stupor, he abruptly jumped to the right, barely dodging the strike. As he did so, his fingers straightened, turning into makeshift blades. Taking advantage of his momentum, Issei's hands struck forth like lighting, cleanly decapitating the two stone soldiers nearest to his landing position.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

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 _ **There won't be a chapter tomorrow, though I promise that I'll resume the original schedule after Friday. My wound is practically healed up by now.**_


	109. First Trial (3)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 109 - First Trial (3)**

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Issei's body constantly flickered around the battlefield, killing one enemy after another. He didn't waste moves; each of his actions were swift and precise, meaning that he didn't need to strike twice to kill an enemy. Even when facing stone soldiers of the middle True Profound Realm, he would need only a strike or two to make them crumble to the ground. As for the stone soldiers of the late stages of the True Profound Realm, they were somewhat trickier to deal with, but with a few calculated moves, Issei could secure his victory over them as well.

When the stone soldier of the late True Profound Realm appeared, another beam of light descended from the skies, and yet another stone soldier appeared. Surprisingly, this new stone soldier was different from the rest. Its skin was completely golden in color, as if cast from precious gold itself. Most shocking of all was its cultivation base, which was actually at the early stages of the Spirit Profound Realm, more than two whole realms above Issei.

Issei's brows creased darkly. "Spirit Profound Realm… this won't be as easy anymore," he murmured to himself as he took a few steps back to increase the distance between them. Issei knew that from the Nascent Profound Realm to the Spirit Profound Realm, there was a qualitative leap in strength and power. In fact, cultivator of the Spirit Profound Realm could effortlessly slaughter an army of dozens of cultivators of the True Profound Realm without breaking a sweat. The disparity in power was incredibly great.

Issei himself was only a cultivator of the Nascent Profound Realm. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be able to hold his ground against a cultivator of the True Profound Realm. As for cultivators of the Spirit Profound Realm, they were Godlike existences to those of the Nascent Profound Realm. Issei was an exception; his ability to ignore realms when fighting was frightening. However, he didn't believe he could easily deal with someone of the Spirit Profound Realm on his own.

"Guess I have no choice," murmured Issei, "although I didn't plan on using it so soon, there's no other way around it." He glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eyes and sighed. "Golden lightning… activate." Issei's eyes closed, and when they opened again, they shone with golden splendor, akin to that of ancient gods. His cultivation base rapidly rotated, sending ripples through the air. At the same time, the spiritual power of the atmosphere was pulled towards his body by a tyrannical attraction force, causing his cultivation to climb up all the way to the True Profound Realm!

Chu Yuechan's eyes widened in shock. "His cultivation base increased?" she thought, shocked. "Could it be that he had been concealing it before…?" She lightly shook her head to the sides. "No. That isn't the case. Just now, his cultivation clearly climbed. Not only that, how could he possibly conceal his cultivation from me?" No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't fathom what had happened. In the end, she settled to just observe from afar.

Meanwhile, Issei was rapidly approaching the stone soldiers. He rushed forward with astonishing speed, comparable to that of a fierce beast, causing the air around him to tremble. However, at the same time, his movements weren't savage, nor were they boorish. They contained a certain grace and splendor, just like a beauty dancing on a stage, arousing applause from the audience. His fingers were straightened and hardened, seemingly like the sharp blades of sabers, ready to tear and shred apart whatever might appear in his path.

Within seconds, he arrived in front of the first stone soldier, one of middle True Profound Realm. He slashed down with one of his hands, cleanly relieving it from its head, which began to fall to the ground. Issei's body flickered, appearing next to another stone soldier. He struck forth again, opening a hole in its chest. Just at the time, a soft 'thud' sound reach his ears. The head of the first stone soldier had reached the floor.

Pieces of stone and dust filled the air as Issei appeared again and again around the battlefield, leaving behind a trail of destruction. He was like a fierce beast that had just been released from its cage, tearing apart anything in his path. Because of his increase in cultivation, he could deal with the stone soldiers at a much faster speed. Within seconds, he had managed to finish off all of the stone soldiers of the early and mid-stages of the True Profound Realm.

Currently, fifteen stone soldiers stood before him. Fourteen of them were at the late stages of the True Profound Realm, while the last one was the golden-colored stone soldier of the Spirit Profound Realm. Issei's whole body was covered in dust and fragments of stone, as if he had just walked out from the ruins of some building. In contrast to his clothes, his face was surprisingly clean, without a single speck of dirt.

As he looked at the fifteen enemies before him, all of them with cultivation bases much higher than his, he didn't feel an iota of fear. A strange gleam shone in his eyes as he stared hard at them, his body trembling in excitement. Because it had been too long since he had last fought, he had completely forgotten how exhilarating it felt. Now, he was completely relinquishing on this feeling of euphoria and boundless strength that filled his flesh, blood and soul.

"Come on!" Issei grinned as he stared at the fifteen stone soldiers, who gazed back at him without moving, as if waiting for him to act first. A mocking smile appeared on the young genius' handsome face. "Won't move? I'll make you move!"

Issei's feet mightily struck against the ground. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. His body was sent forward with the same strength he had used, making it seem as if he was soaring through the air, headed in the direction of the fifteen stone warriors. Issei pulled back his feet while airborne, madly channeling his spiritual power into them. A vortex rapidly formed around it, created from the excess of spiritual power that had been imbued into it.

The moment Issei's fist collided against one of the stone soldiers, it was immediately blow to smithereens, sending pieces of rock and stone flying in all directions. Issei didn't lose any momentum as his footing changed, causing his body to turn in the direction of another stone soldier. Issei's body flashed, and he struck with his enhanced fist once more, blowing yet another stone soldier of the late True Profound Realm into tiny fragments.

Issei didn't stop. He was unstoppable, blowing apart one stone soldier after another. Even the stone soldiers of the Spirit Profound Realm were effortlessly blown to pieces with a single punch. Golden light shone in Issei's eyes, making him look incredibly majestic. His speed was so fast that even the trials itself didn't have the time to react. Before the light beam signalizing the birth of another stone soldier could descend, Issei would have already killed half a dozen of them. In fact, for a brief period of time, Issei had managed to completely clear the battlefield, standing alone amidst countless fragments of stone and rock, that had started to pile up all around him.

However, in the next moment, fifteen beams of light descended from the skies one after another, and the battlefield was full again. Issei continuously clashed against the various enemies, not taking any breaks. The more he killed, the more he started to understand about these stone soldiers.

The first batch of stone soldiers, the ones at the True Profound Realm, didn't have any weaknesses. However, this wasn't the case for the golden-colored ones, which were of the Spirit Profound Realm. Although they were stronger, tougher, and more resistant, they had a fatal flaw – They couldn't defend against attacks from above.

Because Issei would constantly unleash aerial attacks, he easily picked up on that. From that moment onward, the situation became much simpler. The task of killing those soldiers of the Spirit Profound Realm, that had once been somewhat tough, was almost laughable now. Five minutes later, Issei managed to deal a fatal blow to a stone soldier of the late Spirit Profound Realm. As it slowly crumbled to pieces, a beam of light fell from the skies, and a silver-colored stone soldier appeared.

This time, even Chu Yuechan, who had been silently observing from afar, took a step back in shock. That new stone soldier was actually… at the Earth Profound Realm!

"It doesn't seem to have the cultivation of the Spirit Profound Realm?" Issei's expression changed, becoming incredibly ugly. Even though no one had told him that the Spirit Profound Realm was the limit, he didn't actually think the Primordial Azure Dragon would actually force him to face enemies of the Earth Profound Realm. That was simply preposterous.

"Calm down," Issei took a few measured steps back, warily eyeing the silver stone soldier. "A trial is meant to be passed," he thought, "so that means there's a way to pass it." He took in a deep breath. "The golden soldiers couldn't defend from aerial attacks. That's their weakness. Right now, I must find what the weakness of the silver ones are."

In this situation, Issei was surprisingly clear-headed. He didn't let the danger or the fear get to his head, and managed to keep a calm and steady mind. After organizing his thoughts, a serious expression appeared on his face. Without further ado, he rushed in the direction of the silver stone warrior.

This time, he decided against eliminating the small fries first. He knew that after he finished with them, more silver stone soldiers would appear, and it would get incredibly difficult. First, he wanted to get a hold of their weakness. Only then would he be secure about facing fifteen on them on his own. Therefore, he temporarily ignored all of the other stone soldiers, and focused all of his mind on the silver colored one.

As Issei rushed towards it, his expression gradually changed. The closer he got to it, the more pressured he felt. Although it was only a single soldier, Issei knew that it wasn't something he could easily win against. Moreover, he would have to control his moves, as he still needed to figure out its weaknesses. Undoubtedly, the battle against the silver stone soldier would be one of the hardest one so far.

"There isn't such a thing as being too cautious," Issei thought, his speed slightly decreasing. "It would be better to at least bring out a few more trump cards before actually clashing with it." As he thought so, he waved his hands, causing them to be enveloped by deep-scarlet flames. They burned with dignified splendor, and an aura of rebirth irradiated from them.

Phoenix Flames! Those were the legendary flames of the legends, rumored to be capable of both destruction and rebirth, the Phoenix Flames!

The moment Issei activated them, Chu Yuechan's eyes narrowed. "So he's finally activating his bloodline," she thought. She already knew that he held the bloodline of the legendary Phoenix within his body, but she was clueless as to how pure and strong it was. Before, she had no way of knowing it, but now that he had finally taken it out, she would finally be able to observe it and come to some conclusions.

However, the moment she noticed the vibrant color of the flames, and the overwhelming power they emanated, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She had previously come across some blessed individual who carried traces of the bloodline of Divine Beasts within them, but never had she come across someone with such realistic aura. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the flames Issei had just cast belonged to the Phoenix itself. The aura around them was simply too realistic and dignified. She suddenly understood just how pure Issei's bloodline was. Somehow, it had reached a frighteningly high degree!

Compared to those geniuses of the place she had come from, who claimed to possess the bloodline of Divined Beasts, it was as if Issei was a Divine Beast himself. Chu Yuechan was sure that within Issei's body, there were at least five drops of Phoenix Blood!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	110. First Trial (4)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 110 - First Trial (4)**

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Battling someone of the Earth Profound was already no easy feat. Battling someone of the Earth Profound Realm while searching for breaches in the enemy's defense is even harder. However, battling someone of the Earth Profound Realm, while searching for breaches in the defense, dodging the attack from fourteen other enemies at the Spirit Profound Realm and being on the True Profound Realm yourself… was simply madness.

It was only after almost losing his life a few dozen times that Issei came to that realization. Initially, he thought that if he used his best movement skill, 'Star God's Broken Shadow', he could somehow manage to dodge all of the incoming attacks, but that was soon proved incorrect. At his current level of mastery over the 'Start God's Broken Shadow', he could only leave behind a single afterimage. It was only after personally experiencing it that Issei discovered that Jasmine's consummate movement skill was far from omnipotent.

As Issei danced around the battlefield, slashing and hacking with his hands at the silver stone soldier, he left behind a trail of a crimson-colored, viscous liquid. It dripped onto the jade-white ground, tainting it red. Every time it dripped, the red-color liquid would bloom like lotuses. Shockingly, it was full of vitality, flourishing with life, like a man in his prime.

However… stone warriors didn't have blood vessels in their body. They didn't have heart, veins, or the like. Which meant that they didn't bleed.

Issei grit his teeth, trying his hardest to ignore the countless wounds that littered his body. The upper part of his robes was practically torn to shreds, revealing deep, blood-red gashes that ran across his toned torso. Sword wounds. Countless of them. Those were the result of trying to challenge fifteen extremely powerful enemies on his own. Half of his wounds came from the silver stone soldier. The others from the various golden-colored stone soldiers.

In normal situations, with Issei's vibrant vitality, which had been nourished in the first trial of the Phoenix Trials, such wounds would heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. Alas, for some reason, the wounds left behind by the swords belonging to the stone soldiers wouldn't heal at all. This puzzled him, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Many times he had considered asking Chu Yuechan for help, but he never did it. He wanted to rely solely on himself until he couldn't anymore. Therefore, he was unwilling to ask for help. He persisted through it, constantly analyzing the silver-colored stone soldier, searching for any weaknesses that might prove valuable.

"Could it be that it truly has no weaknesses?" Issei thought as he slightly bent his body to the side, dodging a sword thrust from a stone soldier. His other fist struck out in the opposite way, and by using his left leg as a pivot, he managed to completely turn his body around. Making use of his momentum, he blasted a hole through the stone warrior's shoulder, causing its arms to fly into the air. Immediately after, he jumped a few steps back, paying close attention to his surroundings. "Or am I just not looking hard enough?" Issei continued pondering over the situation. He couldn't believe that the silver stone soldier was truly flawless. There must at least be some fault. He knew that. However, no matter how he did, he couldn't find it.

All of a sudden, Issei's eyes narrowed. Just at that moment, he noticed that while all of the golden stone soldiers were currently running over to his position, the silver stone soldier wasn't moving at all. It was constantly turning around, as if in search of something.

A shrewd gleam flickered within Issei's eyes. "Could it be…?" Issei thought as his expression grew more and more excited. He carefully took a step forward. Instantly, the silver-colored stone soldier stopped looking around. It immediately turned its body to Issei's direction. Issei grinned. "So it was like that!" he thought. As he did so, he also dispelled the Phoenix Flames he had recently activated. He knew that he wouldn't need them. At least not at that moment.

With the a hint of a smile on his face, Issei waved his hands, causing one of the countless fragments of stones to fly over to his hand. Then he grabbed it and threw it a few feet away from him. The moment he did so, the silver stone warrior turned to that direction. Meanwhile, the golden stone warriors were rapidly closing in on him.

"Vision!" Issei exclaimed with excitement. "He can't see anything. All this time, he has been using his hearing to lock onto my position!"

Now that he understood the silver stone warrior's weakness, he could finally go all-out. He didn't hesitate any longer. A savage, wild grin took over his face. Like a blazing volcano, all of his pent-up anger exploded out in the form of pure, raw ruthlessness, which was as scorching as the sun, but at the same time, frigid ice. Even the stone soldiers, that shouldn't have a consciousness, paused the moment they sensed Issei's terrifying blood-thirsty. Although they weren't actual existences, and weren't gifted with the ability of 'thought', they still felt that if they were to take even a step closer, they would immediately die. This was the most basic, primal form of instinct.

Alas, they were a step too late. Issei's savage gaze locked onto them, and his spiritual power surged out, inundating his surroundings. Although it wasn't much, considering he was still in the True Profound Realm, it was incomparably thick and pure. When Chu Yuechan saw the sheer quality of Issei's spiritual power, she took in a deep breath.

"Is he really… below the Sky Profound Realm?" she thought with amazement. Just now, she could clearly feel that the quality of Issei's spiritual power was something unprecedented, comparable to those cultivators of the Sky, if not the Emperor Profound Realm.

What shocked her the most was Issei's current cultivation. She knew better than anyone that even when she herself was at the True Profound Realm, she wouldn't be able to muster so much strength and power. With luck, she would be able to stand on equal grounds with someone of the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm, but to actually pose a threat to an Earth Profound Realm cultivator was simply a whimsical thought.

Meanwhile, Issei was quickly slashing his way through the enemies' ranks, progressing in the direction of the silver stone soldier in a steady pace. With each step he took, a dull sound would ring, and limbs made of stone would fly through the air. Blood continued to drip from Issei's wounds, but he payed it no mind. At that moment, he was completely immersed in the fight, not caring for anything else.

The stone soldiers could be considered selfless. They rushed forward with no regard for their life, their past hesitation long gone. Even if it were clear that they would die, they would still carry out the task they had been given. One after another, the stone soldiers fell to the ground. In their place, silver stone soldiers appeared, but Issei completely ignored them. His eyes were completely locked onto the first silver one. He had a debt to settle.

Eventually, the young genius arrived in front of his target. When he did so, he suddenly stopped. Behind him, the fourteen soldiers, all of them now silver-colored, paused for a moment. The corner of Issei's lips curled up in a smile. He waved his sleeves, causing one of the nearby rocks to fall in the opposite direction. The bodies of the silver stone soldiers shook. Immediately, they turned around and rushed to the direction where the rock had landed.

Issei grinned as his target tried to walk past him. Without word or sound, he raised his arms and silently waved his hands. "You aren't going anywhere," he thought. His blade-like fingers slashed towards the neck of the silver stone soldier like a graceful saber. All of a sudden, its body suddenly stopped in place, rooted to the ground. If one looked closely, they would see thin cut on its neck. Slowly, its head began to slide to the side, as if something had pushed it. As strange as it may seem, the body continued immobile, for it no longer had any connection to its head. Before the severed head could fall to the ground, Issei snapped his fingers, and the head made out of stone soundlessly broke.

A silver light descended from the skies, enveloping the silver stone soldier's lifeless husk. From within that light, a new stone soldier walked out. Issei was calm as he looked at his new adversary. He wasn't even a meter away from it, so he could clearly sense the energy fluctuations around its body. "Middle stages of the Earth Profound Realm," Issei thought. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't wary. He wasn't frightened. He was simply placid, as if that had nothing to do with him.

Now that he knew their weakness, even if there were thousands of them, Issei would still be able to calmly smile. In his eyes, these stone soldiers that had once been so power were nothing more than ants. Ants that were just waiting to be crushed. It may be that they had other weaknesses, but Issei didn't mind. What he had right now was more than enough to give him complete supremacy over the battlefield.

Without a sound, he took a step forward. Spiritual power coated his feet, whilst noise-concealing formations could be seen all around his body. He had drawn them the moment he realized his enemies' weakness. Now, they were proving to be extremely useful. The atmosphere was eerily quiet. Issei didn't make any noise. The stone soldiers didn't move. Even Chu Yuechan was completely taciturn. The silence was engulfing, dark and shaking. If they had a mind capable of thought, the stone soldiers would undoubtedly be terrified.

Issei didn't mind the silence. In fact, he enjoyed it. As he walked forward, he couldn't help but to think that the current situation had an air of peace to it. Surprisingly, the stone soldiers had yet to move. They couldn't hear him, and they didn't know where to go. Therefore, they stood still in place. It could be said that Issei had complete and absolute advantage over them and their lives were in his hands. Eventually, he arrived in front of a stone soldier. Issei's calm breathing seemed to startle it awake, but it was too late. Before it could even react, Issei's fist struck forth, punching a hole through its head. Surprisingly, no sound rang in the air. Everything seemed to continue as quiet as ever, as if nothing had happened. Smiling lightly, Issei casually waved his hands, preventing the stone fragments from falling to the ground.

Another stone soldier appeared, but Issei simply punched through it again, effortlessly killing it. In normal situations, someone of his level wouldn't be able to easily kill an enemy of such a high realm, even if they were caught by surprise. However, Issei had long since noticed that the stone soldiers would only use their spiritual power to protect their bodies during battles. Therefore, if they were caught by surprise, their defense would be pitiful enough for Issei to simply disregard it.

Next, a stone soldier of the peak of the Earth Profound Realm appeared. This time, Issei didn't kill it. He turned around and began to walk in the direction of another stone soldier. As he walked, he left behind a trail of blood. Even as he walked, the blood still dripped from his wounds, but they made absolutely no sound as they fell to the ground. Chu Yuechan was completely mystified by the events that were taking place right before her eyes.

"Is this still a battle I'm watching?" Chu Yuechan thought as she watched Issei cutting down one stone soldier after another. If Issei's battle against the stone soldiers had been dignified and graceful at the beginning, it was now eerie and mysterious. And, for some reason she couldn't fathom, Chu Yuechan seemed to enjoy it.

 ** _Read & Review~! (There wasn't a chapter yesterday due to lack of reviews. I'm like to keep my promises. 30 reviews or more? Chapter! Less than 30 reviews? No chapter. Simple as that.)_**

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 _ **A/N: Before you guys start complaining, I PROMISE that the Primordial Azure Dragon's Trials won't last for too long. In fact, in a few more chapters, Issei will be returning back. Moreover, the past few chapters, along with the next following ones, are to let you guys experience some well-deserved action! And also have a taste of Issei's shrewdness. There's also Chu Yuechan. Mustn't forget Chu Yuechan.**_

 _ **Oh yeah, in a few dozen chapters, I'll tell you guys the main difference between Issei and Yun Che, the main character of ATG. If any of you feel like you know the main difference between them, feel free to write it in a review. In case you're correct, well... Congrats~! You're smart!**_


	111. First Trial (5)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 111 - First Trial (5)**

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Issei continued to slaughter the stone soldiers, killing one after another. Within minutes, all of the stone soldiers were of the peak of the Earth Profound Realm. Currently, there were fifteen of them, placed at random locations of the battlefield. Issei stood in the center of them all, eyeing all of them carefully. He didn't make a single noise, and only stared at them with his cold eyes.

"There are two possibilities," he thought with seriousness. "After one of them dies, two different things can happen. Either a new one will appear, this time at the Sky Profound Realm, or it'll be revealed that the peak of the Earth Profound Realm is the limit, and even after I kill one, nothing will happen." Issei's eyes narrowed. "Personally, I'd rather to just end it right now. However, judging from what I've seen so far, the possibility of a stone soldier of the Sky Profound Realm spawning… isn't negligible!"

No matter how strong Issei was, no matter how heaven-defying his perception was, he didn't dare to think that he was comparable to an opponent of the Sky Profound Realm. Even if they had some sort of flaw, the young genius didn't feel that it would be anything too grand. Therefore, his chances of completing the trials on his own… weren't that high.

He sighed and glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eyes, but upon seeing how she showed no signs of moving, he sighed again. All of a sudden, an idea appeared on his mind, as if brought by the passing wind. Issei's eyes flickered with anticipation as the idea rapidly grew more complex and detailed. Within minutes, he had managed to concoct a full plan in his mind. He grinned, full of confidence.

"Time to put all my skills to use!" Issei exclaimed in his mind. He produced a few straps of cloth from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl and used them to cover the wounds, temporarily adjusting his blood-flow. He soundless took a step forward, and began to walk to a different location of the battlefield. Obviously, no sound was made.

Issei slowly walked over to one of the stone soldiers. After arriving in front of it, he lied down on the ground, and began to make symbols with his hands. Before long, a formation was created, and a screen of white-colored light enveloped the stone soldier. This was one of the various formations Issei had learned in the Formations Battlefield – the White Light Barrier formation.

Normally, it was used as a defensive formation, but this time, Issei used them in a completely different – almost unorthodox – way. This time, they would serve as cages to trap the stone soldiers inside. After he finished laying it, Issei took a few steps back and glanced at it with an appraising look. "This isn't enough," he sighed. "This Stone Soldier is at the peak of the Earth Profound Realm… just a single one isn't enough to deal with it." Even as he said so, he walked forward again, and laid out a few more White Light Barrier formations around the stone soldier. It was only after laying out ten White Light Barrier formations that he stopped.

"Now, I should probably increase the power of the formations," Issei thought whilst the smile on his face grew wider. He placed his hands on one of the White Light Barrier Formations and laid a formation within it. All of a sudden, the White Light Barrier Formation turned golden. Just now, Issei had used the body-strengthening formation, Golden Lion Skin, on the White Light Barrier formation itself. Again, what he had just done was completely unconventional and innovative.

Finally, after strengthening all of the White Light Barrier formations with Golden Lion Skin formations, Issei knelt on the ground once more and placed a few dozen Ruthless Dismemberment formations, which were also learned during his stay on the Formations Battlefield. After everything was done, he contemplated some more, and decided to add a few dozen Red Corpse Hand formations next to the Ruthless Dismemberment Formations.

When Issei took a step back to gaze at the result of his work, the area around the stone soldier had already been completely filled with formations. All of this had been done with an objective in mind – Issei didn't want any interference during his battle against the Sky Profound Realm stone soldier should one appear. Therefore, he made sure that the other fourteen stone soldiers wouldn't be able to move at all, and be like trapped animals.

Under Chu Yuechan's surprised gaze, Issei went from one stone soldier to another, laying formations around each and every of them. After the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn, Issei walked back to the center of the battlefield and sat down to meditate. He had already finished drawing formations around fourteen of the stone soldiers, and was completely exhausted. Much to his happiness, the spiritual power in his surroundings was incredibly thick, so he managed to restore his condition to the peak within minutes.

After Issei made sure that all of the formations were in place, and that nothing was missing, Issei's gaze came to rest onto the only stone soldier that hadn't been bound in place by the countless formations. It simply stood there, completely oblivious to what was happening around it. But that was a given; it was blind, after all.

As he looked at the last stone soldier, Issei still thought that he wasn't prepared enough. When facing an opponent of the Sky Profound Realm, there's no such thing as excessive preparation. At this moment, Issei knew that he had to use all of the trump cards that he had. He instantly activated the Phoenix Blood within his body, and Phoenix Flames appeared on his hands once more, burning even brighter than before. At the same time, he made sure that he could use the incantation for the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex at any moment.

If it wasn't for the fact the he had yet to learn the 'Vermillion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song' and the 'Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World', he would have also activated those two bloodline with complete disregard to the fact that Chu Yuechan would notice them. Consequences like that could be dealt with later.

"Alright, there's only one more thing that I can use," Issei thought. All of a sudden, his expression grew complex. In order to activate his last trump card, he would have to ask for the help of a certain red-haired monster, and if Issei remembered correctly, she wasn't in the best of moods at the moment. Gritting his teeth, Issei decided to take the risk. He activated the mental-link and asked, "Jasmine?"

For a long time, no reply came. It was only when Issei was on the verge of giving up that a voice full of scorn and derision reached his mind. "What?" Jasmine inquired.

Issei took in a deep breath. "You previously mentioned that there were gates. The gates of the Evil God. Which ones can I open right now?" the young genius carefully asked.

"The first one shouldn't bring you any problems," Jasmine readily answered, surprising Issei with her promptness. "However, the second one will take quite a toll on your body, considering your current cultivation. You'd only be able to keep it for three incense sticks of time at the very best. As for the third one…" Jasmine smiled sarcastically, "if you don't want to blow your body into pieces, you shouldn't even think about it."

"What about the way to activate it?" Issei questioned. "Is there some technique?"

"No," Jasmine shook her head. "Just think about it and it'll happen. There's no secret to it. However, remember – do NOT activate Purgatory."

Issei quickly assured Jasmine that he wouldn't try anything ridiculous. After thanking her, he closed his eyes and concentrated. A dull sound rang within his body, and his aura suddenly increased by three-fold. Even though his cultivation base didn't increase, he was at least three times more powerful than before. "So this is the power of the first gate, Evil Soul…" Issei smiled calmly. His eyes suddenly opened, and amidst the golden lightning that crisscrossed within his iris, threads of red mist appeared.

Issei's cultivation base had already been increased by the golden lightning before, placing him at the first stage of the True Profound Realm, and now that he activated the first gate of the Evil God's Secret Arts, Evil Soul, he felt more powerful than he had ever been. A feeling boundless power filled every nook and cranny of his body, pulsating with vitality and an aura of ruthlessness. He was like a sword that had been drawn – incomparably sharp and fierce.

For the umpteenth time, Chu Yuechan widened her eyes in astonishment. Ever since they entered the trails of the Primordial Azure Dragon, Issei had been surprising Chu Yuechan again and again, and she had already grown numb to it. However, the explosive power he released just now completely shocked her. The more she observed Issei, the less she felt she understood him. "Just how many secrets does he hold?" she thought in astonishment.

Even though she had spent more than three years on the Profound Sky Continent, she had never felt surprise even once after arriving there. After all, she had come from a place in which legends could be seen walking on the streets, a place completely mythical and fantastical. However, ever since she met Issei, she had been rendered speechless again and again, so much that she was beginning to wonder if she was dreaming.

Issei had no way of knowing Chu Yuechan's thoughts. Not only was he unable to read her mind, he also couldn't see her face, which was still hidden by the veil. Therefore, he no longer payed her any attention, and focused all of his mind into making preparations. He could still open the second gate of the Evil God, but he decided against using it so soon. He first wanted to try fighting against the opponent with his current power. Only if it wasn't enough would he activate it too.

"There are also a few other abilities that I can't use at the moment," Issei murmured to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to recall all of his different powers. "There's the Dao of Time. Because my understandings on it aren't too deep, I can't use it offensively. There's also the Dao of Vibrations, which isn't really useful now, considering I'm faced with someone of the Sky Profound Realm. Then there's also the Lightning Incarnation mode, along with my other Martial Skills… well, truth be told, they aren't really that powerful." Issei sighed. "My power-level has grown too strong, and most of them have grown obsolete… after I get back, I should probably find better martial skills."

All of a sudden, Issei shook his head. "Focus!" he told himself. "Now's not the time to think about that." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the only unbound stone soldier. "Right now, I must kill that one and see whether or not another one of the Sky Profound Realm will appear."

Issei's eyes shone with a golden light, whilst his whole body was covered in a heavenly, majestic splendor. Activating the 'Star God's Broken Shadow', his body suddenly faded, appearing right behind the immobile stone soldier. His hand, which was covered in Phoenix Flames, fell onto the stone soldier's head. Instantly, the fire began to spread throughout the stone soldier's body, causing it to be covered in golden-scarlet colored flames. The flame imprinted on Issei's forehead suddenly destroyed the various concealment formations that Issei had laid on top of it, and began to wildly shine.

The stone soldier didn't even have time to react. In less than three breaths of time, it's entire body had been burned down by the Phoenix Flames, leaving only ashes on the ground. So frightening was the power of the Phoenix Flames that the stone soldier didn't even melt – it directly burst into ashes.

The moment it completely dissolved, Issei raised his head to look at the skies. Even as he did so, he jumped backwards, putting up some distance between him and the place where the stone soldier had once stood. Just at that moment, a beam of light fell from the skies. This beam was much bigger than the previous ones, and was completely azure in color. From within that beam of light, an equally azure stone soldier walked out.

It didn't even take three steps, but Issei already felt an overwhelming pressure weigh down on him. Issei's eyes narrowed darkly. "Just as I guessed," he thought grimly. "This aura belongs to the…Sky Profound Realm."

 _ **Read & Review~! **_

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_**A/N: A guest recently asked me a question, something along the lines of: Is this canon? This shall be answered next chapter. However, for now, my answer is: Yes and No.**_


	112. First Trial (6)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 112 - First Trial (6)**

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Issei glared darkly at the azure-colored stone soldier, his gaze as sharp as swords and daggers. His expression was one of raw, mighty defiance. A wildly burned within his heart, sending wave after wave of a hot, fiery desire for battle throughout his body. "I've taken every preparation possible," Issei thought. His eyes narrowed even further. "I won't lose. I _can't_ lose."

All of a sudden, the opposing stone soldier made his move. The air trembled, the ground shook, and the wind parted, as if giving way for a sovereign. An overwhelming power burst forth, transforming into a single, deadly sliver of spiritual power, condensed in the form of a blade. It was incorporeal yet tangible; colorless yet blinding. This was spiritual power in its most primal form.

"What?!" Issei's expression changed. His face immediately turned pale and aghast, as if he had seen a ghost. "The other stone soldiers would only use physical attacks… could it be that this one can actually… use spiritual power offensively?!" Issei thought in his mind. However, before he could think any further, the stone soldier waved its stone sword, and the sword-like sliver of spiritual power was thrown forward, breaking apart the air as it went.

It was fast. _Too_ fast.

In the blink of an eye, it arrived in front of Issei. Not stopping at all, it pierced through Issei's forehead, coming out the other side without any loss in momentum. Chu Yuechan gasped, her eyes filled with shock, but this feeling didn't last long. All of a sudden, her expression changed. Her eyes focused onto Issei's body once more, only to see that his figure was somewhat faint, almost incorporeal. "After… image?" she murmured in a daze.

As if reacting to Chu Yuechan's words, Issei's figure vanished, as if carried away by the wind. At the exact same time, Issei mysteriously appeared behind the azure colored stone soldier. Blood oozed out of the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes were as sharp as ever. His hands, clad in Phoenix Flames, struck out, making contact with the azure stone soldier's back. Much to Issei's dismay, as they did so, the stone soldier suddenly turned around, completely ignoring the flames that were beginning to spread throughout its body.

Issei's face sunk. He had to dodge. Sadly, he was unable to; the 'Star God's Broken Shadow' couldn't be used consecutively. Seeing that Issei couldn't move, the stone soldier's left hand clenched around Issei's left shoulder, whilst the right hand, carrying a sword, cut towards Issei's neck. However, at that very moment, Issei's face broke into a grin.

"Eighth Demon Sealing Hex."

Issei barely whispered those words, but they thundered darkly in the battlefield. The stone soldier, which had been about to relieve Issei of his head, suddenly paused, frozen in space. Taking advantage of that, Issei's arm lashed out like a whip, grabbing hold of the stone soldier's right arm. As he did so, a vicious smile bloomed on his face. His hands then clenched around the stone warrior's right wrist, causing sharp sounds to fill the air, and web-like cracks to appear on the stone soldier's arm. Issei's smile grew even darker as he ruthlessly pulled his arm back, not letting go of the stone soldier's wrist. With a dull sound, the stone warrior's hand, which still held onto the sword, was mercilessly ripped out of its body.

Just at that moment, the stone warrior managed to recover from the effects of Issei's hex. But, before it could do anything, Issei's body was suddenly enveloped in scarlet flames. Instinctively, the stone soldier released its grip on Issei's shoulder, giving him some space to move in. When the flames finally faded away, Issei could no longer be seen.

A few dozen meters away, Issei's body reappeared in a flash of light. In his hands he grasped the azure stone soldier's sword, which was almost half his size and completely azure in color. Issei's expression was wild as he stared back at his enemy, glaring daggers at it. If one were to pay close attention, they would see that Issei's entire body was trembling, while his mouth was full of viscous red blood. He could barely keep standing.

"The rebound of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex is worse than I had imagined," Issei thought grimly. "Using it at an enemy of the Sky Profound Realm almost rendered me unconscious… it sure is dangerous." As Issei analyzed the condition of his body, he cautiously took a few steps back, his eyes never leaving the stone soldier. His body wasn't suffering only from the effects of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex. During that exchange, he also had to forcefully ignite the Phoenix Flames, and even temporarily enter the Burning Heart stage in order to muster enough strength to rip off the stone soldier's hand. He had also activated the 'Star God's Broken Shadow' prematurely, inciting yet another dangerous rebound.

Issei sighed. After some thought, he opened his mouth and quickly emptied all of the blood he had been keeping within it, painting the ground beneath him in red. Once his mouth was devoid of liquid, he waved his hands, producing a small pill from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. It was small and completely red in color, like a fiery little flame. The moment it appeared, a rich and thick medicinal aroma wafted across the battlefield, startling even Chu Yuechan. The pill's scent contained a fiery ferocity, unlike anything she had ever seen or smelled.

Without thinking too much, Issei brought the pill to his mouth and unhesitatingly swallowed it down. The moment it reached his stomach, it rapidly began to dissolve, transforming into boundless heat. This heat quickly spread throughout his entire body like fire on oil. Wherever it passed, the wounds would close, as if healed by some kind of celestial magic. Most shocking of all was the fact that Issei's exhaustion completely faded away, and his spiritual power was instantly replenished.

The pill he had just ingested was something he had only recently made. While the Primordial Azure Dragon had been explaining about the trials, Issei had secretly asked Feng Xinyi for a few drops of her blood. Then, after getting five or so drops, he mixed it with some strains Fire Spirit Grass. Finally, through use of the Sky Poison Pearl, he concocted an original pill of his, which he named as the Phoenix Soul Pill.

The Phoenix Soul Pill had three effects – it could temporarily heal all of a person's wounds, replenish their spiritual power, and rid them of their fatigue. However, after the time it takes for ten incense sticks to burn, its effects would fade away, and whoever ingested it would be hit by the symptoms they had before ingesting the pill, only that this time they would be twice as bad.

Power came with a price. The Phoenix Soul Pill was a perfect representation of that.

"I've got around fifty minutes." Issei used his sleeves to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Within him, he was slowly building up his spiritual power, preparing to release it all in one go. "Which means that I have around three minutes to battle against each stone soldier..." Issei bitterly smiled. "Three minutes for defeating an enemy of the Sky Profound Realm. And that's under the assumption that no more stone soldiers will spawn. I must be insane." He sighed again.

Nevertheless, the young genius slowly straightened his back, his other hand also grasping onto the azure stone sword's hilt. He knew that he needed to make use of every little bit of time he had. Even seconds couldn't be wasted. Issei's expression gradually hardened, his eyes once more becoming sharp and deadly. A ruthless, savage aura erupted from within his body. All of a sudden, Phoenix Flames ignited all around him once more, covering him in a fiery splendor. Even the sword, which had been acquired from the stone soldier, wasn't spared. The flames covering Issei's body billowed up into the skies, churning and revolving madly like rabid dogs.

The azure stone soldier moved at the same time. Traces of Phoenix Flames could still be spotted on its body, a consequence of its previous clash with Issei, but it didn't seem bothered by it at all. It dashed forward, rushing towards Issei like a mad bull. Issei smiled coolly in response. He held his newly-gained sword parallel to his body, intending to take the stone soldier head on. The flames around him grew hotter, seemingly going along with the mood.

The azure stone soldier quickly arrived in front of Issei, its fist pulled back. Issei's gaze was serene like clear water as he slashed forward with his swords, tearing apart space and air. A sharp, ear-splitting sound rang. Like knife going through hot butter, the sword effortlessly cleaved the azure stone soldier's body in half. The Phoenix Flames exploded outwards, covering Issei's surrounding in a dense inferno of burning, scarlet-golden colored flames.

Not too far away, Chu Yuechan stood there, dazed. Her eyes were completely widened, her mind filled with roaring sounds. "That is the Sky Profound Ream," she murmured to herself in disbelief. "And he's at the True Profound Realm… how's that even possible?!"

Jumping realms to fight stronger opponents wasn't uncommon in the place she had come from. However, jumping over four realms was completely unheard off. "Realms, not levels! Realms!" she exclaimed to herself, her voice almost cracking. "He actually defeated an opponent at the Sky Profound Realm at the True Profound Realm… this shouldn't be even possible! This is simply madness!"

Be that as it may, no matter how much Chu Yuechan wasn't willing to believe it, it was undeniable that it had happened. She had watched it with her own two eyes, and knew better than anyone that it was the truth. If it wasn't for the fact that she had seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed it if someone had narrated to her the events that had just taken place.

Meanwhile, Issei's sharp eyes gazed in the direction of the skies, earnestly waiting for something to happen. However, even after a few seconds, no new beam of light descended. Even after the azure-colored stone soldier's body completely faded away, nothing happened. Issei suddenly let out the breath he had been holding, as if his heart had been released of some weight. Throughout the entire time he had been afraid that yet another stone soldier would appear, but that was clearly not the case. From what Issei could see, the lower stages of the Sky Profound Realm… was the limit of the stone soldiers.

"If that's indeed the case..." Issei turned his head around to face the fourteen remaining stone soldiers, "then there's still a possibility to pass the first trial!" He smiled a vicious smile.

By this point, Issei had long since decided to ignore the fact that the azure-colored stone soldiers might have a flaw that could be used to his advantage. If he had more time, he would have surely tried to discover it, but considering that he had less than an hour until the effects of the Phoenix Soul Pill faded, he decided to simply defeat whoever stood in his way through sheer power and tricks.

Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. Issei was someone that would only fight when he had complete knowledge over his enemy's flaws and areas of expertise, but he couldn't give himself such luxury at the moment. It was in times like this that he could only throw caution to the wind and give it a shot.

Even to this point in time, Issei was unwilling to rely on Chu Yuechan. He wanted to prove to her – to show her – how powerful he was, how mighty he could be. It was common sense that the powerful would only respect the powerful. If Issei wanted to gain respect, the only way would be to overcome his own limits and accomplish what should've been the impossible.

Determination filled Issei's eyes as he stared at the fourteen stone soldiers defiantly. He knew what he had to do. He unhesitatingly walked over to the closest one, and with a single wave of his hands, the countless formations he had previously laid around it all shattered. They had been used to keep them in place, and considering that no one interfered during Issei's battle against the azure-colored stone soldier, they had served their purpose fairly well.

As soon as the various formations dispersed, Issei lunged with his sword like a vicious viper, breaking apart the air and aura of serenity that had been previously created in one swift movement. The flames around him churned wildly as the sword effortlessly pierced through the stone soldier's torso, allowing the various flames to ravage its body. In seconds, the once mighty stone soldier of the Earth Profound Realm was reduced into ash and dust.

Issei stood there calmly, looking up with indifference as a beam of light descended from the skies and an azure-colored stone soldier walked out. This time, he wasn't surprised, nor was he stricken with fear and awe. He glared at it indifferently, as if it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Issei's lips twitched into a ruthless grin as he watched the stone soldier take a step forward.

A mad desire to fight burned within Issei, even stronger and brighter than the almighty Phoenix Flames. They burned behind his eyes, causing his aura to grow increasingly vicious and ruthless. This savage and wild flame... could only be extinguished with the death of all stone soldiers!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

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 _ **A/N**_ : _Sigh. Guys...guys. We only had 20 reviews last chapter... the only reason why I broke my rule to post this chapter was because today's the birthday of one of the readers, and I had already promised him/her that I would post a chapter today. Anyways, let me tell you something: As you guys already know, almost 3/4 of the 30 reviews for each chapter are Guest reviews. Now, what you may or may not have noticed - 3/4 of those guest reviews are made by the same person under the different username (At least I believe). There's a guest... well... I believe it's the same person reviewing 10-15 times each chapter under different aliases. The content of the reviews are basically the same, the grammar is similar, and they are submitted at extremely similar period of times. There's a chance they aren't from the same person, but my theory is most likely the case._

 _First and foremost, I'd like to thank that guest, who I'll title as Anonymous for now. I suggest you all do the same. Now, there's something I want to say: Anonymous hasn't been reviewing much as of lately. Therefore, the review count as decreased by a substantial amount. What does this mean? The people that usually don't review should probably start reviewing, or else we won't get nearly as much chapter as we would normally have. Don't count that others will review. The ones you're counting on are most likely counting on you. If you want something, you should get it done yourself. I know that the past few chapters haven't been exactly that interesting, but it wouldn't hurt to write a quick review like: Good chapter. Bad chapter. Great chapter. Horrible chapter, would it?_

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 _In response to one of the guest's question: This isn't canon. Not exactly, that is. You see, it's set in the same world as ATG (Scratch that. There are various ATG elements. The world in general is something that I created after mixing VARIOUS novel). Anyways, the plot-line is somewhat similar… for now. Right now, I'm still making use of some ATG events, but I can assure you that the ones who read ATG have no idea of what's going to happen next._

 _For example, the main character of ATG doesn't join the Xiao Sect. There's no secret realm in the Phoenix Trials. The Primordial Azure Dragon's Trials are different. Anyways, the only similarity will be the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. And, believe me on this, after the tournament, there'll be only one more event of ATG (Phoenix Tournament for those who are wondering) and that'll be it. After that, I'll not **simply** stray away from the ATG plot-line – I'll create my own plot-line._


	113. Second Trial (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 113 - Second Trial (1)**

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Issei slowly let his body fall to the ground, exhaustion all over his handsome face. His whole body was covered in a viscous, mud-like substance – a peculiar mixture between blood and dust, while his clothes laid in tatters. Just as he was about to reach the ground, a blue streak of light flashed beneath him. Instead of feeling the cold, hard ground, he felt something soft and tender slowly envelop his body, submerging his mind in a pleasurable sensation. He forced himself to open his eyes. All he saw was white. A fluffy kind of white.

"A cloud?" Issei murmured, slightly taken aback. Then he heard the sound of light, feather-like footsteps coming closer, and he immediately understood what had happened, as if some kind of revelation had dawned upon him. "Thank you," he closed his eyes and smiled, "Lady Chu."

"You're welcome," a soft, yet cold voice reached his hears. Hearing it, Issei's smile widened slightly. Although it was still cold, it was as clear as day that it was much softer than before. If Chu Yuechan's voice before had been some sort of cold steel, now they were like cool cotton. It was a good change.

Issei slightly opened on his eyes, catching sight of the left side of Chu Yuechan's veil-covered face. Issei followed her eyes, realizing that she was gazing at what remained of the various stone soldiers. He managed to grin. "I did quite a splendid job, I'd say."

Chu Yuechan turned her head to look back at him, momentarily stunned. "I guess," she said after a pause. At that moment, Issei could've sworn that he had seen a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, disregarding the veil.

Eventually, Chu Yuechan's gaze landed at the azure sword he still held in his hand, a war trophy of sorts. She seemed to hesitate a little. "Can I see it?" she asked, her voice betraying some of her curiosity.

"Sure. Why not?" Issei smiled, and mustered up enough strength to lift the sword up. Chu Yuechan seemed to notice how much effort that single action took; she quickly used her nimble and slender fingers to carefully take it from his hands. She then brought the sword up to her eye-level, and began to closely observe it, almost admiring it.

Issei watched in silence, letting her observe the sword as she wished. His eyes sparkled with amusement when she started tracing her gracious fingers across the blade of the sword. The way she held it, the way she touched it, it all made Issei believe that she knew her fair share of weapon forgery, or at least something similar. Gradually, Issei felt that the silence had become quite awkward. "Is it a good sword?" he asked in an attempt to break the ice.

"Yes," Chu Yuechan softly nodded, her gaze still set on the azure sword. "Masterfully crafted."

"That's good." Issei smirked. "I paid quite a price for it, you know?" He motioned towards his various wounds in order to prove his point.

All of a sudden, Issei's expression changed. He paled considerably, and started coughing. Various wounds on his body that had closed opened up, and the ones that were already opened began to bleed profusely. "Damn," was all he could say before he coughed up a mouthful of blood, tainting his already ragged robes in red.

"What's wrong?" Chu Yuechan's head immediately turned in his direction. Issei could even distinguish faint traces of concern in her voice. She eyed him closely. "This is… rebound?"

Issei did his best to smile, but all that he managed was a sick and weak smile. His face paled even further, and he seemed to be on the verge of collapse. He took in a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the incessant spasms of burning pain. "I'll be fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Give me an hour or two."

Chu Yuechan wasn't convinced by his words. She gazed at him strangely for a long time, and eventually sighed. She waved her hands, causing a small pill to appear in front of her. She handed it to Issei. "Here."

"This is," Issei stared at the pill in his hands, his eyes widening, "a pill?" Although he was no expert in pills, he could sense the thick and dense medicinal aroma, along with the boundless power within it. From what he could see, this pill wasn't worse than the Phoenix Soul Pill. Upon realizing that, he shook his head. "I can't take it," he firmly said. "As I mentioned, I'll be fine in a few hours."

"It doesn't matter." Chu Yuechan shook her head. "I have plenty of those." She didn't. She was lying. That pill was actually something her master had previously given her before she was sent to the Profound Sky Continent. It was one of the few, life-saving consummate pills she had.

Issei forced himself to show a questioning expression. "Are you sure?" he pressed on. Even though he knew she had come from such mystical sect, he didn't believe she could have many of those.

"I am." Chu Yuechan firmly nodded. Her tone didn't leave room for any argument.

"I'm in your debt then." Issei glanced at the pill, sighed, and finally brought it to his mouth. After swallowing it, he felt a burning sensation fill his entire body. For one second, he even thought that Chu Yuechan had fed him poison. However, he was immune to poisons because of the Sky Poison Pearl, so that couldn't be the case. In the next second, his questions were answered. The burning sensation gave place to a cool and pleasant sensation, which worked on his body, healing his wounds, restoring his vitality, and replenishing his spiritual power.

In seconds, all of the energy and stamina he had spent killing those fifteen enemies of the Sky Profound Realm faded away. Issei immediately corrected his previous assessment. This pill wasn't on the same level as the Phoenix Soul Pill. It was superior.

"A pill comparable to one made with Phoenix Blood..." Issei murmured to himself with a complex expression. Only now did he truly understand the true value of the pill he had just ingested. When he looked at Chu Yuechan again, his complex feelings increased in intensity. Now it was clear to him that she had lied; there was no way she had many of those pills. At least not _that_ kind of pill.

However, there was nothing Issei could do. He had already eaten the pill, and if he had the power to cough it back it up, he would've already done so by this point. Now he was truly as he had said: indebted to Chu Yuechan. In fact, he even wondered if she had done all this in purpose, but since he couldn't see her expression, he was left clueless, unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

Sighing, Issei temporarily pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. It'd do no good to waste his time regretting his actions at this point. He lightly shook his head and looked at Chu Yuechan again. "Thank you," he said, this time with much more emotion.

Chu Yuechan nodded. Then, seeing that Issei was alright now, she turned her gaze back to the azure stone sword. Once more, she began to observe it with rapt attention, trying to unfold each and every of its secrets and mysteries. As she did so, Issei got up from the cloud. Since he was once more in his best state, he didn't need it anymore.

"So what now?" Issei looked around, wondering what he was supposed to do next. Through sheer effort and tenacity, he had managed to beat all of the Sky Profound Realm soldiers, but no announcement had been made. For some reason, this reminded him of the time he had spent back in the Phoenix Trials, and how he had worried day and night, anxiously waiting for the announcement that never came.

Issei felt a chill run down his spine. "Don't tell me that the same… is going to happen here, right?" he looked around, only that this time, his eyes were much wary than before. Alas, it appeared that his worries were baseless. All of a sudden, the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice reverberated throughout the battlefield.

"The Trial of Power, has been successfully passed. Period of rest between trials of two incense sticks worth of time has also ended. The Second Trial shall now commence."

A colossal beam of light descended from the sky, and like a mighty lightning strike, everything was enveloped by a blinding, ethereal light. Before Issei could even realize what was happening, a boundless white took over his sight, and he lapsed into blissful unconsciousness.

When Issei woke up again, he found himself in a completely different place. In contrast to the plain, lifeless white from before, he was completely surrounded by life now. Trees of all sizes and shapes filled his sight, and all kind of wild flowers and vegetation grew around him. Issei took some time to realize what was happening, as he was still somewhat dazed. "A forest?" he murmured, puzzled.

He took in a deep breath, and felt the cool and humid air fill his lugs. Although it was somewhat dense and heavy, it was extremely pleasurable, as if air itself was originally meant to be like that. In fact, it was similar to the humid air that came after a rain. "Alright," Issei's eyes swept over his surroundings, taking in every little detail, "this should be the Second Trial."

In the exact moment he said so, the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice reached his ears. "The Second Trial shall now commence. In this forest, you'll find countless beasts. Thy purpose is to kill ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine of them," it said in its archaic and ancient voice.

When he heard those words, Issei's expression froze. His lips began to twitch, while his eyebrows trembled. A blank looked filled his eyes as he stared forward in a daze. "99999 beasts...," he managed to say after a long time. "99999 beasts...," he repeated with a stonger tone, still incredulous.

Although he had already been expecting something ridiculous for the Second Trial, given the insane level of difficulty of the First Trial, Issei thought that that was simply absurd. No matter how heaven-defying he was, no matter how many realms he could jump, that was simply a mad number. **[1]**

As if the Primordial Azure Dragon thought that Issei hadn't been satisfied with the level of difficulty, the voice rang in his ears again. "The weakest of those beasts is at the Spirit Profound Realm. The strongest is as the Sky Profound Realm. You may dispose of them through any means. Your time limit is of one year." After that, it no longer spoke, leaving Issei completely flabbergasted.

It took a long time for Issei to regain his bearing. He sighed, and the dazed look in his eyes slowly faded away, thereupon replaced by deep and boundless determination, only inferior to that of a dying man. Issei closed his eyes, and did some counting. The Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was supposed to happen in less than four weeks. Considering the time it took to get to the Xiao Sect, and to arrive at the place where the Tournament would be held, it meant that Issei had around two weeks to get back to the Xiao Sect. And therein laid the biggest problem – he couldn't imagine how he'd go about killing 99999 beasts in less than two weeks.

All of a sudden, Issei seemed to remember something. His eyes widened. "Where's Chu Yuechan?" he asked, realizing that he hadn't seen her yet. Just as he was about to get up to the ground in order to look for her, he stopped. For some reason, his thighs felt rather heavy. In fact, his whole lap felt heavy. His eyes widened in surprise the moment he looked down. In his lap, Chu Yuechan peacefully slept. She tightly held onto his waist with her slender arms, as if she'd die if she were to let go, and her head was dangerously close to his crotch area.

At that moment, Issei realized that completing the trial was far from his biggest problem. "If she wakes up and finds herself in this position, then I'm as good as dead," he thought. "Not even all of the effort I had spent on displaying my power could possibly save me from her wrath."

Many times in the past, Xiao Luocheng had mentioned how the girls from Frozen Cloud Asgard were man-haters. Many of them had pledged to keep their maidenhood for all their life, and completely loathed men. Xiao Luocheng would constantly complain about that, saying how much of a waste that was. Issei had originally ignored his words, but now that he was in this situation, they instantly came to mind. He knew that not only was Chu Yuechan proud of Frozen Cloud Asgard, she was extremely prideful.

Were she to wake up, Issei believed that not even God or Buddha could save him from his imminent demise. Alas, it was too late. Before Issei could do anything about it, her body began to stir. Issei's eyes widened, but just as he was about to make a quick and hurried escape, Chu Yuechan opened her eyes beneath the veil.

 _ **Read & Review~! **_

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**A/N:** _Guys, some of you may have misunderstood my words last chapters. I don't **WRITE** for reviews. I **POST** chapters for review. You see, even in the days I don't get 30 reviews, I still write the chapter. The difference is that I don't post it. Please, don't misunderstand. I **WRITE** for the joy of writing, not for reviews. On the other hand, I do **POST** chapters for reviews. There's a difference._

 _Also, some people have mentioned Issei's Profound System, the Grim Reaper's Symbol. Don't think I've forgotten about it. It'll appear in the story again soon enough._

 _Finally, sorry for posting this chapter 20 minutes later than usual. Some stuff came up, so it took me some time to post it. Anyhow, I'll go back to the regular schedule tomorrow._

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 ** _Footnotes:_**

 **[1]** _This is a misunderstanding that many people seem to have. "Jumping realms" is an idiom I created. It doesn't mean to increase your cultivation level. Instead, it means to ignore the difference in realms between your and your opponent to defeat them. Therefore, when I said that Issei jumped 4 realms last chapter, it doesn't mean that his cultivation base increased by four realms. It means that he defeat an opponent whose cultivation was four realms above his_.


	114. Second Trial (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 114 - Second Trial (2)**

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Even though Issei couldn't see through her veil, Issei somehow knew that her eyes had opened. It was a terrible feeling he had in his gut. This feeling also told him words that weren't pleasing to the ear. Most important of all, it shouted him many advises and cried out warnings. "Run!" it urged him. "Run to the mountains, forsake this land."

But the young man didn't listen to them. He stood there, immobile and fear-struck. It was as if his soul had left his body, and he could only watch what was happening from an outsider's perspective. No matter how much his limbs to move, they wouldn't hear him. They _refused_ to hear him. He could only sit there as still as a criminal waiting for his death sentence.

Eventually, Chu Yuechan moved. Issei instinctively flinched, not solely out of fear, but also due to reflex. However, the attack never came. Slowly, Chu Yuechan raised the upper part of her body from Issei's laps, not glancing at him even once. It was as if he didn't even exist. Then she got up, and started to dust off her clothes calmly, her movements fluid, graceful and nimble. Issei could only stare at her in shock, unsure of what to expect.

Eventually, Chu Yuechan turned her head to him. "Is this the second trial?"

Issei widened his eyes slightly. It was faint, but he could sense a certain trembling in her voice. It was still cold, but somewhat softer than before. And there was this certain edge to it he couldn't clearly distinguish. Noticing that Chu Yuechan was glaring at him, expecting an answer, he quickly organized his thoughts. "Yes," he said. "We're in the second trial."

He waited. Counting the seconds in his minds, he anxiously waited for a response. It didn't seem like she held any grudge, but he didn't dare to make any assumptions. Before deciding on anything, he needed to see whether she would bring _that_ up or not.

"Alright." Chu Yuechan turned her head away from Issei, now staring at the forest that surrounded them. "What's our purpose? What are we supposed to do?"

Issei almost couldn't believe his luck. _She isn't going to mention it,_ he thought gleefully. _She really isn't!_ In the midst of his celebration, he suddenly shook his head, breaking himself out of his reverie on his own. It wasn't time to celebrate. There was still some tension in the air, and that unfamiliar edge in her voice rang alarms in his mind. He needed to tread carefully. "There are various beasts in this forest," he said, carefully choosing his words. "And we're supposed to kill some of them."

"How many?"

Issei took in a deep breath. "Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine of them."

The moment those words were said, Chu Yuechan's body suddenly shook, as if she had been struck by lightning. For a long time, she didn't say anything. Eventually, she managed to snap out of her daze. "Are they powerful?" Chu Yuechan carefully asked.

"The weakest ones are at the Spirit Profound Realm. As for the strongest ones," Issei took in another deep breath, "they are at the Sky Profound Realm."

Once more, silence ensued. It wasn't a pleasant silence, but the suffocating one. Issei felt as if he had rock tied to his feet, while his entire body lay submerged in water. It wasn't a good feeling to say the least. A sigh broke him from his spell. Turning his head towards Chu Yuechan, he found her staring back at him.

"Tell me," she looked at him carefully, "do you plan on participating on the Blue Wind Tournament?" It was a foolish question. She knew it herself. Someone as talented as Issei would definitely participate. Still, she felt the urge to make sure.

Issei nodded after some consideration. "Yes."

Chu Yuechan took in a deep breath. The look in her eyes turned complex. "So we've got two weeks to clear this. And that's under the pretense that we don't have another trial," she stated. Issei nodded. "So that means…" she paused, suddenly becoming lost in thought. Soon after, she continued, "That means we need to kill at least seven-thousand and two-hundred beasts every day."

Issei widened his eyes considerably at that. He did some calculations on his mind, and confirmed what Chu Yuechan had said. Suddenly, he felt the situation growing even grimmer. It was now that the numbers were laid out to him in such an orderly manner that he realized how complicated the situation truly was.

"Power," Chu Yuechan suddenly said, startling Issei. "We need more power. There's no other way." She sighed. "My cultivation base is sealed. Currently, I can muster up power comparable to the peak of the True Profound Realm. That isn't enough."

"I know," Issei acknowledged. "I managed to defeat those stone soldiers, but that was only due to the fact that they are sluggish, slow-witted, and can't use any skills. Beasts are different. They have instincts. They can use inherent martial skills." He shook his head. "At most I can compare to one of the Spirit Profound Realm. That's my limit."

"Which is also the power of the _weakest_ beasts," Chu Yuechan added grimly as she turned her head towards the sky. Putting the situation in perspective, she realized that the more she thought about it, the worst it appeared to be. If they dared to harbor any hopes at the start, by this point they were completely crushed. After a long time, Chu Yuechan looked at Issei again. "There's no way to unseal my cultivation base. That's for sure." Her expression was unchanging beneath her veil. "But it should be possible for you to increase yours."

Issei carefully nodded. "Yes."

"Then what do you think you can accomplish… in one week?"

"One week?" Issei narrowed his eyes. He thought for a long time, considering his options. "Depends," he finally said. "Though it wouldn't be impossible to go up at least one level."

"Very well." Chu Yuechan gave a curt nod. "Then find some place, and enter secluded cultivation for one week. Meanwhile, I'll guard the entrance."

Issei stared at her strangely. "What good will one or two levels do?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "However, I've seen you do the impossible before. Although unlikely, there's a chance you'll have some sort of lucky breakthrough." She shot him a deep look. "Anyways, even if we start our killing-spree today, there's simply no way to finish it in two weeks. Since we've got no other plan, we should give it a try."

Issei stared at her in shock. "You're betting on the slight chance of me suddenly experiencing a leap in power?" he asked, incredulous.

"Right," Chu Yuechan firmly answered. There weren't traces of hesitation on her voice. "Why? What of it?"

"...It's nothing." Issei smiled a rueful smile. "As you mentioned, I don't have any better plan. I guess we'll go with what you said."

Chu Yuechan simply nodded in response. They then began to look around for some place suitable for secluded mediation. In the way, they encountered many profound beasts, but under Issei's and Chu Yuechan's combined effort, all of their enemies were quickly slayed. Eventually, they came across a mountain range, and within it found a small cave inhabited by a few Spirit Profound Beasts. After disposing of all of them, Issei sat down in the middle of the cave, while Chu Yuechan stood guard over the entrance, acting as his protector.

As Issei mediated in the middle of the cave, he carefully weighed his options. "I can try to solely focus of attacking the boundary of the True Profound Realm," Issei mused. "Considering that without the golden lighting, I'm still at the Nascent Profound Realm. Though, if I did that, I don't think much would change." He sighed. This was just as hard as he had thought. Perhaps even tougher.

Closing his eyes, he could feel the golden lightning actively flowing through his body, increasing his cultivation. Issei sighed, and the golden light suddenly paused. All of a sudden, it began to grow dim and quiet, and after a few seconds, it went back into a state of slumber. When it did so, Issei felt his cultivation plunging to the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm.

After doing so, Issei opened his eyes again. "I should start now." Issei glanced at the entrance of the cave. "Who knows? Maybe Chu Yuechan's right. Maybe a miracle will happen." He chuckled bitterly. He knew better than to rely on miracles. They were called miracles for a reason; he can't just expect them to happen all the time.

Issei drew in a long breath. He closed his eyes, and his cultivation base soon began to revolve, drawing the thick spiritual power in the atmosphere into his own body. However, all of a sudden, Issei's eyes widened. Just as he had been about to immerse himself in cultivation, he remembered that he had just gained a cultivation method from Jasmine, the 'Great Way of the Buddha'.

"Maybe I could try that." Issei's expression turned thoughtful. "According to the Primordial Azure Dragon, it's the best body cultivation skill in existence." He suddenly smiled. "Maybe it can provide me with that _miracle_." Even as he said so, Issei had already begun to go through the cultivation method for the 'Great Way of the Buddha', which had been imprinted into his mind by Jasmine. After a few minutes, he he closed his eyes and nodded. "It isn't that hard," he said. "At least it doesn't seem like so. In theory, that is."

He quickly made his decision. Closing his eyes, he started to let his mind drift. Although it was rather difficult at first, he eventually managed to reach a state of peacefulness. His spiritual awareness slowly began to expanded. As it did so, it directed the flow of raw power towards Issei. Issei widened his eyes in surprise. He could feel that this power that was now entering his body wasn't spiritual power, nor was it Spirit Power. It felt different. It felt raw, as if produced by nature itself. It felt… green. It had no name, so Issei decided to call it as 'nature's essence'.

The amount of nature's essence Issei could absorb gradually increased. As he took more of that power into himself, he felt his body becoming familiar with the universe as a whole, as if he was bonding with it, tearing apart those barriers that separated them. With each of Issei's breaths, absurd amounts of nature's essence would flow into his body, slowly changing him from inside.

All of a sudden, a faint silver light began to shine from within Issei's body. It started faint at first, but as time passed, it increased in intensity. Before long, Issei's entire body was extremely bright, illuminating the entire cave. Vast amounts of nature's essence formed a vortex around Issei, madly funneling around him. Issei's body was like famished beasts, avariciously devouring and absorbing the nature's essence that surrounded him. Issei was no longer conscious. Everything he did was through his subconscious, which directed the nature's essence into Issei's fleshly body, tempering and nurturing it.

"Already?" Jasmine widened her eyes in shock. Even though she was within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, she could clearly sense the shocking changes happening within Issei's body. "It shouldn't be like this." She shook her head. "This is too fast. Too much." Currently, her expression was torn between bafflement and concern. Bafflement at Issei's insane talent for cultivating the 'Great Way of the Buddha', and concerned about what this sudden changes would change in Issei's body.

Meanwhile, back in the cave, the light surrounding Issei's body seemed to have reached its zenith. It had grown so bright that even Chu Yuechan, who was at the entrance of the cave, had to hurriedly close her eyes, lest she'd end up blind.

All of a sudden, all of the silver light disappeared. At the same time, atop Issei's head, a small and unassuming pagoda appeared. It shone with various light. Sometimes it would appear as blue, other times as silver, and occasionally as golden. The strangely-colored pagoda swirled on top of Issei's forehead a few times. Every time it spun, even bigger amounts of nature's essence would be pulled into Issei's body. After dozens of spins, the pagoda abruptly stopped, and flew into Issei's head. Surprisingly, it passed right through it, as if it was only illusory, and merged into Issei's body.

Issei's eyes snapped open at the same moment. Within them, neither glee nor joy could be found. They were filled with overflowing pain. Issei's entire body trembled madly, as if under the effects of an earthquake. Within Issei's body, all of his bones, organs and meridians were being melt down, only to be be constructed again by the boundless nature's essence. This process happened again and again without stop, thoroughly tempering Issei's innards.

However, as a consequence of that, something completely unprecedented happened. Issei's Heretical God Seed, which had originally been hidden within his heart, was also reconstructed by incessant bursts of nature's essence. Shockingly, as they were being reconstructed, some kind of mistake took place – instead of being restored within Issei's heart, they were being reconstructed directly within Issei's dantian!

Even Xiao Huo, Issei's essence flame, had to hurriedly flee from Issei's Heretical God Seed in a desperate attempt to not be melted down.

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	115. Second Trial (3)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 115 - Second Trial (3)**

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As Issei's body was constantly torn apart and reconstructed, shocking changes happened within him. Be it by coincidence or by fate, the Heretical God Seed, which had once lived within Issei's heart, was fused into Issei's profound veins and dantian. Because of that, something completely unprecedented took place within Issei.

Originally, the Heretical God Seed had been a special type of organism, originated from the 'Heretical God Force', a martial skill with a mysterious background. What Issei was unaware of was the fact that in reality, the 'Heretical God Force' was the legacy skill left behind by the Heretical God, one of the mightiest True Gods of the Primordial Era. As for the Heretical God Skill, it was the source of the Heretical God's power – an almighty, tyrannical power.

Under the effect of the 'Great Way of the Buddha', which had grown out of control, Issei's body managed to accidentally fuse the Heretical God Seed together with the Evil God's profound system. And, because of that, an extremely strong reaction spread out throughout Issei's body. As the legacies left behind by two True Gods, the Heretical God Seed and the Evil God's profound veins were in no way compatible. Currently, they were about to fuse together, which was something that had never happened before in history.

The legacies of Divine Beasts and True Gods can't coexist within a single person's body. That's something that only few people know, Jasmine included. However, Issei's body was extremely unique – it could actually remain unaffected even though it carried the legacy of three Divine Beasts and two True Gods, along with a Heavenly Profound Treasure. Despite that, the moment Issei activated the 'Great Way of the Buddha', that balance was completely destroyed.

Currently, Issei's body was suffering from something that should've happened a long time ago – repelling. The various forces within his body could be likened to that of archenemies, fighting each other with vehemence, using Issei's body as the battlefield.

It's a known fact that after a battle, no matter where it was held, the battlefield would be destroyed. That's exactly what was happening to Issei's body at the moment. Under the attacks of countless different powers, his body was only barely holding up, on the verge of total collapse. And the clash between the Heretical God Seed and the Evil God's Profound Veins wasn't the only thing happening.

As the nature's essence poured into Issei's body, it started to clash with the foundations Issei had built by cultivating his previous body-cultivation technique, the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians'. Both of them were body-cultivation skills, and extremely powerful ones at that. Even though they had no consciousness, they would immediately repel each other upon proximity. It was impossible for two sovereigns of body-cultivation to coexist within the same vessel.

Issei's body kept growing more and more unstable and a frightening speed. His skin wrinkled, as if dried up, while his flesh withered. His hair and nails grew madly, his entire body aging considerably in the time-span of a few seconds. Slowly, cracks started to spread throughout his body, and pieces of various sizes of his skin began to shatter like broken glass, revealing the almost-rotten flesh underneath.

The only part of Issei's body that seemed to be unaffected was his left hand, where a green mark shone. It wasn't the mark of the Sky Poison Pearl, but instead a completely different mark that had never appeared before. It shone brightly, emanating the mysterious and ancient power of rebirth and reincarnation. It was obvious that this mark was trying to aid Issei in surviving through this process, but no matter how much it tried, it couldn't do much. Albeit the speed had slightly decreased, Issei's body continued to grow withered, wilted and cracked.

There was nothing that could be done about it. Even Jasmine, who had appeared next to Issei at some point, was completely helpless. She had already tried everything she could – she channeled her own power to Issei, tried to transfer her vitality to him, and even went as far as to let him drink her blood. However, all her actions were rendered ineffective against the overwhelming power of the legacies of True Gods and Divine Beasts.

Jasmine could only helplessly watch as Issei's body slowly fell apart. Her expression was somber and dark. She balled her fists and bit her lips until it drew blood, trying her hardest to find a solution to her current predicament. "I can't let him die," she darkly murmured, the metallic taste of blood filling her mind. "I _CAN'T_ let him die!"

"What's happening here?" Chu Yuechan said as she rushed from the entrance of the cave. She had seen that boundless silver light, and now she could sense the aura of death that loomed over Issei. However, before she could get close to the center of the cave, she was met with an invisible barrier, which barred her from proceeding any further. No matter how much she tried, she just couldn't break apart that invisible barrier.

All of a sudden, Chu Yuechan widened her eyes in shock. Although she couldn't see what was happening, she had just sensed an incredibly dark aura. "What?!" she cried out in shock, overwhelmed by this sudden burst of power. What shocked her the most was that it was actually coming from the center of the cave.

On the other hand, Jasmine, who was right next to Issei, could clearly see what was happening. Just as Issei's body had been about to completely enter a state of total collapse, it suddenly stopped. It just.. stopped. It grew still. Eerily still. The cracks on Issei's body stopped spreading, while his skin began and flesh began to regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye. As this happened, a mark suddenly appeared on Issei's forehead. It was completely black in color, with a small, mysterious symbol in the center. The same mark appeared on his chest, stomach, and on his hands hand feet.

From those marks, black tribal-tattoos began to madly spread out. They were completely terrifying, filled with an aura of mystery and power. Before long, Issei's entire body had been covered by them. In the instant they stopped spreading, Issei's eyes snapped open, revealing two pupil-less orbs of darkness. They were like two black-holes, and the moment they appeared, Issei's body surged with an aura of power.

These shocking changes weren't limited to Issei's external appearance. Within him, the Heretical God Seed and the Evil God's profound veins and dantain suddenly stopped repelling each other. As if they had reached an agreement, they slowly began to fuse with one another. In less than a minute, the Heretical God Seed was completely assimilated into the Evil God's profound veins. As a result of that, a tyrannical, heretic attributed was added to their original berserk attributed.

The Evil God's profound veins went through a process akin to remodeling. They changed in size and color, grown translucent, tougher and sturdier. With the addition of the Heretical attribute, all of the seven gates of the Evil God were enhanced and improved.

It'd no longer be correct to call them the Evil God's profound veins. In fact, because of this unprecedented fusion, they should now be referred to as the Heretic Evil God's profound veins! And this wasn't the only change that had taken place within Issei. The 'Great Way of the Buddha', which had been so desperately trying to destroy the remains of the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', no longer showed any signs of struggling. Instead, it rapidly began to fuse with the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', just like the Heretical God Seed had fused with the Evil God's profound veins and dantian.

As a result of that, the 'Great Way of the Chaotic Virtuous Buddha' was born!

Two legacies left behind by True Gods fused together, while a two superb body-cultivation skills also fused together. That could all be attributed to the power that had suddenly awakened within Issei the moment he had been about to die.

The aura of power around Issei kept growing stronger and stronger. Although his cultivation base didn't change, his power sky-rocketed considerably, both in terms of his fleshly body and his spiritual power. Insane amounts of spiritual power condensed around him in the form of endless black-colored tendrils, which wrapped around him protectively. The tribal tattoos that littered Issei's skin glowed with an eerie light, pulsating again and again. Each time it pulsated, Issei's power would greatly increase.

Jasmine could only watch in shock as Issei slowly got up from the ground, and calmly stood on his feet. His eyes were still black, almost demonic, and completely frightening. He didn't even glance at Jasmine. Instead, he took a step forward, causing the entire cave to shake. The tattoo on his forehead pulsated once, and a wave of spiritual power surged from within his body, causing ripples to spread in the air. In fact, it would be more correct to call this wave a giant tsunami, which phased through the walls of the cave, extending throughout the entire forest that was the Second Trial. It covered thousands of miles in seconds, and in the time it takes one to blink, it reached the limits of Second Trial.

As if taken over by some sort of evil spirit, all of the hundreds of thousands of profound beasts that lived within the second trial raised their heads to the skies and fiercely roared. They then turned in the direction of the cave Issei was in, and began rushing towards it. Spirit Profound Beasts, Earth Profound Beasts and Sky Profound Beasts, regardless of their level, all rushed towards Issei's cave. There were no exceptions. If one were to look at it from above, they would see an endless tide of beasts of all kinds of shapes and powers madly running in the direction of Issei's cave.

It was as if some kind of precious treasure had descended on the realm belonging to the Second Trial, and all of the hundreds of thousands of profound beasts were all madly trying to be the first to get their hands on it. Beasts' roars filled the skies. The ground shook, and the air trembled. Because of the sheer amounts of beasts, it was as if an earthquake was taking place. Even Issei's cave was trembling.

Issei stood calmly there, oblivious to what was happening. The tribal marks pulsated again and again, sending forth waves of power throughout his body. His cultivation base may not have increased yet, but in terms of raw power alone, even someone of the Sky Profound Realm wouldn't be able his match.

"Issei!" Jasmine walked over to Issei, trying to catch his attention. However, he didn't even glance in her direction. The mark in his forehead pulsated again, and a shock-wave spread out from his body. It struck out at the walls of the cave like a heavenly sword, tearing everything apart. The cave began to shake with even more intensity, causing the unprepared Chu Yuechan to fall to the ground in a daze. All of a sudden, another wave exploded from within Issei's body, and the ceiling of the cave was destroyed. In that instant, Issei jumped up, soaring into the air. When he fell down, he was outside the cave, near the boundaries of the forest.

His face was set in an expressionless mask as he stood there calmly, apparently waiting for something. All around his body, the tendrils of darkness squirmed and twisted, giving him a menacing and eerie aura. The countless tribal tattoos served to further consolidate his aura of power and mysteriousness. By this point, the green mark with the power of rebirth on Issei's hand had already faded away, consumed by the black tattoos.

At the same time, within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, the jade-slip of the League of Demon Sealers suddenly began to tremble, emanating a dark and archaic aura. And, all of a sudden, a mark appeared on the top of the jade-slip.

That mark… looked exactly the same as the tribal tattoos on Issei's skin!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

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 ** _A/N: So, guys, due to many requests, I have decided to open a poll in my profile regarding chapter releases. Please give it a look and vote._**


	116. Second Trial (4)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 116 - Second Trial (4)**

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While all of this happened in the realm of the second trial, the Primordial Azure Dragon and Feng Xinyi were observing everything that happened from above. Currently, both Divine Beasts had extremely complicated expressions on their faces.

The Primordial Azure Dragon sighed. "Xinyi, this is what I was talking about." He glanced at Issei, focusing his gaze on the black marks that wrapped around the young man's body. "He is dangerous. Terrifyingly so."

"I don't care," Feng Xinyi said plainly. Her entire attention was focused on Issei, and deep worry and longing filled her bright eyes. She balled her hands into fists. "I'll protect him. I won't let any harm come to him."

"How?" The ruler of the Divine Beasts sighed. "Your power is sealed. Do you think you can protect him that way?"

"I can unseal it."

"At the cost of your life," the Primordial Azure Dragon almost spat his words in anger. "Xinyi, both of us know that the seal that Old Evil placed on you can only be undone by sacrificing your longevity. If you try to break it, your lifespan will plunge. A lot."

Feng Xinyi kept quiet, not saying anything in response. If one were to look deep within her eyes, they would see that they carried a certain determination, a certain conviction. The Primordial Azure Dragon's words hadn't affected her in the least. Her initial statement still stood.

"There's just no helping you, is there?" The Primordial Azure glanced at her and sighed. He had journeyed with her throughout the universe for millions of years. He knew exactly how stubborn she was. Shaking his head, the Primordial Azure Dragon returned his attention back to the events taking place at the second trial. "Since my words can't get through your thick head," he murmured. "Then at least I should make sure you're safe."

For the first time, Feng Xinyi turned her head to look at him. She looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"If he passes the trial, I'll give him a little gift."

"You mean?!" Feng Xinyi's eyes brightened.

"Yes." The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded. "I'll give him…. _That_." Noticing Feng Xinyi's excited expressions, he shook his head. " _If_ he passes the trials that is," he repeated again, emphasizing the 'if'. Feng Xinyi gave a curt nod, and turned her attention back to Issei.

"Issei… you _must_ pass."

Meanwhile, back in the second trial, the tension was so thick that it could almost be felt, almost be touched. The roars of countless beasts rang in everyone's ears, almost like a rhythm, and could be likened to the sounds of the drums of war. The ground shook and trembled, almost to the point it felt like an earthquake was occurring. Most shocking of all were the colossal waves of killing-intent that filled the air, poured into the earth, and soared through the skies. An intense aura of death loomed over the entire place, like a constant threat. It was terrifying to say the least.

Surrounded by spiritual power, Jasmine hovered on the air, her cold and emotionless eyes almost glued onto a young man that stood not too far away. She drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air, only to let it all out in a long sigh. "I'm not sure whether this is good or bad." Jasmine looked extremely complex at that moment. "In one hand, all of his injuries healed, and he is even stronger. On the other," her eyes hardened all of a sudden, "he has aroused the power that lies within him, hiding within the very depths of his soul in wait. A power that mustn't be awakened."

Jasmine then lifted her head, now gazing in the direction of the vast forest. She let out a bitter smile. "The only way to return him to normal would be to quench his lust for blood," she murmured. "Right now, there are hundreds of thousands of beasts on their way here. Hopefully, that amount will be enough to lull _it_ back into deep slumber."

After some moments of consideration, Jasmine closed her eyes, and returned back to the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. She knew she wouldn't be of much help in this situation. Coincidentally, the moment Jasmine did so, Chu Yuechan managed to find her way out of the cave. When Issei had sliced it apart, she had been buried under the debris of what had once been a shelter for countless beasts. The moment she walked out of the cave and into the open, she immediately caught sight of Issei's back.

"Issei?" She widened her eyes. "What's wrong with him?"

Currently, Issei's body was only barely recognizable. His skin was completely covered by tribal tattoos, while his robes were in tatters. Surrounding his body were countless wisps and tendrils of a dark, demonic spiritual power, which irradiated thick killing-intent and blood-lust. Although she couldn't see his front, Chu Yuechan guessed that he was just as unrecognizable as from behind.

The aura around Issei's body was no longer one of gracefulness and nobility. All that Chu Yuechan could feel was an insane, demonic aura that rippled around him, apparently in sync with his pulsating tattoos. Every time his aura rippled, every time his tattoos pulsated, his aura would suffer a substantial increase in power, and an even bigger increase in killing-intent.

In contrast to his terrifying aura, Issei was completely immobile, without moving at all. He only stood there, facing the vast and boundless forest. For some reason, this eerie calmness reminded Chu Yuechan of the calm before a storm. Looking at Issei, Chu Yuechan felt a restless, uneasy feeling rise up within her. Alarms rang in her mind, echoing in her sea of consciousness again and again incessantly. Those unending alarms told her get away. Far away. To run. Run away from him, lest she'd be doomed.

Chu Yuechan couldn't understand what was happening, and could only stand there stumped, dazed. "What _is_ this…?" she murmured. "What is this aura…? What is this power…?" Throughout her life, Chu Yuechan had met with countless experts. Despite that, she had never felt such a deep feeling of danger before. Issei's cultivation was still at the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm, but this feeling of danger transcended that. Issei's energy continued to surge, and the more it did so, the louder got the alarms in her mind.

Gritting her teeth, Chu Yuechan closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Gradually, the ringing in her mind began to fade away, while her thoughts became sharp, as if a bucked of cold water had been dropped on top of her. When she opened her eyes again, they were no longer full of fear and despair. They were sharp, cold and calculating, like the sharpened blade of a sword.

Chu Yuechan wasn't someone to give in to fear. She was strong-willed and determined, and more than anything, bold and courageous. She was the kind of woman who would subdue her fear and make it bow before her. When she looked at Issei again, she didn't look fear-struck any longer. She stared at him directly, her gaze burning a cold flame.

"That isn't Issei." She narrowed her eyes. "That aura… that power… they don't belong to him. That is something else." She took a step forward. "However, I can also feel traces of Issei's aura buried within. That means that Issei is still there… but at the same time, he's not." She suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed. Just at that moment, Issei had glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. What she had seen weren't the eyes of a young man. Those were the eyes of a devil, of a demon. The eyes of a creator who was born to kill, lived to kill, and would die killing.

The blood-lust within those pupil-less eyes was as vast as the ocean, as vast as the skies. It was boundless and endless and infinite. Had Chu Yuechan been a normal person, and not someone with a strengthened perception, she would have lost her mind just from staring into those two orbs of darkness. That was dangerous. Infinitely dangerous.

Chu Yuechan carefully took a step back. The moment she did so, as if he had lost interest, Issei turned his head back into the forest, apparently no longer paying attention to her. But Chu Yuechan knew better. She was sure that if she were to take another step, whatever had taken hold of Issei's body wouldn't hesitate to take her life there and then. Chu Yuechan continued to retreat, until she had put up quite a distance between them. It wasn't that she was afraid. She just didn't want to arouse _it's_ wrath.

"For now, I'll watch from here." Chu Yuechan sat down on top of a rock, her gaze still locked onto Issei. "I'll keep watching for afar. Before taking action, I'll try to see just what is truly happening. Only then will I decide on what should I do."

Slowly, the seconds went by. The roar of the countless of beasts kept getting louder and louder. Obviously, they were getting closer by the second. Finally, after a few more moments of waist, a small beast appeared on the boundaries of the forest. It resembled a bird, and was only at the Spirit Profound Realm. The reason why it had been the first to arrive was because it had been close to Issei's position from the start.

The moment that small bird left the forest, its gaze fell onto Issei. It immediately shrieked and pounced onto him, its mouth opened wide in hopes of taking a bit of him. In contrast to it, Issei stood there calmly, as if he had not even noticed the bird's presence. Seeing that, the bird got its hope up, and further increased its speed. Its eyes were blank, filled with a sense of abandon. Right now, all it desired was to devour Issei wholly.

In the instant that it was about to reach Issei, the young man finally moved. Its hand shot out like a lightning bolt, grabbing the small bird's body from the air. Even though it was a mighty Spirit Profound Beast, it couldn't even struggle under Issei's grasp. Without a change in expression, Issei slightly increased the strength of his grip, crushing all of the Spirit Profound Beast's organs. Its bones were instantly smashed into countless fragments, while countless wounds opened up on its body. With little to no effort, the demonic young man killed a Spirit Profound Beast.

After smashing it apart, the young man released his grip, letting the corpse of the bird fall down. Before it could reach the ground, one of the various tendrils that surrounded Issei shot out, and pierced into the bird's corpse. In the next moment, it came out again, flying back into Issei's body, joining the other tendrils. As for the corpse of the bird, it looked practically the same even after that, but the moment it came into contact with the ground, it immediately crumbled into dust. At the same time, the aura around Issei's body grew even stronger.

After the bird, more and more beasts appeared. In the beginning, they would mostly be alone, but as the seconds went by, more and more beasts arrived in groups. By the twentieth seconds, a group of over thirty profound beasts rushed out of the forest and into the open. However, before they could even attack, the demonic young man slightly waved his hands, and the countless tendrils shot out, each of them piercing into the body of a beast, only to come back to the demonic young man in the next moment. Following that, the bodies of the beasts crumbled into dust, just like that bird from before.

Wave after wave of beasts came, but in front of the demonic young man, they were simply live-stock waiting to be butchered. Even those Sky Profound Beasts were completely defenseless in front of his overwhelming power.

The countless beasts were like moths flying into a flame, mindlessly heading towards their death.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	117. Second Trial (5)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 117 - Second Trial (5)**

* * *

Surrounded by countless beast carcasses, a young man stood. Blood stained his surroundings, giving birth to a scene that didn't fall short of terrifying. His clothes lay in tatters, revealing endless layers of strange, tribal-like tattoos. Those tattoos were like blood-vessels, constantly pulsating and squirming as if they were alive. Even though he stood in the middle of a scene that reeked of death, the young man's expression was unnaturally cold and blank, almost as if he was sleeping with eyes open.

He stood there without a single word. An eerie silence filled the air, like swords pressed against his throat. It was maddening - terrifying. But he didn't mind it. In fact, he didn't _feel_ it. He felt nothing. Only a bleak and desolate emptiness that stemmed from the depths of his soul.

No more beasts came. All of them had been killed. Hundreds of thousands dead. The young man waited and waited, but nothing more came. The countless tendrils that wrapped around his body seemed to mourn and lament, wriggling in a rhythmic sorrow. They thirsted. An unquenchable thirst for slaughter. A desire for blood. A crave for killing.

But it was for naught. Regardless of how much they longed for death, regardless of how much they longed for more killing, it was impossible to carry on their slaughter. After all, all that could've been slaughter had already been. There was nothing left remaining.

Nothing… except for that female.

Her skin, as soft as jade. Her body, as tender as cotton. She looked _delicious._ No. She didn't _look._ She _was_ delicious. They dreamed of killing her. Of taking in her blood. Devouring her soul. Only then could their thirst be quenched. Only then could they fulfill their desires.

However, that wasn't possible. Every time they tried to advance towards her, it was as if an invisible barrier would be erected before them, precluding their advance. The tendrils were sentient. They were _clever_. They knew what that meant. A part remained of their master's consciousness. And that part protected that woman. Their master didn't want her to die. And obey their master they shall.

Slowly, the young man turned his head around. His eyes met with those of the woman. It as if he could see past her veil, into her gorgeous, cold orbs. Then it happened. For a split-second, the young man's shallow, desolate eyes changed. From deep within shone consciousness. For the first time, awareness dawned upon him.

His soft, bloodless lips parted. "Run," he said. It was barely a whisper, and as soft of the breeze, but it managed to fulfill their purpose and pass the message. The woman's body shook. Hints of concern appeared in her eyes, as well as a sliver of grief. She could see a deep, boundless sorrow within _his_ eyes. Sorrow that no one his age should ever dream of having.

She turned around and fled. Her steps were unwilling, but she pressed forward, putting up as much distance between them as possible. She knew she had to heed her advice.

The young man watched the woman go without a word. His eyes constantly flickered between madness and awareness. His head was in mess, his thoughts in disarray. His mind was filled with countless thoughts, negative and positive. And, amidst that maze of complex emotions, a single one stood out. A single emotion reigned supreme over all others.

It was a thirst for destruction. There was too much power within his body. Too much madness. Too much insanity. He needed to release. Slaughtering those beasts hadn't been enough. He needed to destroy more, to kill more. That desire kept getting stronger by the second, like a beating heart. That's why he had sent that girl away. He knew he wouldn't be able to contain himself for much longer.

The demon that he had been keeping within himself would soon awaken. It bared its fangs, clawing its way out of its age. It was a creature of darkness and madness. An existence made for the sole purpose of destroying. A terrifying, _evil_ existence.

The young man counted as the seconds went by. After a while, he couldn't hold _it_ back any longer. Closing his eyes, he made a desperate attempt to keep it under its fetters even for a second longer. A second more for that woman to get further away. He needed her to be as far away as possible when it happened.

It happened.

What remained of that young man's consciousness was thoroughly eliminated. When the young man's eyes opened again, they were filled with insanity and madness and darkness. Those were the eyes of a demon.

The demonic mark on the young man's forehead started to spin, and with each time it spun, a terrifying aura would be released. As if it had been freed from its fetters, the demonic young man's powers experienced a dramatic rise. In one second, it doubled. In the next, it tripled. By the tenth, he had power beyond the scope of human's knowledge.

The demonic young man flew to the skies. He flew, going above the clouds. From above, he gazed upon the boundless forest as if he was the sovereign of this realm. As if he had the power to lord over everything that has ever been created. All of a sudden, a wicked, vicious grin split his face. He made a movement with his hands, signalizing the beginning of his madness.

* * *

Chu Yuechan ran as fast she could. She rotated her cultivation base to her limit and beyond, achieving a speed that far surpassed what should've been possible for someone with her cultivation. Since that young man had told her run, but not where to, she only ran without stopping. Deep inside, she wondered why.

It didn't take long for her question to be answered. Sooner than she'd expected at least.

She felt a tremor ran through the ground and into her body, followed by countless loud noises behind her. Everything shook. The skies turned gray, and she felt as if the entire world was collapsing. An overwhelming pressure weighed down on her. The previous pressure she had felt couldn't even compare.

It was engulfing and thick, giving her the sensation that she had been submerged in cold and dark waters. She suddenly felt that she couldn't breathe. Here eyes widened. Shock, terror, and despair flickered within them all at the same time.

Forcing herself to calm down, she took in a deep breath. Steadying her breath, she forced herself to keep on running. She could feel an impending doom looming over her, threatening to strike down and claim her life. But she ignored it. She kept on running. She desperately ran. And ran. And ran.

She was unsure of when it stopped. It could've taken only seconds, but maybe it could've lasted for hours. All she knew was that everything suddenly faded away all of a sudden. The aura of death dispersed, the overwhelming pressure disappeared and the skies returned back to their normal color. As sudden as it came it disappeared. Just like that.

She came to a halt. "It's gone?"

She waited. She waited for something to prove her wrong, for the pressure to suddenly appear again as if playing a cruel trick on her. But nothing happened. After remaining motionless for more than three minutes, she realized that it had truly ended.

After some moments of hesitation, Chu Yuechan turned her head around to look behind her. What she was shocked her to very core. What laid behind her was a wasteland of death. It reeked of destruction and most likely tasted the same way. Countless trees had been uprooted, while even more of them were reduced to only half of a trunk. Thousands of craters littered the ground, some shallow, some deep. She could spot at least five deep ravines that spanned for dozens of miles.

The mountains had been leveled while rivers had been evaporated. This landscape, which had once been a beautiful, boundless forest, was reduced to a barren wasteland. Originally, Chu Yuechan had already been expecting something shocking, but this wasn't shocking. It was plain terrifying.

For a long time, Chu Yuechan couldn't move. Dazed and shocked, she could only stand there. The passage of time eventually awoke her from her reverie. She took in a deep breath and took a step forward, forcing herself to not think too much about it. Steeling her nerves, she made her way towards the place she had come from.

It was a long trip. Longer than she could've ever imagined.

"Did I really run this much?" she asked herself. It was only then that she realize how much she had truly run. It was so much that she could barely believe it. In the end, she could only sigh and continue walking.

Eventually, she arrived at her destination. A couple feet away from her, a young man laid. In contrast to his charred and blackened surroundings, his body was clean and tidy, almost shining. On the other hand, his clothes had been reduced to random rags that did their best to cover his most vital areas, barely shielding them from view.

The young man's body constantly twitched and trembled. His expression was set in a frown as if he was having a nightmare. Beads of sweat ran down his face and onto the charred ground. If one looked closely, they would see that a miniature, sliver of a flame rested against his chest. The moment Chu Yuechan came close, it suddenly stood up protectively, guarding the young man's body.

"Essence Flame?" Chu Yuechan raised an eyebrow. She slowly walked closer, paying close attention to both the small flame and the young man. She could see that the flame was wary of her. It was sentient. When she noticed that, her expression grew surprised. "An intelligent one?" she asked herself.

The closer she got the young man, the more restless the flame got. It seemed like it would attack her at any moment. Chu Yuechan sighed at that. Gradually, she realized that the only way she would be able to approach the young man would be to prove she meant no harm. After some moment of consideration, she took in a deep breath and for the first time in a long while, she took off her veil.

She was beautiful. Impossibly so. Heavenly so. In fact, she was so beautiful that she simply couldn't be described. Too beautiful in fact. Beautiful beyond what should've been possible. Currently, her face wasn't set in a frown, or in an emotionless, cold mask. She was smiling. Warmth and concern filled her face as she looked at the small flame with a gaze as tender as a petal and soft as snow.

When the small flame caught sight of her face, it was as if it had melted. All of its wariness instantly disappeared. However, this couldn't be attributed to her impossible beauty. How could a flame possibly care about aesthetics? What had truly made convinced the flame were her eyes. The soft, concerned look that rested within them. Flames were surprisingly sensible. It could sense that there wasn't any deceit or treachery in her gaze. It was a concern that stemmed from deep within her soul.

Now that the small flame was convinced of Chu Yuechan's good intentions, its hostility quickly faded away. In fact, it even moved back a little in order to let Chu Yuechan understand that she could come closer.

Softly nodding her head, Chu Yuechan gave the small flame a thankful look and carefully took another step. As she did so, her gaze came to rest on the young man once more. When she saw his face, she was suddenly reminded of everything that had happened ever since they met each other. As she recalled everything that had happened, thinking back to what he had done, what he was capable of, and what he had done for her, the smile on Chu Yuechan's face turned even softer. If anyone that knew her were to see her at that moment, they would be thoroughly shocked. Chu Yuechan, the woman that was known to have never smiled even once in her entire life, had actually smiled.

And it was a sincere smile.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	118. Second Trial (6)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 118 - Second Trial (6)**

* * *

Upon opening his eyes, the first thing that entered Issei's line of sight was the sky. A sky devoid of clouds. An endless, bleak and sad sky. It was set in an eternal, desolate gray, further accentuating its lack of life. Without a shred of doubt, that was the most saddening sky Issei had ever seen.

Then he saw the land. Instantly, a knot formed in his throat. He looked with widened eyes at the endless wasteland of death that laid around him. As if countless natural disasters had taken place simultaneously, the land was a complete wreckage. Charred remains of trees littering the ground, smoke filling the skies and an uncountable number of ravines and craters. It was frightening. It was _terrifying._

So terrifying was it that Issei believed that he was in the wrong palace entirely. This place, which had once been full of life and prosperity, now reeked of death and despair.

However, in the middle of all destruction, shone a blinding star. A star so bright that completely overshadowed the destruction that surrounded her. It was as if her presence alone could bring life to death, and brightness to the desolate.

That blinding star was a woman. An _impossibly_ beautiful woman.

She stood sat with her legs crossed, barely a few feet away from him. Her eyelids were closed and relaxed, and the only movement that could be seen on her was the constant, faint and almost rhythmic fall and rise of her breasts with intake of air. She seemed to be in a state of complete peace, almost slumbering. Not a twitch. Not a spasm. Occasionally, a chill wind would originate from her body, letting her long and beautiful flutter, adding yet another charm to her beauty. Even her sweet scent that lingered on the air was entrancing.

She was beautiful. So beautiful that she couldn't be described. In fact, she seemed to be the very embodiment of beauty itself. Issei wasn't someone unused to beauty. The amount of heavenly, dazzling beauties he knew couldn't even be counted on one hand. Each and every of them could easily shake an entire nation with their charms alone, and cause the hearts of countless men to race uncontrollably. However, even Issei couldn't help but take a deep breath, marveling at her otherworldly beauty.

Her luxuriant midnight-black hair plunged over her shoulders in a natural, breathtaking fashion, while occasional strands brushed against her soft cheeks. Her skin was soft and tender, much like the early snow in winter. As for her face, it was simply Heaven's proudest piece of art. Her plump, glossy and juicy lips were a faint, dazzling shade of scarlet, nothing short of sensual and seductive. Her nose, slightly upturned and as cute as a bottom, conveyed a pure, natural feeling of proudness and nobility. Finally, there were her long and gracious eyelashes, which seemed to flutter with even the slightest of winds.

But not even all that could properly convey her beauty; that wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. She was simply indescribable, and so would she remain until the end of time.

Then he noticed her clothes and realization struck him harder than lightning. Issei widened his eyes, his mouth left hanging. "Chu…. Chu Yuechan?" he asked in a thin, weak voice.

At the sound of his words, Chu Yuechan's body slightly trembled. Slowly, her eyelids parted, revealing deep, striking and dazzling azure eyes, the color of ice. Although her expression didn't change in the least, a faint light flickered in her eyes. "When did you wake up?" she asked.

"Just now," Issei said, surprised at the fact that he could find his own voice.

Chu Yuechan gave a curt nod. "Then we may continue." After saying so, she graciously lifted her body from the ground and slightly patted her clothes, getting rid of all the dust that had fallen on her over the course of the long hours she had sat on the ground in waiting. She glanced at Issei out of the corner of her eyes, and notice that he had yet to get up. "Get up. We must get going."

Distracted, Issei didn't seem to notice her words. Chu Yuechan sighed. "Get up," she repeated, this time in a more commanding tone.

Her words woke him from his reverie. Clearing his head of any miscellaneous thoughts, Issei quickly got up from the ground. After he had done so, he paused and looked at her puzzledly. "Wait… Where are we going?"

"To the third trial," Chu Yuechan said. "A door appeared while you're sleeping. We're going there."

She turned around and began to walk away. Issei didn't follow after her at first, taking a few seconds to appreciate her figure, but in the end, he could only sigh and quicken his steps, hurrying after her. After a couple of minutes, Issei finally sighted a small, blue dot over in the distance. As he got closer, he slowly came to the realization that that blue dot was, in fact, a door. A _huge_ door.

With a massive height of more than twenty times his height, the azure-colored door was possibly the biggest door Issei had ever seen. Aside from its size, it had another selling point – the design. It was masterfully made, with carvings of ancient beasts etched onto its surface. The drawings and carvings were so life-like that Issei had a faint premonition that they would jump out of the door at any moment and devour him alive.

There were also countless markings in the form of strange, bizarre symbols. They were clearly ancient, and an aura of power radiated from them. Massive amounts of spiritual power hanged around the door, taking the physical form of colorless clouds. Issei tentatively touched one of them, and much to his surprise, he realized that they were tangible, with a soft and pleasant feeling. They were extremely adaptable and malleable, shown by the fact that they warped around his arms like clay, trying to swallow them.

As Issei looked around, a question suddenly formed on his mind. He turned his head towards Chu Yuechan. "How did you even notice this door?" Issei asked. "It's pretty far away, isn't it? You couldn't have possibly seen it from the distance."

Chu Yuechan glanced at him. "When it appeared, it was followed by a beam of light," she said. "So I came to check."

After saying so, Chu Yuechan took a step closer and slightly tapped on the door with her hands. She turned her head around to look at Issei. "Come closer. I think we need to enter it together."

Issei dutifully took a few steps forwards and mimicked Chu Yuechan, also tapping on the door. The instant he did so, the door began to tremble and shake as if experiencing an earthquake. Following that, it slightly parted open, and a dazzling light shone from within it. This light quickly spread out, enveloping Issei and Chu Yuechan. All of a sudden, Issei's vision black. He had lost consciousness. Chu Yuechan managed to last for a few more seconds. She stole a glance at Issei's direction and sighed.

"He hasn't asked me what happened, so I won't mention it either." She shook her head. "I believe that it's better this way."

After that, she closed her eyes, also losing consciousness.

* * *

When Issei opened his eyes again, he realized that he was standing in front of a door. Not the colossal azure-colored door, but instead a small, plain wooden door. Issei slightly widened his eyes at that, slightly unused to the lack of splendor. Then he turned his head around and realized that he was in a black, void-like place that seemed oddly familiar.

He suddenly realized why. "This is just like the inside of the Magic Cube," Issei thought out-loud. "Could it be that the gods from the Higher Realm have some sort of thing for endless, black spaces?" He chuckled. From what he could see, it seemed to be the latest trend amongst gods. He remembered that he had seen something similar in the Phoenix Trials.

After looking around, he realized that Chu Yuechan was nowhere to be seen. He glanced at the door again but decided against opening it. He knew that it would lead to the third trial. But he didn't want to start it yet. There was something he wanted to do first.

"Something happened back then. I'm sure of it." Issei sat down on the ground, closing his eyes. He tried to properly organize all of the information he had gathered. "After I began practicing the 'Great Way of the Buddha', I passed out. When I woke up again, I was greeted with a wasteland. Something happened. Something _bad_ happened."

What troubled Issei the most was the fact that he was sure that what had happened was directly related to him. Although he pretended not to notice, he was more than aware of the fact that the clothes on his body weren't his. They were long and tight-fitting, feminine even. Those were a woman's robes. Chu Yuechan's robes.

"This means that my clothes were destroyed," he concluded. "But, if that's the case, why did I remain unharmed?"

The first thing he had done upon waking up had been to secretly check his body for injuries. Not only was he completely unharmed, his body seemed stronger, mightier and healthier than it had ever been. Issei adopted a thoughtful expression, his brows slightly creasing. "These effects, they bore an uncanny resemblance to the effects of the 'Great Way of the Buddha' mentioned by the Primordial Azure Dragon..."

After some thought, Issei immersed his consciousness within his body, trying to ascertain just what had changed within him. All of a sudden, Issei's expression changed into one of shock, followed by astonishment. The first thing he had noticed was the fact that his bones were incredibly dense and thick. They glimmered like metal and had a silver hue to them. Then came his muscles. They were much slender than before and incredibly elastic. At first glance, they would seem to lack any sort of strength, but after a small test, Issei realized that he was strong. Freakishly strong.

As shocking as it may seem, Issei's punch now carried the absurd force of over 4,000 kilos. The moment he realized it, he understood what had happened. Not only had he successfully cultivated the 'Great Way of the Buddha', he had already entered the second stage. Little did Issei know that that was far from the biggest surprise in store for him. **[1]**

After Issei discovered his advancement in the 'Great Way of the Buddha', he came across one shocking change after another. After a little searching, Issei realized that the 'Great Way of the Buddha' had somehow fused with the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', giving birth to a completely new cultivation method. Aside from that, Issei also discovered that Xiao Huo, his Essence Flame, now lived within his right lung. That surprised Issei at first, but he soon discovered the reason why. Xiao Huo's previous home, the Heretical God Seed, had actually fused with his profound veins and dantian, which meant that it had lost its original dwelling. Noticing that, Issei shook his head helplessly. He didn't even need to ask Xiao Huo to understand why it hadn't moved over to his dantian.

It was more than obvious that the culprits were the Lightning Beasts that lived within his dantian. Because of their presence, Xiao Huo didn't even dare to come close to Issei's profound veins, never mind his dantian. And, since Issei was already searching around that area, he decided to check on his profound vein, and see his current level of cultivation.

What he saw almost made him faint. Shockingly, his cultivation base had actually climbed from the peak of the Nascent Profound Realm all the way to the eighth level of the True Profound Realm!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

* * *

 _ **Footnotes:**_

 **[1] -** _In case you haven't noticed, I have updated the glossary that appears at the start of every chapter with the stages of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Give it a look later on._


	119. Third Trial (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 119 - Third Trial (1)**

* * *

It took a long time for Issei to get over his shock. Taking a deep breath, he slowly steadied his breathing and cleared his mind. After a few seconds, he checked his profound veins again in order to make sure he had seen things correctly, and just like before, it clearly showed him that he was now at the eighth level of the True Profound Realm.

This sudden increase in strength was absolutely terrifying. In a single day, Issei's cultivation base had increased by more than eight levels. If anyone were to hear of this, he didn't doubt that they would be struck speechless. Immersed in his thoughts, Issei widened his eyes his all of a sudden. "Wait… since my cultivation progressed, what about my lightning's?"

Closing his eyes, Issei visualized his blood-vessels. Soon after, he found what he had been searching for – a flash of golden lightning. He smiled at that and started to concentrate on it. Just as he was about to activate it, Issei suddenly stopped, having suddenly noticed something. Further focusing his attention, he discovered that aside from the golden lightning, a blue-colored lightning was also flowing amidst his blood.

"What?!" Issei cried out in surprise, his face a mask of disbelief. A thought suddenly crossed his mind, causing his eyes to widen even further. Immediately, he turned his attention back to his dantian and after a quick look-over, he realized that there were only seven beasts in there, and not eight of them. Unable to contain himself, Issei's face split into a grin. "Two different divine lightnings… then does this mean…" he trailed off, too excited to finish his own sentence.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Issei activated both divine lightnings simultaneously. As if they were beasts that had awakened from a deep slumber, the two lightning's began to stir and twist. Issei's spiritual power began to surge, and two sounds rang from his body consecutively. His cultivation base skyrocketed, climbing all the way up to the tenth level of the True Profound Realm. A sudden feeling of glee washed over Issei, spreading throughout his body in consecutive waves. Issei was sure that if it wasn't for his amazing self-restraint, he would definitely be celebrating right now.

After calming himself down once more, Issei decided to temporarily ignore the ridiculous, nonsensical increase in his cultivation base and focus on other matters. The first thing he did was to check the current situation of the 'Great Way of the Buddha', along with what had happened with the foundations he had built throughout his years of cultivating the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridian'. After a thorough analysis, he arrived at the conclusion that his original assumption was correct – they had indeed fused. And it was such a thorough fusion that there was simply no way to reverse it.

Faced with such a strange, unique miracle, Issei was unsure of what he should do about it. He had no way of telling if this unexpected fusion would turn out to be positive or negative, and there was nothing that could be done. Since that was the case, Issei opted to just go along with the flow. After much deliberation, he renamed his cultivation technique to the 'Great Way of the Chaotic Virtuous Buddha', mixing the names of the two techniques together.

After that came his profound veins and dantian. Previously, Issei had already discovered that the Heretical God Seed had somehow fused with them, but he had only given it a shallow look-over at the time. Now that he was calmer and more focused, he decided to give it a thorough and profound inspection. It took him over ten minutes to finish his examination, but by the end of it, he was quite satisfied with his discoveries.

"Originally," Issei murmured to himself, "the Evil God's Profound Veins had the Berserk attribute attached to them. Now, with the addition of the Heretical God Seed, it appears to have suffered changes at a really deep level. Now, along with the Berserk attribute, the Heretical attribute was also added." Issei paused, closed his eyes and organized his thoughts. "This means that… the energy within my profound veins has gotten even... wilder, and more than anything, frightening."

He took in a deep breath. "Aside from that, it seems now that the Evil God's Profound Veins have fused with the Heretical God Seed, all of the gates of the Evil God experienced a qualitative leap in power and strength." He narrowed his eyes in thought. "At the very least, their power increased by twice. Possibly thrice." At the end, he concluded, "Well, with these changes, it seems that it'd no longer be correct to call it as the Evil God's Profound Veins, right? Another change of names is in order…." He paused and thought for a while. "I believe that…," his eyes suddenly flashed with enlightenment, "Heretical Evil God's Profound Veins... would be the correct name at the moment."

Issei closed his eyes again, quickly organizing all of the information he had just collected. Eventually, he opened his eyes and nodded to himself. "That should probably be it," he murmured. Closing his eyes again, he gave his body another look-over but didn't find anything else that could be considered unusual. "Yes. That's really it."

Now that he had finished examining his body, he decided that he was finally ready for the third trial. He opened his eyes, and his gaze landed on the plain, unassuming wooden door once more. He then got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and started walking towards it. After glancing at it a few times to make sure that it wasn't some kind of trap, he opened it and stepped inside. A bright light took over his eyes, and when he opened his eyes again, he was in a completely different place.

Issei sighed. By this point, he was already used to sudden changes in scenarios. He had already experienced them so many times that he ended up developing a certain numbness to it. Casually looking around, Issei discovered that he was now in a forest. The moon hung low in the sky, surrounded by an ocean of all kinds of stars. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but upon closer inspection, Issei realized that something was wrong.

The amount of time he had spent looking up at the night sky throughout his life was far too many to count. Therefore, he had a rough understanding of the position of all stars. However, the sky that he saw was completely different from what he remembered. But, at the same time, it seemed somewhat familiar.

All of a sudden, Issei widened his eyes in shock. His breathing grew chaotic, his face pale and aghast, as if he had seen a ghost. He took a few steps back, tripped over a small root, and fell to the ground. However, it was as if he didn't even realize it. He continued staring at the sky in an expression of twisted horror. He recognized that sky. He knew those constellations. Those were the ones he had seen in the early parts of his life. _That_ was the sky he had been familiar with long ago, back when he was a six-years-old.

That sky... belonged to the Lower Realm.

"This can't be…. This can't be possible!" Issei felt the urge to cry out. "Why is there? Why am I here?!" He hurriedly closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. No. This must be a dream." Opening his eyes again, he looked at the skies once more, hoping that it would return to normal, but nothing changed. Upon realizing that, Issei's lip formed a thin, bloodless line.

"Issei? Is that you?"

At hat some moment, Chu Yuechan's voice rang through the air from within the woods. Following that, Chu Yuechan walked out from behind a tree, coming into view. She opened her mouth to say something, but the instant she noticed the state Issei was in, she held back the words she had been about to say, surprised. She glanced at Issei's eyes, and upon seeing that he was looking up at the skies, she did the same, wondering what had caused him to become so surprised. It didn't take her too long to notice that the positioning of the stars seemed somewhat weird, but aside from that, she found nothing strange. Turning her attention back to Issei, she asked with hints of softness in her voice, "Issei? What's wrong?"

Chu Yuechan's words woke up from his daze. Slowly turning his head back to her, he forced himself to calm down. Gradually, his expression softened, although it was still pale. He took in a deep breath. "It's nothing." He shook his head. "That sky just remembered me of something."

The young woman looked at him strangely. "You know where we are?"

"No-" Issei shook his head mid-sentence. "Actually, yes. If my assumptions are correct, then we are at the..." He took in another deep breath, "we are at the Lower Realm."

Chu Yuechan's expression revealed hints of puzzlement. "Lower Realm?" she repeated. "Why?"

"I'm not sure either," Issei shook his head, "but I don't think it's anything good." His body suddenly shivered. "Nothing good indeed," he murmured quietly. Then, noticing Chu Yuechan's questioning expression, he quickly changed subjects. "Anyway, for now, let's have a look around. There must be some reason why we were sent here."

Chu Yuechan gave an affirmative nod. "Alright. Where should we begin?"

"Follow me," Issei said after much deliberation. "I should know this place, after all," he quietly added. Chu Yuechan slightly raised an eyebrow at that but didn't ask anything.

Issei began to lead Chu Yuechan around the forest. Where he went, she would follow. Eventually, they reached what he assumed to be the borders of the forest. In front of them was a roughly made wooden road, which displayed distinctive marks of wheels. Not too far away from them was a small sign that said – " _Nelfalhem. 150 meters."_

Chu Yuechan merely glanced at it and continued walking. However, she suddenly stopped, having noticed that Issei was nowhere to be seen. Quickly turning her head back, she realized that he was staring at the small sign in a daze, his feet rooted to the ground. With the aid of the faint moonlight, Chu Yuechan could see Issei's expression. It was a mask of fear, horror, and disbelief.

"Issei?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

At the sound of her voice, clarity returned to Issei's eyes. He slowly turned his body around to face Chu Yuechan. "Let's…. let's not go in that direction," he said in a weak voice. "Let's go back to the forest."

"Why?"

"Just… don't." Issei shook his head. "Let's go back."

Not waiting for Chu Yuechan's reply, he turned around and started walking back into the forest. Chu Yuechan looked at him strangely, but in the end, still followed him. Once back into the forest, they found a small clearing. Issei looked at Chu Yuechan. "Let's stop here and rest for now. Once we have more daylight, let's continue," he said.

"Alright," Chu Yuechan complied. She didn't ask any questions, and just went along with what he said. Issei gave her a thankful nod and sat down on the ground to meditate. Not even a few minutes later, his body collapsed onto the ground. He succumbed to the exhaustion caused by his shock, falling into a deep sleep.

"He must've been tired," Chu Yuechan opened one of her eyes to glance at Issei. After some thought, she turned her head back to the direction of the road. "There's something there…" she murmured. "Something he doesn't want me to see. Perhaps even he doesn't want to see it." Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention back to Issei and sighed. "I'm sorry, but… I can't just sit here without doing anything."

Chu Yuechan got up from the ground and started walking in the direction of the road. Once she arrived at it, she looked at the sign once more and flew up into the sky, her body facing the direction the sign pointed. Using her spiritual power to enhance her speed, she managed to cover the distance of over 150 meters in seconds. A city entered her line of sight. It was rough and plain, with a lot of wooden and stone houses. In the middle of it, there was a bigger, more developed building. After some deliberation, her body flashed, and she appeared in a small, dark alleyway near the bigger building. Just as she walked out of it, she suddenly felt a sudden force push against the body, followed by a thin and weak sound.

Turning her body around, she found a child lying on the ground. It was a young boy. Looking at his appearance, Chu Yuechan determined that he should be six-years-old. Currently, the boy was rubbing his thin hands against his head, a pained expression on his face. His clothes were mere rags, and there were chains wrapped around his feet. Chu Yuechan could see at least a dozen scars covering the entirety of his bare arms.

The young boy looked up all of a sudden, revealing a face that seemed foreign to water. "I'm sorry!" His eyes grew red as he apologized. "Miss, I didn't stumble on you in purpose! Please, don't tell my masters!" he begged desperately.

Chu Yuechan kept quiet, staring at the young child strangely. For some reason, his face seemed oddly familiar. "What's your name?" she coolly asked.

"My… name?" The young boy widened his eyes slightly. "It's Issei, miss," he answered, staring at her in puzzlement.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	120. Third Trial (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 120 - Third Trial (2)**

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Chu Yuechan slightly widened her eyes. "Issei?" she repeated. Disbelief practically poured out of her voice. "You said your name was Issei?" she slowly, carefully asked. Her normally expressionless face was on the verge of betraying her inner shock.

The young boy looked at her in confusion. He wiped his newly-formed tears with the rough fabric of his rags. "Yes." He nodded his head. Then his expression turned puzzled. "Why?"

"It's…. it's nothing." Chu Yuechan shook her head. She quickly arranged her thoughts and managed to subdue the shock that had taken over her mind. As a consequence of that, her expression returned to her usual one - A cold and expressionless mask. After that, Chu Yuechan returned her attention back to the oddly familiar boy. "Why are you out here at night?"

"Fetching water," he said. "My master told me to fetch-" All of a sudden, the boy's expression twisted into that of panic as if he had just remembered something crucial. "No! Master is probably waiting for me!" His body trembled as he thought of his punishment. He hurriedly raised his head up to look at Chu Yuechan. "Miss, I've gotta go now!"

Then he turned around and started running in an another direction. However, because of the chains and fetters that bind his feet, he would lose his balance and fall to the ground every few seconds of running. Chu Yuechan watched with a strange expression as the boy clumsily disappeared into the distance.

"His name..." Chu Yuechan murmured. "And his expression… how come they remind me of him?" she asked herself. No matter how she looked at it, the boy was definitely a younger version of Issei. The structure of his face was basically the same, and even the way he carried himself seemed similar. Despite that, Chu Yuechan couldn't understand how that was possible. Issei was clearly much older and by no means a slave. "What's happening right here…?"

"I think I can explain."

All of a sudden, a voice came from behind Chu Yuechan. Turning her head around, she could Issei standing there, a few feet away from her. Under the faint moonlight, Chu Yuechan could see his face. It wasn't full of horror like before, but instead, it was sorrowful and somber and desolate. Just from looking at him, Chu Yuechan felt her heart growing colder.

"Issei…?" Chu Yuechan managed to say, even though she was still shocked by his sudden appearance.

"The real one." He shook his head grimly. He turned his face around to look at the direction in which the young boy had run off to and pointed. "Not the slave one." Noticing Chu Yuechan's confused expression, he sighed. "I'm not completely sure of what's happening right now, but I think I have an idea." He paused to organize his thoughts. "Most likely, this is an illusory world… created from my memories."

Chu Yuechan slightly widened her eyes. That was the biggest amount surprise her emotionless face allowed her to display. "So we're in your past?" Issei nodded. Chu Yuechan turned her head in the direction where the young boy had gone. "And that is you?" she asked, incredulous.

"Precisely." Issei slowly nodded his head. "That boy is the younger version of me… probably me when I was a six-years-old." He moved his head up to stare dead at Chu Yuechan's eyes. "And yes. That's right," he said grimly. "I used to be a slave… and to live at the Lower Realm."

"How…?" Chu Yuechan stared back at him in disbelief.

"It'll all be explained," Issei said. "Just observe, and you'll understand how it all happened. How my life changed." He shook his head slightly. "For now, there's something you must promise me."

"What is it?"

"Don't interfere." Issei narrowed his eyes. "No matter what happens, you aren't to interfere. Just let everything flow naturally." Issei paused, noticing Chu Yuechan's puzzled expression. He sighed. "Not too long after you left, I woke up," he explained. "I immediately knew where you had gone. However, I didn't follow you. Instead, I took some minutes to think and get to terms with the situation." He raised his head to look at the dark sky. "Although I'm not sure of why we were sent here by the creator of this trial, I came to the conclusion that our purpose… isn't to interfere. We're supposed to observe."

Chu Yuechan stared at him blankly for a few seconds, but in the end, she nodded and took a few steps back, stopping by his side. "Alright," she said. "I'll just observe."

Issei managed to smile at her, even though it was a weak and weary smile. "Thank you."

Unknown to them, the words they had just spoken completely affected the outcome of the trial. In the next moment, Issei's body began to slowly turn illusory, and before long, he was no longer tangible. Even though he could still walk around, he could no longer interact with the ones around him. When he turned his head to the side in order to look at Chu Yuechan, he realized that the same had happened to her.

None of them spoke. They only kept watching, constantly observing everything that happened around them in silence. Eventually, the younger version of Issei came back, this time carrying a bucket of water in his arms. He hurriedly walked towards the large building. Issei and Chu Yuechan slowly followed, watching various events unfold before them.

For three days, they watched Issei's life as a slave. He would constantly be beaten, mistreated and abused by his master and his master's son. Throughout the entire time, Chu Yuechan had an expression of both pity and disgust. She deeply pitied the young child and felt utterly disgusted at the middle-aged man and his son. On the other hand, Issei managed to keep a cold expression at all times. He didn't wince. Not even in the moments that his younger self was almost beaten to death.

On the fourth day, Shinso came. He sent both of Issei's masters to an early grave, along with all of the others slave-owners in the city. After that, he found Issei and decided to bring him along with him. A few days later, Issei and Shinso arrived at the latter's castle. Issei and Chu Yuechan followed without a sound.

After that came Issei's life at the castle. After his absurd amount of profound entrances was revealed, what followed were five years of constant cultivation. Finally, after five years, Shinso brought Issei to the tournament that would decide his life. Issei and Chu Yuechan watched as the younger Issei win it, claiming the title of champion. After that, he was accepted into the Heavenly Might School.

Everything that happened was shown to them. Issei finding the Sky Poison Pearl, entering the Water Devil Alliance, raiding tombs, receiving Jin Mo's legacy – Issei and Chu Yuechan watched all that. Only certain, useless scenes would be fast-forwarded, or in some cases, skipped. Eventually, came Issei's last day at the Heavenly Might School. Chu Yuechan could only watch in horror as Issei was forced to kill all of his comrades and friends, only to have his cultivation base crippled in the end.

After that, Issei wandered into the forest and ended up finding Jasmine, the red-haired genius. After a week of living in the wilderness, Jasmine finally woke up. Following that, Issei received the legacy of the Evil God, causing the Divine Lightning to descend. Its appearance shocked the entire Profound Sky Continent and placed the nine divine lightning beasts within Issei's dantian. In order to avoid trouble, Jasmine brought the younger Issei to the separate realm that existed at the back of the cave where the younger Issei had found Jasmine.

What followed were months of insane, deadly training. Eventually, Issei exited the cave and ended up meeting Liang Ye, the previous owner of the Sky Poison Pearl. After Liang Ye unsealed Issei's Spirit Power, the old expert began to teach the younger Issei World Spirit techniques. Under Liang Ye's tutelage, Issei managed to reach the peak of a White-colored World Spiritist in a few months. After that, Liang Ye sent Issei to the Asura Spiritual World, where Issei met Eggy, stealing her heart in the process.

Once he returned back to the real world, the younger Issei decided to look at the gifts that Liang Ye had given him, including the mysterious Magic Cube. The younger Issei accidentally activated the Magic Cube, which allowed him to gain a new cultivation technique – the 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians'. After greatly progressing in his cultivation, the young version of Issei decided to leave to the Blue Wind Country.

The moment Xia Qingyue appeared, Chu Yuechan widened her eyes for what she believed to be the thousandth time. As she watched Issei's relationship with Xia Qingyue growing closer and more intimate. Complex and bitter feelings blossomed in her heart. Eventually, Xia Qingyue's treatment ended. After a teary farewell and promises of meeting again in the future, they each set off in their own direction.

Two and a half years later, Issei met Ddraig. Soon after, he found Xia Mei and was brought into the New Moon Profound Palace. Not even three days later, he was brought to the Xiao Sect by Xiao Luocheng. Then came Issei's mission to the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, where Issei annihilated the Black Demon Bandits and was given permission to enter the Phoenix Trials. Chu Yuechan could only stare in shock as Issei gained enlightenment on the Dao of Fire. Soon after, shocking events happened, and Issei ended up in the Divine Fire Realm.

In the Divine Fire Realm, Issei's cultivation base progressed, he acquired yet another three techniques – the 'Heretical God Force', the 'Pulse Cutting Palm' and the 'Golden Roc Shattering the Void' - from the Magic Cube, and even got himself a Pure Yang Body and acquired Xiao Huo, his very own Flame Essence. Then came the fight against the Devil Beasts. Issei suffered a crushing defeat against the Devil King and was sent to a secret realm. After 500 years within there, Issei gained enlightenment on the Dao of Time, and got a hold of the Demon Sealer's Legacy, becoming the Ninth Demon Sealer.

After exiting the realm, Issei used the Golden Crow's 'Bad Blood' to kill the Devil King. Following that, the three Divine Beasts awoke from their slumber and tried to break their promise. Just at that time, the Evil God mysteriously appeared, sealed the three Divine Beasts, and made them Issei's personal pets.

Minor events followed, and Issei was brought to the Xiao Sect Main Sect. After spending a few months there, he managed to gain a reputation for himself but lost all of his Divine Weapons in the process. Eventually, Chu Yuechan arrived and brought Issei to the Wasteland of Death. Once there, they came across the Primordial Azure Dragon's resting place and wound up participating in the trials. Issei and Chu Yuechan watched from an outsider's point of view up to the when Issei started practicing the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. However, in the moment Issei was about to enter that insane, demonic state, the world seemed to freeze.

Like shattered glass, the world around them started breaking apart, cracks in space appearing all around them. In the blink of an eye, everything was gone. All that remained was a boundless and endless black space, devoid of life and color.

Even after everything ended, neither Chu Yuechan nor Issei spoke. They only kept quiet, staring blankly ahead. Roaring sounds filled Chu Yuechan's mind. It could be said that she had practically witnessed Issei's entire life and knew all his secrets. Countless emotions filled her mind. Never had she imagined that Issei's life was actually riddled with so much misfortune and pain. Slowly, she turned her head around to look at him. As she did so, deep respect appeared in her eyes, along with a strange, unfamiliar emotion.

At the same time, Issei also turned his head to look at her. The moment Chu Yuechan saw his expression, she almost gasped. His face was weary and tired, and deep beneath his eyes, a very deep sorrow could be seen, along with a forlorn, bittersweet joy. Then he smiled at her. It was a sad, empty smile.

"Now you know… about my past."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	121. That Kid's A Charmer

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 121 - That Kid's A Charmer**

* * *

"I...I…," Chu Yuechan tried to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat, unable to come out. Everything she had just seen, everything she had just experienced, was simply far too shocking. She didn't even have an idea of how she was supposed to react to that.

"Take your time." Issei slowly shook his head to the sides. "You've just seen a lot of things; that must've been too much." He paused. "Even for someone like you," he eventually added. After saying that, he closed his eyes, and slowly sat down on the ground. He crossed his legs and began to quietly meditate. In reality, Chu Yuechan wasn't the only one having a hard time. Even the owner of the memories, Issei himself, needed to slowly digest what he had just seen. After all, seeing your entire life from an outsider's perspective wasn't for those of weak stomach. That was especially the case when the person's life was a complete wreck, full of suffering and misfortune.

Chu Yuechan stared at Issei meaningfully for a long time, as if trying to see past his face and into his very soul. Eventually, she sighed, and also sat down on the ground, meditating. For some reason, the void-like space that they were in seemed to set her mind at ease, allowing her to slowly organize her thoughts and conflicting emotions.

Meanwhile, in a different place, Feng Xinyi was having a hard time. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her entire body trembled. Her tiny hands were balled into fists to the point of drawing blood. The only sound that could be heard were her constant sobs of sadness.

Even the Primordial Azure Dragon had a heavy expression on his handsome face. "Who would've thought," he said, "that his past was actually like that…"

Both of them stayed like that for a long time, immersed in their thoughts. Eventually, the Primordial Azure Dragon raised his head to look at Feng Xinyi. He sighed. "Xinyi… could it be that you also didn't know?"

"No." Feng Xinyi mumbled quietly. She slowly raised her head and used the sleeves of her clothes to wipe the tears from that drenched her beautiful face. "I had… I had no idea."

The Primordial Azure slowly shook his head. "That kid is full of mysteries," he let out a bitter smile, "and full of pain too."

All of a sudden, Feng Xinyi narrowed her eyes. "Wait," she said. "I just realized something." The Primordial Azure Dragon stared back at her questioningly, wondering what she was talking about. "Why did you show it to _that_ girl?" Feng Xinyi questioned darkly. "There's no real reason for showing her all that, is there?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon widened his eyes before sighing. "You know," he said, "the third trial is a really important one. In fact, there are three reasons behind it." Feng Xinyi's eyes widened at his words. Suddenly, the ruler of the Divine Beasts took in a deep breath. "The first reason was to see how he'd react. Depending on the way he'd carry himself, I'd have an idea of his true self."

"What do you mean?"

"Had Issei been brash and immature, he'd have tried to change things." The Primordial Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes. "He'd have tried to change the outcome. Most likely, he'd start by killing his two masters, and freeing his past self. Then he'd go around killing his enemies." He paused. "Now, if he were emotionally weak and frail, he'd have been crushed by the painful memories of his past. However, if Issei were wise and mature, he'd be perturbed at first, but would eventually come to terms with the situations. He'd decide to not interfere and let everything take their natural course. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't take long for him to distinguish reality from illusion, what's real from what's false."

The azure-clothed man finally revealed a genuine smiled. "Now, as we could see, Issei turned out to be a wise and mature person. And this leads us to the second reason behind the third trial—getting rid of his inner demons and strengthening his own soul." The azure-clothed man took a small pause. "By watching his own life again through an outsider's eyes, he'd be able to see all the mistakes he made, what lead to them, and their consequences. He'd be able to see all the details he had been too immature or foolish to take notice of. Through that experience, he'd grown wiser and smarter. Aside from that, he'd also be able to get rid of some of his past fears and inner demons."

"Finally, Xinyi, there's the point you questioned—Chu Yuechan." The Primordial Azure Dragon saw Feng Xinyi's eyes narrowing. He shook his head helplessly. "Throughout the trial, Issei showed Chu Yuechan many of his secrets, including that…" he grasped for the right words, "questionable demonic state of his," he said. "That's an undeniable fact." Feng Xinyi nodded at his words. Seeing that, he sighed with relief. It seemed that they were on the same page. Taking a deep breath, he continued speaking. "Anyway, as a consequence of that, Chu Yuechan became aware of many of his secrets. Dangerous secrets."

Feng Xinyi narrowed her eyes at him. "So your solution was to show her even more of his secrets?"

"No." He quickly shook his head to the sides, disagreeing with Feng Xinyi. "Although I wasn't sure of his past, I could already tell just from looking at him that it wasn't a happy one. My original plan… was to have Chu Yuechan sympathize with him. That way, she'd think twice before revealing his secrets to the world." He sighed. "However, I underestimated his past. It was riddled with misfortune, yes, but it was also heroic and brave. It completely highlighted his strong points—determination, strength, talent, and will-power. His sheer effort, his noble, although somewhat questionable personality, ended up leaving a deep impact on her. An impact much deeper than I could've possibly imagined."

Feng Xinyi widened her eyes. "You don't mean…?" she trailed off questioningly.

"Yes," the Primordial Azure Dragon nodded, helplessness written all over his face. "It seems… that the seeds of infatuation have already been planted within her. And, from what I can see, they are already budding." He looked straight into Feng Xinyi's eyes. "Xinyi, I'm afraid… that it won't take long for them to bore fruit."

Feng Xinyi body shook once more, but this time for a different reason. It appeared that all her past worries had been temporarily pushed to the back of her mind. She stared at the azure-clothed man in front of her dead in the eye. "How can you be so sure?" she inquired.

The Primordial Azure Dragon revealed a grim smile. He used his arms to motion towards the place they were in. "This is my realm. A piece of dimension created with my power and will. This is _my_ domain. I have complete supremacy over it," he said. "And, because of that, I'm capable of monitoring everything that's happening within here. That also means that I can have an idea of the thoughts on people's mind, and how their bodies are behaving." He took in a deep breath. "Xinyi, the signs that her body are showing… all point towards affection and infatuation."

All of a sudden, the Primordial Azure Dragon revealed a sly smile, lightening up the atmosphere. "I'm afraid that my little sis' lover has gained another admirer," he said teasingly.

"You...You…!" Feng Xinyi tried to say something, but she couldn't think of any words that could express what she felt at the moment. Eventually, she let it go. Sighing, she helplessly shook her head to the sides. "She's what?" she murmured quietly. "The fifth girl that's after him?"

"Let me see," the Primordial Azure Dragon adopted a thoughtful expression. "The ones I'm certain of are that Asura World Spirit, Eggy, and that emotional girl, Xia Qingyue…." he paused, immersed in his thoughts. "Then there is her sister, Xia Mei. She definitely has feelings for him, but won't act on them... Well, I'll count her." He nodded to himself, ignoring Feng Xinyi's look of scorching hatred. "Then there's also Cang Yue, the Blue Wind Empire's Princess or something. Well, they haven't interacted with each other much, but she can't be ruled out so soon." He paused. "Would Jasmine count?" he murmured to himself in thought. "Well… maybe. I'll count her in too just to make sure." The Primordial Azure Dragon smiled slyly at Feng Xinyi. "Well, if we were to count all of those girls, Chu Yuechan would be the sixth."

Feng Xinyi seemed to be on the verge of exploding. "What… What about me?!" she cried out. "Why didn't you count me?!"

"Oh." The Primordial Azure Dragon widened his eyes a little. Then he revealed a small smile. "Alright then, so I guess she'd be the seventh…."All of a sudden, he sighed. "But, seven girls, huh? That kid sure is a charmer on his own right." He paused, having just remembered something. He turned his attention back to the fuming Feng Xinyi. "Xinyi, are you sure you're fine with that?"

Feng Xinyi gazed back at the azure-clothed man in silence. Even though she wanted to give him an answer and settle this matter once and for all, she knew that she hadn't actually reached her own conclusion about that matter yet. She was once known as the almighty Phoenix, one of the noblest of all Divine Beasts. How could she be willing to share her man so easily? However, she knew that giving up on Issei wasn't an option. In her mind, there were only two paths that she could take. Either she'd have Issei's best interests in mind and contain herself, sharing him with all the other girls, or… she'd kill them all.

Even if she had her power sealed, she knew that it wouldn't be impossible to get rid of all of the six girls. In fact, the only thing that kept her from doing so was her love for Issei. Were she to actually get rid of all the other girls, she believed that he would be far from pleased.

Eventually, she sighed. She raised her head to look at the Primordial Azure Dragon. "I… I haven't decided yet." She suddenly shook her head. "Leaving that aside for now, there's still something that we haven't discussed yet."

"What is it?"

"Your decision," Feng Xinyi said. "After seeing all he has been through; all he has done… have you already reached a conclusion as to whether or not he's worthy of your legacy?"

Surprisingly, the Primordial Azure Dragon smiled, hints of excitement dancing across his azure eyes. "Truth be told," he said, "I couldn't imagine a better successor."

Feng Xinyi's eyes lit-up. "So you'll really give him _that_?

"Yes." The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head. "Not only will I bestow upon him my blood, I'll also grant him a piece of my soul, the ability to use my domain, my bone-marrow… and _that."_ After saying that, the Primordial Azure Dragon took a few steps forward and placed his hand on Feng Xinyi's shoulders. Motes of light appeared around his body, covering both of them. Feng Xinyi didn't resist, and let herself be submerged by the star-like dots of light.

"Come," he said. "I'll bring you to meet with your little lover again." He smiled at her. The corner of Feng Xinyi's lips slightly curled; the very thought of seeing Issei again was enough to bring joy to her heart. The motes of light around them kept getting brighter and brighter, until it reached the point in which that their figures couldn't be distinguished anymore. In a white flash of light, they disappeared from that place.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	122. Successor

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 122 - Successor**

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In the void-like space Chu Yuechan and Issei were in, silence reigned. There was only a barely audible sound—the slightly accentuated beating of their hearts. Submerged in the engulfing silence, the two acquaintances meditated in a desperate attempt to subdue the thoughts plaguing their minds. Gradually, Issei's breathing steadied; he had managed to successfully handle the situation. On the other hand, Chu Yuechan's erratic breathing showed no signs of normalizing. Her full, ample breasts heaved up down enticingly in a rhythmic fashion.

Complex and unfamiliar emotions flooded her thoughts, assuming the form of a mad hurricane. Her thoughts in disarray, her emotions too complex to be understood, Chu Yuechan's mind was a complete mess. Never before had she been through such a vexing, unfamiliar situation. In the end, she was so clueless that she didn't even know how to proceed.

It baffled her how someone's past could have such a profound, significant impact on her mind. Every time she tried to clear her mind of those stray thoughts, random parts of Issei's past would suddenly appear. To make matters worse, it would either be those saddening, heart-wrenching moments, or those moments that practically bled braveness. Issei's past was like those ghosts mentioned in stories, incessantly haunting her mind.

Before the situation could get too out of control, Chu Yuechan felt a disturbance in her surroundings, as if something had changed. Opening her eyes, she saw that two figures had suddenly appeared at some point. One of them was a tall man, clad in a long and loose azure-colored robe. As for the other one, it was a young, petite young girl, barely older than fourteen in appearance. She was extremely beautiful but in a cute, naive way. What caught Chu Yuechan's attention the most was her fiery-red hair, which gradually turned golden as it went down. Her hair was neatly combed behind her read, reaching all the way to her back. A few loose, golden strands plunged down her shoulders like a waterfall, perfectly framing her cute, innocent face.

All of a sudden, the young girl turned her head towards Chu Yuechan's. Immediately, her golden-scarlet eyes locked with Chu Yuechan's icy ones. Chu Yuechan widened her eyes in shock. A tremor ran through her body. An overwhelming feeling of power weighed down on her, causing her entire body to tremble and quiver. Chu Yuechan tried to open her mouth to speak, but before she could, the young girl narrowed her eyes darkly. The pressure that weighed down on Chu Yuechan increased even further, becoming dangerously close to fatal.

"Xinyi, stop."

Like the trumpets of angels, Issei's voice rang through the air. Instantly, the pressure on Chu Yuechan disappeared. The young, red-haired girl revealed an expression of pure joy as she turned her head around to look at the handsome young man. "Issei!" she exclaimed gleefully, joy practically overflowing from her voice. It was as if everyone aside from Issei had ceased to exist all of a sudden. Ignoring the weird gaze of the azure-clothed man, the young girl threw herself into Issei's arms.

"Issei!" Feng Xinyi's petite, snow-white arms wrapped around Issei's neck lovingly. She brought her head close to his, planting a clumsy kiss on his cheek. With an infatuated gleam in her eyes, she moved her head to the side, pursed her crimson, enticing lips and tightly pressed them against his nose. Finally, she raised her head up and pecked him on the forehead. Just as Feng Xinyi was about to kiss his temples, she regained a little of her clarity. Realization dawned upon her like a strike of lightning. All of a sudden, she blushed a deep scarlet. Too flustered to explain herself, she shyly burrowed her head into the crook of Issei's neck. "I… I missed you..." she whispered bashfully.

Issei momentously stared at Feng Xinyi in shock, wondering where all that display of affection had come from. Eventually, he sighed and wrapped one of his arms around her lithe waist, and the other across her back. The looked in his eyes turned soft as he smiled. "I missed you too," he whispered softly.

In the real world, the third trial didn't last for more than one day. However, what he had seen with Chu Yuechan were almost ten years' worth of memories. Even though a few parts were skipped, the time he had spent looking at his past was practically seven years. As a consequence of that, Issei felt as if he hadn't seen Feng Xinyi for a long time. Clearly, she felt the same way.

The Primordial Azure Dragon originally wanted to let Issei and Feng Xinyi have this moment for themselves, but when he realized that Chu Yuechan was actually growing restless, he decided that it'd be better to break them apart. At least temporarily. After helplessly shaking his head to the sides, he raised his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. Seeing that Issei and Feng Xinyi showed no signs of moving, he sighed. "Xinyi, would you mind?" he asked.

Feng Xinyi turned her head back to look at him and narrowed her eyes darkly, causing the poor azure-clothed man to take a step back in shock. "No," she coolly said, her voice as cold as ice. Then she turned her attention back to Issei, and all of the coldness melted away, revealing deep tenderness and affection. A wide, happy smile bloomed on her face. Without a single world, she burrowed her head into Issei's neck once more, enjoying his warmth.

"About this..." Issei looked awkwardly at the Primordial Azure Dragon, then turned his attention back to Chu Yuechan, who immediately turned her face away. Even though he could only see her profile, he could distinguish hints of annoyance in her eye, along with what he assumed to be jealousy. Issei raised an eyebrow at that last emotion but didn't question it. Turning his attention back to Feng Xinyi, his gaze turned soft. "Xinyi," he whispered. "We can continue this later. Right now, there are other things that need to be done."

Although unwillingly, Feng Xinyi complied, and with an annoyed grunt, she released her hold around Issei and took a few steps back. However, before she could walk too far, she paused, an idea suddenly crossing her mind. A grin split across her face as she moved back to Issei, and under his puzzled gaze, she happily sat down on his lap. Her face was one of pure satisfaction as she squirmed in the young man's lap, adjusting herself.

Issei opened his mouth to say something, but upon looking at Feng Xinyi, he held back his words and sighed. Although he wasn't sure what her reasons were, Issei felt that Feng Xinyi was doing this to annoy Chu Yuechan. And, judging by the young woman's expression, which was almost twisted in annoyance, he had to admit that Feng Xinyi was doing an amazing job at it.

Issei gave Chu Yuechan a helpless smile. "I believe an introduction is in order—"

"There's no need." Chu Yuechan shook her head. "She's the Phoenix." She glared straight at Feng Xinyi, who shot her a mischievous, challenging look. "Isn't that right?" she asked, ignoring Feng Xinyi.

"That's right," Issei confirmed. He shook his head to the sides. "It seems I'll have to grow used to the fact that you know everything about me..." He sighed. After a pause, he turned his head towards the Primordial Azure Dragon. His eyes narrowed. "Would it be correct to assume that your appearance signifies my passing of your trials?" Issei questioned.

The Primordial Azure Dragon solemnly nodded his head. "That's indeed the case." He suddenly smiled in an attempt to lighten up the mood. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Issei replied coolly. His initial impression of the Primordial Azure Dragon wasn't exactly good to begin with, and even though he knew that this third trial had been beneficial to him, he still didn't like the very idea of people messing with his memories like that. "So?" he said. "Is there a reward?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon frowned at Issei's cold tone, but he didn't take it to heart. He knew that Issei's current behavior was his fault, in a way at least. After all, if he had a past like that, he wouldn't want to remember it either. Sighing, he took a step closer. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know," Issei said. "Don't worry about it."

"Alright." The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head. He walked until he was right in front of Issei. Chu Yuechan also approached them slowly, curious as to what was happening, but too proud to show it. "You mentioned rewards," The Primordial Azure Dragon said. "Very well. I'll get them for you."

The Primordial Azure Dragon closed his eyes. In the next moment, a small vial appeared on his hands. He opened his eyes and handed it to Issei. "In here, there are a few drops of my blood." He suddenly smiled. "As for how many… let's just say that I won't fall behind the rewards Old Evil gave you back in the Divine Fire Realm. I can't allow you, my successor, to receive a lacking reward."

Issei, who had been about to open the vial, paused when he heard the Primordial Azure Dragon's words. One of the words said by the azure-clothed man had caught his attention—successor. He raised his head to look at the Primordial Azure Dragon questioningly, but the azure-clothed young man only smiled in response. Shaking his head, Issei pushed that thought to the back of his head and focused on the vial. Upon opening it, a deep and fragrant aroma was released into the area around them. A thick, wild spiritual power was carried along with it.

All of a sudden, Feng Xinyi widened her eyes. She raised her head to look at the Primordial Azure Dragon, disbelief written all over her face. "Are… are you serious?"

"He's my successor," the Primordial Azure Dragon said. "And I can only have one of that. This means that the purpose of this trial is gone. So I might as well give him my entire legacy, no?"

"I suppose," Feng Xinyi said. Then she turned her attention back to the vial and sighed. Raising her head to look at Issei, she said, "Issei, in this vial… there are three thousand drops of his blood."

Issei's eyes widened in shock. "Three thousand?!"

"Yes." Feng Xinyi nodded. "You got one thousand from me, one thousand from the Golden Crow and one thousand from the Vermillion Bird. As for the amount given to you by the ruler of all Divine Beasts… is those three amounts added together."

"Well," the Primordial Azure Dragon suddenly interrupted, "it's not like you can use _all_ of that right now. Just like Old Evil did with the blood of the other three Divine Beasts, I'll seal it within you, and as your cultivation base progresses, more of it will be released into your bloodstream." He paused to think. "According to my calculations, once you reach the Divine Profound Realm, you'll be able to absorb all of it. Naturally, the seal will come undone by itself then."

The azure-clothed man then waved his hands, causing all of the deeply concentrated blood that was stored within the vial to fly into the air. It shot like an arrow into Issei's mouth. Once it was inside his body, the Primordial Azure Dragon sealed a great deal of it within Issei's heart. Out of those three thousand drops, only six of them were released into Issei's bloodstream. If one were to look within Issei's heart, they would see that there were three more sealed agglomerations of blood slumbering within it, waiting to be unsealed. One of them was a shocking scarlet, the other a bright vermillion, and the last one a deep golden.

The moment those six drops of blood were released into Issei's blood, they immediately attracted the attention of the two divine lightning beasts. However, before they could even get close to it, those six drops of blood released a shocking aura, warding them away. Consequently, they lost a great deal of power and were quickly repressed by Issei's own power. As a consequence of that, the normal rebound that would have come from absorbing a Divine Beast's bloodline was lost in the process.

After seeing that everything was in order, the Primordial Azure Dragon turned his head to stare at Issei dead in the eye. "I believe that it'd be good to tell you something," he said. "From what I've seen, you haven't had your first time yet. Now, there's something that I must tell you." He narrowed his eyes. "Now that you have my blood, your body now contains a certain thing known as a 'virgin Dragon Seed'. In simple terms, this means that whoever acquires your virginity would receive a huge boost in power." All of a sudden, he grinned slyly. "So be sure to protect it. Save your first time for someone really special, and not some cheap whore," he said teasingly.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	123. A Mysterious Shadow

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 123 - A Mysterious Shadow**

* * *

"What… what?!" Issei gaped in shock. Because he didn't know the Primordial Azure Dragon so well, he had no way to tell whether he was kidding or actually saying the truth. However, one glance at Feng Xinyi's bashful expression was more than enough to confirm his doubts. In the end, the only thing Issei could was to shake his head helplessly.

The Primordial Azure Dragon cleared his throat. "Anyways, that's only the first reward. There are a few other ones," he said in a successful attempt to lead the conversation to another topic. He waved his hands, causing a small sliver of a pale-colored flame to appear in front of him. "This is my very own Flame Essence… the Primordial Azure Flame Essence."

The moment he produced that small sliver of flame, it was immediately drawn into Issei's body. It flew into his mouth and rushed through Issei's veins, quickly reaching Issei's dantian. At the same time, it did so, Xiao Huo, who had been resting within Issei's right lung, was also pulled in that same direction. Even though it was unwilling to even come close to those divine lightning beasts, it no longer had any control over its body. It could only watch in despair as it was forcefully dragged towards Issei's dantian.

Xiao Huo and the Primordial Azure Flame Essence reached Issei's dantian at the exact same time. The moment they entered it, the seven divine lightning beasts opened their eyes, greed flashing within them. However, before they could even move, an ominous pressure suddenly condensed around them, forcefully repressing them. That pressure seemed to come from Issei's dantian itself. Under closer inspection, that pressure could actually be attributed to the Heretical God Seed.

As for Xiao Huo and the Primordial Azure Flame Essence, once they reached Issei's dantian, they were immediately brought together. Under the power of the Heretical God Seed, they were forcefully fused together. In normal occasions, two Flame Essences wouldn't be able to coexist in the same body. Considering that it was impossible to increase the grade of a Flame Essence, the only way to get stronger would be to discard the current one and trade it for another.

However, the Heretical God Seed was capable of overruling common sense. Under its mystical power, Xiao Huo and the Primordial Azure Flame Essence were fused together into a single entity. The Primordial Azure Flame Essence was created by the Primordial Azure Dragon, the ruler of the Divine Beasts. This means that it was of such a high grade that no grading system in the universe would be able to find an appropriate rating for it. Therefore, according to logic, it should be the one to integrate Xiao Huo and not the other way around.

Alas, the Heretical God Seed seemed to care more for seniority. Since Xiao Huo had been in there for a longer time, the Heretical God Seed actually aided it in assimilating the Primordial Azure Flame Essence into itself. This process took only a few seconds, and once it ended, Xiao Huo had completely changed. Its body was no longer scarlet, but now a deep azure, with various scarlet strands. In terms of overall power, it had become so strong that its previous self couldn't even compare. Not only had it reached the same grade as the original Primordial Azure Flame Essence, an unfathomable grade, it had also gained one of its properties—inexhaustible power.

If Issei were to use the current Xiao Huo along with the martial skills of the World Ode of the Phoenix, they would have a much deeper, profound power and impact. Not only that, they would also be inextinguishable and endless. Not even someone of a much higher cultivation level than Issei would be able to get rid of it.

As Issei watched all of that happen, his face grew more and more shocked. When he looked at the Primordial Azure Dragon again, practically all of his past anger had vanished. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the Primordial Azure Dragon raised his hand.

"Leave your words for the end," he said. "I'm not done yet." As he said so, he raised his left arm, placing it on top of his head. He let out a soft grunt, and after some effort of his part, he pulled his hand back. As he did so, a faint and tangible azure-colored smoke flew out from his forehead. Under the Primordial Azure Dragon's manipulation, it condensed into a small, azure-colored pellet. He then handed it to Issei. "This is a piece of my soul," he explained. "Absorb it and you'll be able to use my domain."

"Piece of your soul? Domain?" Issei's curiosity perked at those terms. He raised his head to look at the azure-clothed man questioningly.

"You'll understand once you absorb it," the Primordial Azure Dragon said. Obviously, he didn't feel like explaining.

"Alright." Issei nodded his head and after some moments of deliberation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. As soon as it entered his mouth, Issei's eyes widened in shock. A great feeling of power took over his body, overwhelming his consciousness. He instantaneously lost consciousness.

When Issei opened his eyes again, he was once more in a void-like space. However, this one was different from the ones he had previously been in. It wasn't desolate or empty. Throughout the void, countless motes of light could be seen. They illuminated his surroundings in a faint light, bathing Issei in an ethereal light. For some reason, Issei felt that they closely resembled the stars.

In the following moment, an ear-splitting roar rang out. Under those mighty sound-waves, various motes of light exploded. Issei's entire body shook and dread appeared in his eyes. Then it appeared. It was huge—colossal. With a body that seemed to cover millions of miles, its scales alone were already the size of planets. If it were to open its wings, it'd be able to cover the entire universe and beyond. A creature so colossal, so powerful, that went beyond what should've been possible. It was… a gigantic, azure-colored dragon.

The moment Issei saw it, he immediately understood who it was. It was a dragon, it was colossal, and its entire body was azure. In all likelihood, aside from the Primordial Azure Dragon, no other creature would fit that description.

"Is this his true form?" Issei asked himself. All of a sudden, Issei's field of vision changed. No longer was he observing the Primordial Azure Dragon from the distance. What occupied his entire vision was a gigantic, colossal pupil. It stared at him in what seemed to be amusement, like a god would look upon a mortal. Deep, inherent arrogance shone within it, as if it looked down on the entire universe.

This was the eye of a creature that was born to rule. This was the eye of an existence that already had enough power to rule over the entire universe from the moment it was created. This was an eye of someone of absolute power. This was the Primordial Azure Dragon's eye.

Issei tried to open his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. In front of that pupil, he was completely defenseless. It was as if he laid bare to the world, as fragile as glass. However, before Issei could be completely overwhelmed by the point of no return, something happened. His body began to tremble uncontrollably. Then it appeared. From within Issei's body, a dark shadow walked out. Its body was a mirror of Issei's own body, but no actual features could be distinguished. A layer of darkness shrouded its entire body, making it seem as if it was only a black shadow.

All of a sudden, two bright-red slits appeared on the shadow's face. They were narrowed and long, like two swords. The moment those two slits appeared, the Primordial Azure Dragon's pupil constricted. Before it could do anything, the shadow walked forward and slightly tapped on its eye. The moment they came into contact, a midnight-black flame appeared in the center of the eye. Horror appeared on the Primordial Azure Dragon's eye as the flame began to spread like fire on oil.

In the time-span of the three seconds, the flames had already covered the entire eye, which could be considered to be even bigger than a planet. The black flames continued to spread much to the horror of the ruler of the Divine Beasts. Issei could only watch as the flames consumed the Primordial Azure Dragon in a frightening speed. After a few seconds, the entire body of the Primordial Azure Dragon had been submerged in those flames. When this happened, the shadow suddenly made a grasping motion with its hand. As a consequence of that, the body of the Primordial Azure Dragon began to shrink. Within seconds, its body that had once been as large as galaxies had been reduced to the size of a hand.

The shadow made another grasping motion, causing the miniature Primordial Azure Dragon to fly into its hand. Once the shadow had taken hold of it, it turned around to look at Issei. As it stared at Issei with its two, crimson slits, it didn't say anything. Suddenly, it took a step forward. As if space had been warped, that single stop left him directly in front of Issei. In a complete, eerie silence, the shadow raised its hand and pressed the small, Primordial Azure Dragon into Issei's forehead. Darkness took over Issei's vision. For the second time that day, Issei had lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Feng Xinyi's concerned face. For some reason, it appeared to be upside down, her strands of golden-scarlet hair falling down on his face. "Xinyi…?" Issei murmured.

Feng Xinyi's eyes lit up with joy. "You're awake!"

"Where… where am I?" Issei asked again. The previous events had simply been too shocking, and he still couldn't think straight. He tried to turn his body to the side but suddenly realized that he wasn't on the ground. His head was resting against a soft fabric, which seemed to be soft and firm at the same time. With a start, he realized that his head was actually laying on top of Feng Xinyi's lap.

Feng Xinyi smiled sweetly at him. "Where do you think you are?"

Issei grinned. "Somewhere pleasant, I'd say." Noticing Feng Xinyi's blush, he couldn't help but grin. Shaking his head to the sides, he lifted his head up from her lap. Even though it was indeed comfortable, there were other things that he needed to do. Moreover, he knew that he could always get a lap-pillow from her later.

After thanking Feng Xinyi, Issei turned his attention back to the Primordial Azure Dragon, who stared back at him in surprise. Issei frowned. "What was that?"

"You handled that quite easily," the Primordial Azure Dragon commented, ignoring Issei's questions. "I'm surprised." Issei darkly glared at him in response. The Primordial Azure Dragon helplessly shook his head and sighed. "What you just experienced was a battle," he explained. "A clash between your soul and my piece of soul. You see, in order to successfully absorb my soul, you must first subdue it."

"What about that shadow?" Issei questioned. "What was that?"

"That," the Primordial Azure Dragon smiled mysteriously, "is something that I absolutely can't tell you about."

"And why's that?"

"It wouldn't end well for me if I do," the Primordial Azure Dragon said grimly. "Therefore, I'd rather refrain from doing so." Seeing Issei's glare, he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I still have a few more gifts for you."

Issei nodded his head. Ultimately, he decided to comply with the Primordial Azure Dragon's wishes and push that shadow to the back of his mind temporarily. "Alright," Issei said. "Let's see what else you've got."

In response to Issei's words, the Primordial Azure Dragon flourished his sleeve, causing a small, azure-colored mote of light to fly out from within his sleeves. Before Issei could even react, it flew into his mouth.

And, for the third time that day, Issei lost consciousness.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	124. Lonely Tomb

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 124 - Lonely Tomb**

* * *

"Next time, would you mind giving me a warning?!" Issei snarled at the Primordial Azure Dragon, holding his head in his hands. His vision was still blurred, and his head was spinning. He had just regained consciousness, but he felt absolutely terrible. Clearly, it wasn't exactly good for his body to faint for three times consecutively.

As if that wasn't enough, he felt as if his entire body was submerged in molten lava. Everything burned, especially his lower back. Dizzy, scorching and dazed, Issei's situation could only be described as terrible. If it wasn't for the fact that he had a strong mind, he'd have already passed out for what would've been the fourth time that day. "What is… What's even going on?" Issei asked through gritted teeth.

The Primordial Azure Dragon looked at him apologetically. "I'm replacing your bone marrow with mine," he said. "But I didn't think you'd wake up so soon. According to plan, you were supposed to only wake up after the process was done…"

"Can't you do anything about it?!" Issei narrowed his eyes darkly, holding back the urge to curse. Although he was quite used to pain, shown by the fact how he hadn't even cried out when fusing with the Evil God's Profound Veins, it wasn't as if he liked it. In fact, he'd much rather avoid it if possible. Moreover, the lord of the Divine Beasts was in front of him. He should be capable of doing something.

"He's right!" As usual, Feng Xinyi sided with Issei. She turned her head to look at Issei, concern evident in her eyes. "Hold on. I'll find something..." She closed her eyes, trying to recall all of the pain-relieving methods she knew. However, no matter no hard she tried, she was unable to recall anything. Out of the three Fire Divine Beasts, only the Vermillion Bird focused on healing. Feng Xinyi focused on rebirth, whereas the Golden Crow's focus was raw destruction. Therefore, Feng Xinyi had no way of helping Issei out in this situation.

"Keep still!" All of a sudden, Chu Yuechan's cold voice rang out. This was the first time she had spoken ever since Feng Xinyi and the Primordial Azure Dragon appeared. This entire time, she had quietly observed from a distance, making use of this time to sort her feeling for Issei. However, upon seeing Issei in pain, she felt an instinctive need to help him out. Disregarding the consequences, she rushed forward and pressed her hand on his forehead.

Instantaneously, a cool feeling took over Issei's body, as if a soft, winter breeze had brushed against his face. This feeling started to spread throughout his body, extinguishing the burning, scorching sensation that had once plagued him. At the same time, this cold energy was like cold water, freeing Issei of his grogginess. However, it seemed that the heat wasn't about to be outdone. With renewed vigor, the scorching heat burst forth again, fiercely crashing against the cold.

Chu Yuechan creased her brows, beads of sweat enticingly dripping down her forehead. Her cultivation base had already been mostly unsealed, and she was back at the Emperor Profound Realm. However, not even with current cultivation could she successfully resist against that heat. What she didn't know was that this new burst of power was actually the Primordial Azure Dragon's bone marrow fighting back against her power. If she hadn't tried to repel it and just let Issei gradually get rid of it, it wouldn't have counter-attacked, but because of the icy maiden's interference, it attacked back.

"I'm not about to be outdone!" Chu Yuechan glanced at Issei's face, which had twisted into an expression of pure agony, and grit her teeth. There was something that she could do, but it wouldn't be wise to reveal it yet. As of that moment, it wasn't a matter of simply helping Issei fight back against the pain. Because of the Primordial Azure Dragon's bone marrow's sudden burst of power, if Chu Yuechan didn't completely destroy it, it could end up going beyond simply causing a simple discomfort, and actually crippling him. Making her decision, she closed her eyes and activated the dormant bloodline that rested within her dantian.

A white burst of energy erupted from Chu Yuechan's body. Her power began to exponentially increase, and an aura of cold wildness condensed around her. When Chu Yuechan opened her eyes again, her pupils had turned into thin, feline slits. Behind her, a phantom, illusory image of a white tiger condensed, much to the Feng Xinyi's and the Primordial Azure Dragon's astonishment.

"Don't tell me…" Feng Xinyi widened her eyes. "She also has the blood of a Divine Beast?!"

The Primordial Azure Dragon also looked surprised. "White Tiger… could it be…?"

Chu Yuechan ignored their cries of shock and focused on battling against the waves of heat. The phantom white tiger behind Chu Yuechan roared with power, its roar sending forth ripples in the void-like space. The moment that happened, Chu Yuechan's power increased even further. Under her barrage of attacks, the Primordial Azure Dragon's bone marrow could only succumb. In order to preserve itself, it even went as far as speeding up its process of fusion with Issei.

It was only after it had completely fused, and showed absolutely no signs of revolting that Chu Yuechan finally stopped channeling her power. The tiger phantom image behind her disappeared, while her eyes gradually returned to their normal state. Even her power levels fell back to the mid stages of the Emperor Profound Realm.

Issei opened his eyes to look at her, but before he could say anything, Chu Yuechan's body began to sway to the sides. Her face was one of exhaustion as she started to fall down. Issei immediately acted. Rushing forward, he took her in his arms before she could reach the ground. Then he slowly crouched down, carefully laying her body on the ground. After checking her pulse, he came to the conclusion that she had simply fainted from exhaustion.

Issei raised his head and looked at Feng Xinyi and the Primordial Azure Dragon. "She's fine," he said. "Only some exhaustion. She should be up in less than an hour."

The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head, whereas Feng Xinyi looked somewhat disappointed. Issei was unsure why that was the case, but he couldn't be bothered to figure it out. Turning his head towards the Primordial Azure Dragon, he asked, "Is there still more?" Even though he said so, he wasn't really expecting anything else.

Much to his surprise, the Primordial Azure Dragon actually gave him a nod in response. A somewhat pained expression appeared on his face as the Primordial Azure Dragon said something in a foreign language. As soon as the words left his mouth, his hands began to shine with a faint, black light. That light gradually turned tangible and started to take the shape of a long spear. Once it fully condensed, Issei realized that it was over eight feet in length; at least two heads taller than him.

When Issei saw the design of the spear, he widened his eyes in surprise. The shaft was midnight-black, made from a material that _looked_ cold. It shone like jade but seemed to contain the gleam of onyx at the same time. Engraved on the shaft were countless crimson-colored markings, which wrapped around it beautifully. As for the head, it was sharp and seemed to be a breed between a halberd and a spear—the blade was slightly flat, not enough to be considered a halberd, and yet not thick enough to be considered a spear. Just like the shaft, the blade was also black-colored and covered in crimson-colored engravings.

The Primordial Azure Dragon looked at the spear for a long time before sighing. Raising his head to look at Issei, he extended it towards him. "This spear was given to me by an old friend of mine," the Primordial Azure Dragon explained. "It used to be his most powerful weapon, but due to some reasons, he was forced to forsake it. Its name is Lonely Tomb. Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb." He paused and sighed. "Actually, Lonely Tomb should naturally belong to you. After all, you are the successor of its previous owner."

"I'm what?" Issei, who had been about to take the spear, suddenly stopped. "I'm his successor? What do you mean?"

"The previous owner of this spear… Lonely Tomb's previous owner…," the Primordial Azure Dragon revealed an expression of reminiscence, "was the League of Demon Sealers' Third Generation. As the Ninth, it should naturally be given to you."

"The… Third Generation… Demon Sealer?!" Issei widened his eyes, taken aback by the Primordial Azure Dragon's words. Even Feng Xinyi seemed to be surprised. After all, she never knew that the Primordial Azure Dragon also had connections with the Demon Sealers. Moreover, the ' _that_ ' that they had been talking about wasn't that spear.

The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded its head. "Exactly. It belonged to Little Third," he said solemnly. "Therefore, you have to take good care of it."

"I… I will," Issei took the spear into his arms, feeling the hard, cold shaft. The moment he came into contact with it, an archaic voice rang in his head: "Ninth… The Ninth is the peak. The Ninth… is the Imperial Lord. The Third is the strongest, but the Ninth is the most powerful! Take my Devil Construct, Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb, and reclaim the Nine Mountains and Seas! Ninth Demon Sealer, offspring of Demon Sealers, take back what's rightfully yours!"

In the next moment, the voice began to fade away, leaving behind a completely startled Issei. Through widened eyes, he stared at Feng Xinyi and the Primordial Azure Dragon, but their expressions remained the same. Obviously, only he had been able to hear that voice. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the spear, his expression one of daze and amazement.

"That should've been the Third Generation," he murmured to himself. "Also… Nine Mountains and Seas? I think I've heard that term before… but I'm not sure where." He sighed. "Though, the Third did mention _reclaim_ and not _claim._ It also told me to take _back_ what's rightfully _mine_." He paused to organize his thoughts. "According to that, then wouldn't this mean… that these Nine Mountains and Sea once belonged to me? Or the League of Demon Sealers, at least."

After thinking up to that point, Issei raised his head and asked, "By any chance, do either of you know what are the Nine Mountains and Seas?"

Both of them revealed strange expressions. They glanced at each other, exchanging looks. Eventually, the Primordial Azure Dragon took a step forward. "For the time being, let's ignore what made you bring that up," he said. "But… do you really not know what are the Nine Mountains and Seas?"

Issei shook his head in negative. "No."

The Primordial Azure Dragon sighed. "Then a long explanation is in order," he said. "However, let me just finish with the gifts first. There's still one last gift anyways. After that, I'll explain it to you. How does that sound?"

In response to the Primordial Azure Dragon's words, Issei nodded his head. At the same time, Feng Xinyi's face broke into a huge, toothy grin. Just as Issei was about to ask her what had happened, the Primordial Azure Dragon placed his left hand within his right sleeve. When he pulled it back, it was holding onto a small, azure-colored vial. The moment this vial appeared, Feng Xinyi's smile got even wider. The azure-clothed man sighed and took out the lid. Instantly, two motes of light flew out from within it. He then waved his hands, causing the two motes of light to rush towards Issei's own two eyes.

The moment those two motes of light were about to reach the startled young genius, the Primordial Azure Dragon suddenly snapped his fingers, having just remembered something. "Oh yes, I should warn you in advance," he said. "You'll probably faint—" All of a sudden, the Primordial Azure Dragon stopped. He had spoken too late; Issei had already fallen to the ground, unconscious.

The ruler of the Divine Beasts sighed. "He'll be pissed off, won't he?"

"He _did_ tell you to warn him in advance," Feng Xinyi commented. She shook her head to the sides helplessly. "Though, once he finds out his new power, I doubt he'll even mind it."

"There's indeed that possibility." The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head. After hearing Feng Xinyi's words, he felt somewhat relieved. Deep down, he had grown quite fond of Issei. In fact, he even acknowledged him as someone worthy of being both his successor _and_ Feng Xinyi's beloved. After seeing all of his past, the ruler of the Divine beasts had a much deeper understanding of the young genius, and consequently, a much better impression of him.

Calmly, Feng Xinyi walked over to Issei, and upon seeing his peaceful, sleeping face, her face blossomed into a smile. Sitting down, she brought his head to her lap once more, waiting for him to wake up. Accidentally, her gaze landed on Chu Yuechan and a deep feeling of loathing flashed on her face as if the icy maiden was some kind of devil. However, it only took another look at Issei's face for her to happily smile again.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	125. Azure Vortex Martial Intent

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 125- Azure Vortex Martial Intent**

* * *

Eventually, Issei regained consciousness. Opening his eyes, he saw a familiar sight—Feng Xinyi's lovely face. "Again?" Issei sighed. "Did I faint… again?"

Feng Xinyi giggled. "He tried to warn you..."

"Clearly it wasn't enough." Issei shook his head to the sides. Slightly moving his head to the side, he caught sight of an azure-clothed man standing close to them. Issei narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Would it have hurt to have warned me sooner?" he asked.

"Sorry," the Primordial Azure Dragon shook his head apologetically, "it's really my fault this time." Following that, the strongest Divine Beast smiled awkwardly. "Anyways, would you mind getting up first? It's quite… awkward… to talk with you while you're like… _that_."

"Ah?" Issei suddenly remembered that his head was still resting on Feng Xinyi's head. Sighing, he pulled his body back and stood up. He stared straight at the azure-clothed man. "Alright," Issei said. "Will you explain your newest gift now?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head. "Yes," he said. "What I just gave you was a type of Martial Intent...that term shouldn't be unfamiliar to you, right?"

"I know what they are," Issei confirmed. Around two years previous to the current date, back when Issei was still taking care of Xia Qingyue, he had comprehended his own Martial Intent, which was a special state of mind. Issei's personal Martial Intent had the function of greatly increasing his cultivation speed. A few months after he acquired it, he had asked Jasmine about it, and she explained everything in detail. From that moment onward, he started to incorporate his Martial Intent—dubbed as the Ethereal Martial Intent—into his meditation. Consequently, he ended up getting so used to it that he practically forgot about it. It was only because of the Primordial Azure Dragon's words that he remembered it.

Narrowing his eyes, the young genius stared at the azure-clothed man. "And what does the one you gave me do?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon grinned. "The Martial Intent I gave you… is quite special," he said. "Different from your 'Ethereal martial Intent', which aids your cultivation speed, the one I gave you actually has two functions." His grin turned into a smile. "Not only can it protect your mind from mental attacks… it can also attack the mind of your opponents."

Issei widened his eyes. "You mean… a mental attack?"

"Precisely." The Primordial Azure Dragon gave Issei a curt nod. "The Martial Intent I gave, known as the Azure Vortex Martial Intent, is capable of protecting your mind and crushing your opponent's mind at the same time. Even though it's a Martial Intent, most people will mistake it for a metal-type martial skill."

"And how does it work?" Issei asked. "Is there some specific way?"

"I can explain!" All of a sudden, Feng Xinyi raised her hand, practically inviting herself into the conversation. The Primordial Azure Dragon sighed and took a step back, allowing her to take the lead. Feng Xinyi beamed at the startled Issei. "Blue is acting like he knows it all, but in reality, I was the one that found it for him!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It was way, way back. In fact, we're only a few thousand-years-old then. Even the meanie Evil God was still a little kid back then..." Feng Xinyi shook her head. "Anyway, this 'Azure Vortex Martial Intent' is a power that we found in some ancient ruins. Apparently, they belonged to an era that came even before the Divine Era. Even we don't know what kind of existences lived then."

The Primordial Azure Dragon sighed. "Just explain what it does already..."

Feng Xinyi narrowed her eyes. Turning around, she glared daggers at him until he was sweating. Only then did she turn her head back to Issei. She smiled sweetly. "The 'Azure Vortex Martial Intent' is actually really simple. When you activate it, your eyes will become really cool, with a blue vortex instead of a pupil," she said. "After that, all of you have to do is to look at the opponent in the eye, and he'll be under its effect."

"Is there some restrictions? For example, I can only use it on opponents of same cultivation or something…?" Issei asked.

"Well," Feng Xinyi said, "there's something kinda like that. You see, it wouldn't be a good idea to use it on opponents with stronger mental power. Considering that the power of your mind increases as your cultivation progresses..." she trailed off.

"So I can only use it on opponents of same cultivation or lower?" Issei asked.

This time, it was the Primordial Azure Dragon who answered. "Not exactly," he said. "You see, because you practiced a lot your inscription techniques, your mental power was consequently increased. Right now, your mental power should be equal, if not superior, to someone of the of the late stages of the Spirit Profound Realm."

The Primordial Azure Dragon smirked. "This means that you can automatically defeat someone of the Spirit Profound Realm… just by staring at them in the eye. As for ones of cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm, or the initial stages of the Earth Profound Realm, it shouldn't be impossible for you to defeat them… but you'd suffer a dangerous rebound." The azure-clothed man narrowed his eyes. "Therefore, don't even try to use it on someone at the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm or higher. The best outcome would be fainting."

"Alright." Issei solemnly nodded his head. "Then, how does this attack work? What will my opponent feel like?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon's lips curled upwards in a grin. "If you were to use it in its normal state, then an azure-colored vortex would appear in your opponent's mind. As long as they are below the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm, they'll immediately faint," he said. "However, if you increase the Azure Vortex Martial Intent's intensity, not only will your target faint, you'll be able to permanently damage their mind, turning them into literal idiots. In fact, you can even reduce them to a permanent vegetative state."

All of a sudden, the Primordial Azure Dragon shook his head. "However, if you want to increase its intensity, you'll have to pay a price. You can either completely exhaust yourself, spending all of your spiritual power, or you'll need to first empty the enemy's reserve of spiritual power so they'll have no chance of fighting back."

Issei closed his eyes, slowly absorbing that information. Eventually, he opened his again, revealing two azure-colored orbs. In the place where his pupils should have been, were two vortexes, spinning around madly. "So it's like this," Issei murmured. After a while, he closed his eyes again, and they returned to normal.

"I think I got the hang of it," Issei said. "Is there anything else?"

The Primordial Azure Dragon shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've already given you my blood, my bone marrow—"

"Just remembered something," Issei interrupted. "What's the function of the bone marrow, anyways? Didn't you already give me the drops of blood?"

"Good question," the Primordial Azure Dragon praised. "The bone marrow I gave you has many functions—it replenishes the vitality of the blood I gave you, increases the power of your own, normal blood and makes your body more apt for absorbing the rest of my blood. Any questions?"

"No. Continue."

"Alright," the Primordial Azure Dragon said. "Well, after the bone marrow, I gave you Lonely Tomb..." Noticing that Issei had opened his mouth to speak, the Primordial Azure Dragon quickly added, "As for how it works, you'll have to learn yourself. Not even I know."

In response, Issei closed his mouth and nodded his head.

"Finally, I gave you the Azure Vortex Martial Intent. Well, that should be all..." The Primordial Azure Dragon paused. "Oh yes, before you go, can you bring out that child? I want to check something."

"Child?" Issei's brows furrowed. All of a sudden, he smiled. "Oh, you mean Ddraig. Alright, let me call him." Issei then waved his hand, causing a red flash of light to fly out from his hand. The red flash of light quickly got bigger in size, assuming the shape of a western dragon. Gradually, it became to turn tangible, revealing Ddraig in all of its might and grandeur.

However, when Issei saw Ddraig, he immediately noticed that there was something different about him. Not only was Ddraig's body significantly smaller, its scales were of a much crimson color. Strangest of all was the small jewel embedded on its chest, that resembled some kind of core.

The moment Ddraig appeared, the first thing that entered its sight was the Primordial Azure Dragon. Deep fear flashed in its eyes, followed by fanaticism and fervor—even though the Primordial Azure Dragon was in his human form, Ddraig could recognize his aura anywhere. The grand dragon immediately lowered its head in a bow of sorts. "This lowly profound beast greets Ancestor!"

Amusement flashed within the Primordial Azure Dragon's eyes as he chuckled. "Child, no need to be so dramatic," he said. "I asked your master to call you hear because I have something to offer you."

"What is it, Ancestor?" Ddraig asked, his head still lowered in reverence.

The Primordial Azure Dragon frowned. "Child, even if I were to grant you my own blood, because of the limitations of your soul, you'd only be able to reach the Tyrant Profound Realm. That's something that not even I can change," he said. "However, there's a way for you to transcend that limit… but in order to do that, you'd have to forsake your body, becoming an existence beyond a simple profound beast. What are your thoughts on that?"

Even though Ddraig didn't quite understand what the Primordial Azure Dragon was talking about, it wasn't about to refuse his goodwill. "I'd be honored, Ancestor."

"Good!" The azure-clothed man chuckled. He took a step forward, and lightly tapped on Ddraig's forehead. The moment this happened, Issei was forced to close his eyes to avoid being blinded by the bright light that had suddenly appeared. When he opened his eyes again, Ddraig was nowhere to be seen. In its place was a crimson-colored sword. It was long and thin, almost five feet in length. Even though he was quite a distance away from it, Issei could practically feel its sharpness.

Casually picking it up from the ground, the Primordial Azure Dragon walked over to Issei. "This is a special weapon," he explained, "created from my power and that child's flesh and blood. Right now, its soul is slumbering within it."

He handed it to Issei. "I want you to transform it into a Divine Weapon by using our inherent ability. If you do so, I can guarantee you that it'll develop a mystical power."

Although Issei was still trying to get over the fact that Ddraig had literally been turned into a sword without his permission, he still took it into his hands. Carefully caressing the blade with his index finger, he could once more feel its shocking sharpness. Raising his head to look at the Primordial Azure Dragon, he asked, "What kind of power are you talking about?"

In response to his words, the Primordial Azure Dragon smirked. "A heaven-defying power," he said mysteriously. "It'll have the power of _boosting_ all of your martial skills."

Issei raised one of his eyebrows. "Boosting?" he asked.

"Yes," the Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head, "boosting." He glanced at the crimson sword and his smile widened even further. "Through use of this sword, you'll be able to double, quadruple or even octuple the power of your martial skills. For lack of a better word, I dubbed this power as 'boost'."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _The Azure Vortex Martial Intent was based on Lin Ming's Samsara Martial Intent from the chinese novel Martial World._


	126. Awakening

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 126 - Awakening**

* * *

After properly explaining to Issei about what Ddraig had become, the Primordial Azure Dragon's expression softened. "I've already told you everything you want to know and already gave you everything you deserve," he said. "Now, all that's left is to give you some warnings and to fulfill my promise." The Primordial Azure Dragon sat down and motioned for Issei to do the same.

Nodding his head, Issei allowed his body to gracefully fall down. Feng Xinyi followed suit, tightly pressing her rear-end against Issei's lap and groin area. Issei's sudden intake of air caused Feng Xinyi to giggle delightfully as her cheeks reddened. Issei shook his head helplessly. Temporarily ignoring Feng Xinyi, he turned his attention towards the azure-clothed man. "I'm all ears," he said.

The Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head solemnly. "I'll keep this brief. To start with, don't let anyone find out about the bloodlines within your body. Also, keep Lonely Tomb and your new weapon a secret. If anyone asks, your 'Azure Vortex Martial Intent' is a mental-type martial skill." He took a deep breath before continuing. "When anyone sees you using your Flame Essence, make sure to pretend it's of a low grade. Don't go bragging about it. Finally," his tone suddenly turned playful, "treat my little sis well."

Feng Xinyi blushed a deep red, whereas Issei chuckled lightly. "Don't worry about it. Even if you didn't tell me, I'd still do everything you said, you know?"

The ruler of the Divine Beasts shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Just wanted to make sure," he said. "I expected you to know it all anyway." He slowly got up from the ground and started dusting off his clothes. Glancing at Issei out of the corner of his eyes, he began to shoo him away. "Off you go," he said. "Don't take advantage of my hospitality."

"Right." Issei smirked. After politely pushing Feng Xinyi away from his lap, he crouched down and picked up Chu Yuechan, holding her close to his chest. Just as he was about to walk out, he paused. Turning his attention back to the azure-clothed man, he smiled awkwardly. "You know… I can't teleport out of this place..."

"Oh." Looking around, the Primordial Azure Dragon suddenly remembered that they were still in the void-like space of the trials. He shook his head in self-mock. "My bad," he said. "Completely forgot about that. Let me send you out." He then raised his hand, but just as he was about to send them away, he stopped. His expression turned solemn as he stared at the young genius. "Before I forget, there's something else I forgot to tell you." He paused, glancing at Feng Xinyi. "Don't forget that you've still got the Vermillion Bird and the Golden Crow. It'd be better if you talked with them every once in a while… after all, they are also lonely."

Issei's expression turned complicated. He sighed. "Thanks. I won't forget," he said. "Not anymore, at least." All of a sudden, Issei widened his eyes. "I almost forgot!" he exclaimed. He stared at the Primordial Profound Dragon earnestly. "You promised you'd help me wake up my World Spirit!"

"There was indeed something like that," the Primordial Azure Dragon nodded his head. After some moments of deliberation, it made a grasping motion with his hand, causing a small, blue-colored pill to appear on it. He threw it towards Issei. "Feed this to her. Even if she's on the verge of death, she'll be completely fine once she takes this pill." After saying that, he smiled. "Anyways, now is really farewell." He paused and sighed. "It was… it was nice meeting you, kid. You're destined for success."

Issei carefully placed the pill within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, treating it with utmost care. After assuring that everything was alright, he deeply bowed to the Primordial Azure Dragon in a show of gratitude. Following that, he raised his head and chuckled, recalling what the ruler of the Divine Beasts had just said. "Thanks for the pill, but…don't act as if this is our last meeting. I'll be sure to bring Xinyi with me and visit once the dust settles."

For some reason, the Primordial Azure Dragon avoided his gaze. "Yeah… that," he silently replied. Following that, he opened his mouth to say something, but paused, apparently thinking better. Eventually, he sighed. "Kid, before you go, I actually have one last request." Seeing Issei nod, he continued: "I have a daughter, and… well… she's currently sealed inside the first Heavenly Profound Treasure, the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword. If… if you ever come across it, can you free her for me? This is the only thing I ask of you."

Much to the Primordial Azure Dragon's surprise, Issei nodded earnestly. "Your daughter… alright. If I ever find that sword, I'll do what I can."

"Thank you." The Primordial Azure Dragon smiled at Issei one last time before snapping his fingers. The moment he did so, Issei, along with Feng Xinyi, disappeared, only leaving behind the azure-clothed man. The moment they were out of sight, his expression turned weary and tired and old. He laid down on the ground and sighed tiredly. He began to age, growing old and wizened. The signs of the vicissitudes and hardships of life slowly emerged on his face. "I'm afraid… that this was our last meeting..." He smiled an empty smile. "Kid… take care of Feng Xinyi…and take care… of my daughter for me."

Meanwhile, on the entrance of the Primordial Azure Dragon's cave, a blinding light flashed. In the next moment, Issei walked out of that light, Chu Yuechan in his arms, followed by Feng Xinyi. As soon as they stepped out of the light, it faded away into nothingness. At the same time, the two flood dragons, that had been guarding the cave for the past few days, immediately walked forward to greet them.

"Honored guests," the male flood dragon lowered its head to the ground in a bow, "are you leaving now?"

Issei paused, surprised by their treatment. All of a sudden, he remembered everything that had happened and nodded his head. "Yes," he said. "We'll be on our way shortly."

"I see," the flood dragon replied. "Then, is there anything you want to request? Or some order from the Ancestor?"

"Request?" Issei thought for a while but shook his head in the way. "I don't have anything like that… as for the Ancestor of yours… just continue guarding the cave well. Make sure no one enters it."

In response, the flood dragon nodded solemnly. "We shall do so, Honored guest."

After exchanging a few more words, Issei bid the two profound beasts farewell and walked into the mountain. On the way, Feng Xinyi returned to her inner space within Issei's body, claiming that she wanted to catch up on her sleep. Carefully avoiding various profound beasts, he eventually reached an unoccupied clearing. Hidden beneath the shadows of some of the trees was a small pond, where a few fishes swam. Finding the place to his liking, Issei used his spiritual power to bring together various leaves into a soft, makeshift bed. After laying gently laying Chu Yuechan on it, he took a few steps back and sat down next to it.

"According to the Primordial Azure Dragon, she should wake up within an hour," Issei murmured. "While I wait for her, I should probably put my time to good use." As he said so, he closed his eyes and brought Ddraig—or at least the sword it had become—from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Amazement shone in his eyes as he carefully traced his index finger along the sharp blade.

"Sharp. Deadly sharp," Issei commented. As he marveled at the blade, he was suddenly reminded of the weapon he had acquired from the first trial. After a moment of consideration, he brought it out from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, holding it next to the crimson word. "Since I'm already going to make Ddraig into a Divine Weapon, I might as well take advantage of that and transform this one too..."

Twenty minutes later, Issei placed both swords back into the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Everything had gone as he had planned—both swords had been successfully turned into Divine Weapons. Not only that, their grades were quite high, even above that of 'Heaven's Piercer', which had once been Issei's strongest Divine Weapon. In the end, since Issei didn't want to attract his attention of the nearby profound beasts, he decided against testing the two swords at the moment.

After much thought, Issei also reached the conclusion that it also wouldn't be wise to take out Lonely Tomb in this environment. After all, Lonely Tomb was something that had once belonged to the Third Generation Demon Sealer, and it wouldn't be strange if something unexpected would happen just by wielding it. Therefore, before he got a good grasp of its abilities and functions, Issei decided to not use it.

"She doesn't seem like she'll be waking up anytime soon." Issei glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of his eye. Judging by her calm and steady breathing, it was unlikely that she would be waking up in the following five minutes. After a moment of deliberation, Issei closed his eyes, sending his consciousness into his World Spirit Space. He was barely able to contain his anxiety as he walked towards a certain door. In his hands, he held a small, blue-colored pill. Once he reached the familiar door, he hesitated for a moment before softly pushing it open.

As the door opened, the wind brushed by his face, wafting a pleasant, fragrant aroma to his nostrils. Issei recognized that scent. It was Eggy's scent. The corner of Issei's lips curled upwards as he stepped inside the room. A great, endless landscape immediately entered his sight. With green mountains, clear waters and a plethora of vegetation, it looked like a paradise. However, Issei didn't even glance at that beautiful landscape. His sight was immediately drawn to a young woman's beautiful figure.

Laying in the grass, a young woman soundlessly slept. Her full, firm breasts rose and fell steadily, and even though they were covered by a layer of cloth, they still displayed their plumpness. Issei smiled at that. Her breathing was steady; that was a good sign. Issei walked over to her, not making any noise. Once he reached her, he crouched down next to her. His expression softened as he softly traced his hand across her face, feeling her soft skin. "Eggy..." he whispered softly.

As he was a medic, Issei knew the risks of having an unconscious person swallowing a pill—it was tantamount to chocking them. However, Issei was afraid the pill would lose its power if he were to crush it into powder. After some moments of consideration, Issei opened his mouth and used his tongue to wrap around the small, blue-colored pill. Then he lowered his head, locking his lips with Eggy's. Immediately after, he pried her lips open with his own tongue and carefully entered her mouth. Softly, he released the pill into her mouth and pushed it towards her throat. In order to make sure it would go smoothly, he infused it with his own spiritual power, giving it another push. After making sure that the pill had been properly ingested, Issei pulled slowly pulled his head back, leaving behind a trail of saliva that hung between their mouths.

Just as Issei was about to wipe it away, Eggy's eyes suddenly opened. Two onyx orbs stared at him in surprise and shock. In the next moment, that surprise was suddenly replaced by deep infatuation and affection. Before Issei could even react, the young woman pulled his head towards her with her trembling arms and clumsily kissed him in a wet and hot locking of lips.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	127. Taking Control

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha'. Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 127 - Taking Control**

* * *

In a vast expanse of grass, two figures—one male and one female—could be seen. Under the soft shine of the sun, they nestled among the soft, warm blades of grass. Faces flushed, they unblinkingly stared at each other in the eyes. Black, onyx orbs stared into dark-brown ones, as if they were gateways that would lead to a completely different world. Their intertwined hands hanged above the ground, softly dancing to the sound of the breeze.

Eventually, the peaceful silence was shattered by soft words.

"Eggy, are you..."

The young girl gently pressed her fingers against the boy's lip. Her soft, alluring lips blossomed into a sweet and charming smile. "Don't speak," she softly whispered. "Let me… let me enjoy this moment."

Once more, silence ensued.

As time passed, the young man started growing anxious. Eventually, he made a decision. Placing his free arm on the young girl's back, he gently pulled her closer to his body. In return, the young girl smiled sweetly and took the initiative to nestle her head on his shoulder. "I missed you," the young man softly whispered in her ear.

"Then show it…." The young woman smiled slyly. Soon after, her alluring lips parted again, "I'm just kidding, Issei." She giggled, amused by the young man's awkward expression. "We already had enough action today," she said slyly. "Or… do you still want some more?" As she said so, she pushed her lithe body closer to his, causing her full breasts to enticingly press against his chest. They were like springs, soft yet firm.

"Eggy," Issei shook his head, "this isn't the time to play around."

"Why not?" Eggy pouted unhappily. "Or could it be," her eyes welled up, feigning a downcast expression, "that you're dissatisfied with my body?"

Issei widened his eyes. "No, I mean—"

"Then why?" She batted her lashes at him in feigned innocence. "If not my body, what's wrong?"

Issei tried to come up with an excused, but ultimately sighed. "There's someone waiting outside," he said. "So I'll need to be back there soon."

"Someone?" Eggy squinted her eyes. She scrutinized his face. "You can't possibly mean… a woman?"

All of a sudden, the young man felt his throat turn dry. Before he could say anything, Eggy's squinted her eyes at him, blazing with anger. "Are you serious?" she said darkly. "There's a girl… waiting outside?"

Issei's eyes nervously darted to the side."It's not what—"

"Who is it?" Eggy narrowed her eyes. "That Qingyue girl? Her sister? Jasmine? Or that princess...?"

Issei avoided her gaze. Eventually, he smiled wryly. "Actually, it isn't any of them—"

"Wait. So, what you mean to say is," Eggy's eyes flickered with anger, "that you actually found _yet another_ girl while I was out?"

All of a sudden, Issei narrowed his eyes, overtaken a sudden burst of courage. Turning his head back, he locked his eyes with her. His arms, which had been loosely hanging by his side, wrapped around her back, bringing even closer. Under the young woman's startled gaze, Issei lowered his head and claimed her alluring lips.

As the kiss deepened, surprise gave place to intoxication. She tried to take the lead like before, but the normally taciturn young man was like a beast. Desire burned within his eyes as he pinned her to the ground. He nibbled and bit like never before. In a sudden flash of inspiration, he softly pinched her lithe waist. Eggy gasped in surprise, her lips parting for a split-second. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Issei thrust his tongue into her mouth. Eggy could only widen her eyes in surprise as his tongue ravaged and explored the inside of her mouth. Eventually, Issei wrapped his tongue around hers, inciting a moan of pleasure from the young woman.

Meanwhile, Issei's hands were constantly dancing, feeling her body. He started softly—tracing his fingers alongside the fabric of her dress, through her collarbone and drawing circles on her back. As the kiss deepened, Issei's movements started getting wilder. He slid one of his hands across her cleavage, while grabbed her hard by the flank. He traced the erect tips of her breast with his fingers, only to softly pinch them. Throughout the entire time, the young woman moaned, writhed and quivered.

Slowly, Issei brought his hand downwards, towards her nether regions. Instinctively, Eggy wrapped her arms around him, wildly clawing at his back. The moment Issei was about to reach her vital part, she moaned. "Take me," she whispered between moans of pleasure. "Right now."

Issei only smiled, continuing his descent. Reaching the forbidden area, he softly traced it with his finger. Through the fabric of her dress, he could feel a soft, narrow slit. Eggy moaned harder than ever. She begged him to take her. She begged him to ravage her. She begged him to continue. Never before had she hated her clothes so much.

However, it was at that moment that Issei pulled his head back and smiled. It was a sharp, teasing smile. All of a sudden, he stopped moving. His hand, which had been caressing her nether region, moved away. Eggy could only watch in utter shock as he pulled his body away from hers, taking away with him all of her pleasure and ecstasy. As he straightened his clothes, he mischievously smiled. Crouching down, he planted a soft kiss on Eggy's forehead before walking way.

In a daze, the young woman stared at his retreating figure. "I… you… what?"

Issei ignored her and continued walking. When he reached the door, he suddenly paused and turned back to look at her. He calmly smiled and winked. "I'll be back to finish what I started."

Without waiting for her reply, he walked out, closing the door behind him.

It was only a long time after he had left that Eggy regained clarity. "What… what just happened...?" she murmured.

* * *

As Issei walked across the corridors of his World Spirit Space, he smiled slyly. Ever since the beginning, Eggy had been the one to order him around. Although she still did it for his own good, it didn't mean that he was fond of it.

"That felt good," he murmured. "Being in control of the situation… I could get used to that." He shook his head. "Though, I can't say that Eggy is at fault. She has all the right to be angry, but..." Issei paused his steps. "For some reason, I just _felt_ like shutting her up. A sudden urge… to show her who's truly in control." Issei squinted his eyes in this moment of self-reflection. "I wonder what that was..."

Eventually, he sighed. The sharp sound of fingers snapping rang and Issei disappeared from his World Spirit Space. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in that clearing. The moment he saw his surroundings, he let out a breath of relief. "At least she's still sleeping," he said. "It would've been awkward if she had woken up while I was back there."

After checking Chu Yuechan's pulse and making sure that everything was alright, Issei allowed his body to fall down to the ground. Using the trunk of a tree as support, he assumed a resting position. Feeling the soft breeze brush against his face, he smiled a calm smile.

Time slowly passed. In the blink of an eye, fifteen minutes had gone by. Issei sighed and pushed his body up, intending to stretch his body and letting the blow flow. And it was at that very moment that Chu Yuechan's body began to stir. Her lashes fluttered as two, midnight-black orbs were revealed to the world.

Chu Yuechan looked around in surprise. "Where… where is this?"

"Wasteland of Death." Issei walked over to her. "The place where you originally brought me, remember?"

"Oh." Chu Yuechan looked around again. This time, her surroundings seemed more familiar than before. She got up from the ground and looked at Issei. "What about the trials? The Primordial Azure Dragon?"

"All over," Issei said. "After you passed out, he—" Issei paused. His eyes suddenly flickered with emotion. Turning his head to look at Chu Yuechan straight in the eye, he said, "Thank you. Before, you..."

Chu Yuechan shook her head while avoiding Issei's gaze. A faint, almost imperceptible blush bloomed on her cheeks. "I did it because I wanted to," she said dismissively. "You don't need to thank me." All of a sudden, she paused. She narrowed her eyes at Issei. "Wait. Before, did you… see?"

"I'll keep my mouth shut," Issei immediately replied. "You have my word."

Under Issei's assure, Chu Yuechan's gave softened. She raised her head to stare at the skies. "How many days… how many days have passed since we entered the trials? Those years that we spent seeing your past..."

"Don't worry." Issei shook his head. "I already confirmed with the Primordial Azure Dragon—even though we spent over nine years in the third trial, barely a day passed on the outside. If my guess is correct, only one week has passed since we left the Xiao Sect."

Chu Yuechan nodded her head. "Then there's still time," she said. "As long as we head out right now, there will still be enough time for me to leave you at the Xiao Sect, go back to Frozen Cloud Asgard and still arrive at the Tournament on time."

Even as she said so, she had already begun to make preparations. From her sleeves, a small, blue-colored jade-slip flew out, landing within the small pond. In the next moment, all of the water in the pond was absorbed into the jade slip, which began to expand in size, slowly becoming an azure-colored cloud.

Soon after, the cloud ascended into the skies. Atop it, a young man and a young woman sat. For the first few minutes, no one spoke, giving birth to an awkward silence. Eventually, Issei remembered something. Snapping his fingers, he took a small flower out of his Sky Poison Pearl.

Chu Yuechan slightly widened her eyes. "That is..."

"The Icy Soul Lavender." Issei nodded his head. "Back then, I forgot to hand it to you." He smiled lightly and handed it to her, placing it on her hands. Then he frowned. "You… you want to use it to get rid of the poison in your body, right?"

The young woman's eyes flickered with astonishment. "How did you know?" she asked. "I don't remember telling you."

"You didn't." Issei shook his head. "You see," he smiled, "aside from an Inscription Master, I'm also a medic. The moment you mentioned the Icy Soul Lavender, I immediately realized what had happened."

"Just from hearing the name of the plant?" Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You found out I was poisoned… simply from the name of the plant?"

"Well… not exactly," Issei said. "Your unusually slow heart-beat-rate, your even slower breathing rate and the absolutely cold temperature of your body. It was all of this added together that made me realize your condition. You've been poisoned by an ice-attributed Emperor Profound Beast's poison, right?"

Chu Yuechan opened her mouth to say something but suddenly closed it. Eventually, she shook her head. "Alright. That's indeed the case. I've been really been poisoned." She narrowed her eyes. "But that doesn't change anything, does it? All you have to do is to concoct the pill. I don't see what that fact has to do with your job."

Much to the young woman's surprise, Issei smiled. "And _that_ is where you're wrong," he said. "It's true that my original purpose—the reason you brought me along—had been to help you find the materials and concoct the pill. In fact, that was also my original plan. But now, I have a suggestion." He made a slight pause before continuing. "I assume you know that the repercussions of taking that pill aren't light. At the very least, you'll be bed-ridden for a day. I'm sure you'll want to avoid that." Reaching that point, Issei revealed his plan. "You see, what if I told you that I could heal you completely in seconds. By that, I mean without the use of pills of medicines. And, obviously, with no side-effects." Issei calmly smiled. "How does that sound to you?"


	128. Returning to the Xiao Sect

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 128 - Returning to the Xiao Sect**

* * *

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes at Issei skeptically, her brows faintly knitting together. She gave Issei a scrutinizing stare in an attempt to gaze past his smiling face. She studied him attentively, but his expression was completely unreadable. Deep within her heart, she believed in Issei's goodwill. She tried to have faith that he was doing this without any hidden agenda. However, her eighteen years of life had taught her always to suspect another. At least until provided with evidence that proved otherwise that is.

"You don't believe me," Issei suddenly said, surprising Chu Yuechan. He chuckled. "It seems that you are forgetting something. Remember, I'm in possession of the Sky Poison Pearl _and_ the memories of a great medical saint."

Chu Yuechan suddenly widened her eyes. Just as Issei had said, she had completely forgotten about that. The shock the various other events had given her had ended up overshadowing that aspect of Issei's life. After a moment of deliberation, she bit her lip—she had made her decision.

"This healing process," she said solemnly, "what does it entail?"

Issei shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't anything dirty or nasty," he assured her. "I'll just need to place my hand on your back for a few seconds. You can even keep your clothes if you like."

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes at him. "Then why are you suggesting this?"

Disbelief flickered within Issei's eyes. Eventually, he sighed helplessly. "Even after seeing all my life, you still haven't figured it out, have you?" he asked. "I'm someone who likes to pay back his debts. You helped me out back when I was suffering at the risk of exposing your secrets. The least I could is to assist you a little."

In the beginning, Issei had indeed helped Chu Yuechan out of ulterior motives. After all, he wasn't the kind of person to help someone out of goodwill. However, after everything they had gone through, although they couldn't be exactly considered as close, at least they were much more familiar with each other. Not only that, Chu Yuechan had previously helped Issei when he was suffering. The words he had just spoken came from the bottom of his heart—that was truly the least he could do.

"Alright." After much deliberation, Chu Yuechan complied. She turned around, giving Issei full access to her back. She took in a deep breath. "You… you may start."

Others would have believed her decision to have been a simple one, but Issei knew better. The fact that Chu Yuechan was actually willing to let him touch her body, even if it was through her clothes, said much more than what words could possibly convey.

"Then pardon me." Issei raised his hands, and lightly pressed his hands on her back. Through the faint fabric that covered her body, he could feel a soft and firm feeling. Although Issei had already held Chu Yuechan in his arms before, the circumstances had been different, and he had never had the opportunity to pay attention to it. Now that he could, he realized that her skin had an exceptional feel to it.

All of a sudden, he shook his head. After pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, he concentrated a little, causing his hands to be filled with a dim, green light. Just as he had promised, he pulled back his hands not even a minute later. He faintly smiled. "It's done."

He waited for some kind of response, but nothing came. Sighing helplessly, he moved further back to give the young woman some space. He closed his eyes and was soon immersed in the peaceful and calm feeling that came from meditation.

After a few minutes had passed, Chu Yuechan turned her head around. Her face was slightly reddened, and her eyes flickered with complicated feelings. As she stared at Issei, she deeply sighed. "Thank you," she whispered softly. Her gaze lingered on Issei for a few more seconds, unwilling to look away. Eventually, she closed her eyes and returned to her original position.

Unbeknownst to her, a smile suddenly blossomed on the young man's face. Although he didn't say anything, he still thought in his mind: _You're welcome._

In this peaceful silence, time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, two days passed. In the dawn of the third day, Issei's eyes slowly opened. He smiled. They had arrived.

At the exact moment they crossed the borders of the Xiao Sect, the Xiao Sect's Patriarch, Xiao Juetian, sensed their arrival. He immediately rose into the skies and flew towards them. When he finally caught sight of the azure-colored cloud, he came to a halt.

Chu Yuechan, who was in control of the cloud, also ordered it to stop. She rose to her feet, and Issei followed suit.

Xiao Juetian took the initiative to speak. "Lady Chu, I believe that your trip was without problems?"

"It was," Chu Yuechan responded coolly.

"Good." Xiao Juetian firmly nodded his head. "That's good." Then his gaze fell on Issei, and he smiled. "I believe that my disciple didn't bring you any troubles?"

"As I said, everything went well," Chu Yuechan said plainly. She then made a small movement with her hands, causing Issei to be brought up into the air. With another motion of her part, the young man was carefully brought towards the Patriarch. Throughout the entire time, Issei managed to maintain the same, tranquil expression.

The Patriarch nodded his head and wrapped his spiritual power around Issei. He carefully brought him to his side, and after glancing at him approvingly, he turned his head back towards Chu Yuechan. He smiled ingratiatingly. "Lady Chu, is there any other request you'd like to make?"

"No." Chu Yuechan answered almost instantaneously. Her gaze lingered on Issei for a few seconds, then focused again on the Xiao Juetian. "Then I'll be on my way." After saying that, she turned around and willed for the cloud to start flying in the opposite direction.

Xiao Juetian smiled but did nothing to stop her. Just as he was about to turn around and head back into the sect with Issei, Chu Yuechan's cold voice reached his ears. "I look forward… to your disciple's performance in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament."

The moment he heard those words, Xiao Juetian's body trembled. His eyes faintly widened, flickering with disbelief. Eventually, he turned his attention back to Issei, who stared back at him puzzledly. Ultimately, Xiao Juetian sighed. "Come on," he said. "I'll bring you back to the sect."

Issei obediently nodded his head. "Thank you, Patriarch." After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

All of a sudden, the scholarly man's expression changed. "I guess you can say that." His forehead creased. "Though, I'm not sure if those changes are good or bad..."

The young man stared at Xiao Juetian blankly. When he had asked that question, it was only to do some small-talk. Never had he expected that that would actually be the case. After all, just what could happen in just ten or so day. Little did he know that he was in for a surprise.

After leaving Issei next to his residence, Xiao Juetian immediately left, claiming that he had important matters to take care of. However, before leaving, he told Issei that in around two days, he would bring him to Heavenly Sword Villa, where the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament would be held. Although he didn't say it implicitly, Issei was sure that he had been selected to participate in the tournament.

Maybe it was because his head was full of important matters, or because he didn't even think of that possibility, but Xiao Juetian didn't even notice Issei's insane increase in cultivation.

Once alone, Issei's first move hadn't been to walk back to his house. Xiao Juetian's words had left a deep impression on him—he needed to know just what had happened.

It didn't take long for Issei to get wind of it. The first inner disciple he came across readily provided him with an in-depth explanation of the events that had completely changed the hierarchy of the Xiao Sect.

According to him, not even two days after Issei had left with Chu Yuechan, the son of the Patriarch, Xiao Kuanglei, came out of his secluded meditation. In order to see how much he had grown, he issued a challenge to every disciple within the Xiao Sect—anyone who fought with him would be granted a small sum of spirit stones. And, if someone were to give him some trouble, he'd reward them even more. At that time, he hadn't even considered the possibility of losing.

The inner disciple chuckled when he mentioned how various inner and core disciples immediately accepted the challenge. However, Xiao Kuanglei had gotten too powerful. Even Xiao Zhen—the second strongest disciple of the sect—was defeated. According to the inner disciple, Xiao Nan, who should have been the strongest disciple, had seemingly disappeared.

And then came the information that Issei had been waiting for—the great turn of events. On an eventful morning, two days after the challenge had been issued, an inner disciple accepted Xiao Kuanglei's challenge. This inner disciple was none other than Xiao Luocheng, who had just won the Inner Disciple Competition.

The inner disciple bitterly smiled as he explained how everyone had looked down on Xiao Luocheng at first. Many had even claimed that he was only wasting his time. However, when the battle did happen, everyone was left wide-eyed. Not only had Xiao Luocheng managed to defeat Xiao Kuanglei, the son of the Patriarch, but he had also done so effortlessly. Upon reaching that point, the inner disciple complained that he hadn't been there to spectate the battle, but he still assured Issei that Xiao Luocheng had completely overwhelmed the Patriarch's son.

Needless to say, Issei was completely shocked. After all, he knew that before he left, Xiao Luocheng had been only in the middle-stages of the True Profound Realm. In his opinion, no matter how powerful he had gotten because of his demonic cultivation technique, it shouldn't have been possible to defeat Xiao Kuanglei. After all, according to the inner disciple, Xiao Kuanglei had been revealed to be at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

After thanking the inner disciple, Issei immediately decided where to go next. Turning around, he started walking towards Xiao Luocheng's courtyard. Although it was quite far away, he managed to reach it in a few minutes. As he stared at the small, inconspicuous house, Issei took in a deep breath and walked forward.

However, before he could even knock on the door, it was suddenly flung open, and a silver-haired youth walked out. The moment he saw Issei, his amethyst-colored eyes widened in surprise.

"Issei?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Seeing his friend again, Issei couldn't help but smile. "What? Can't I visit a friend?"

"Ah…no, it's just that I heard that you were on a mission or something." Xiao Luocheng shook his head. He casually rested his body against the door and smiled. "When did you come back anyway?"

"Just now," Issei said. "Actually, I was planning on only passing by later, but after I heard..." he trailed off.

"Oh." Xiao Luocheng smiled awkwardly. "So you already heard, huh? I had been planning to personally tell it to you… what a pity." He shook his head and opened his door again, inviting Issei in. "Let's sit down first. I'll answer whatever question you might have."

"Are you sure? You were just about to head out. Am I not interrupting something?"

"Don't worry." Xiao Luocheng shook his head. "I was going out for a walk."

"Alright then." Issei took a step forward and walked into the house. He smiled at his old friend. "Let's hear what you've got to say."

"Not much." Xiao Luocheng shrugged his shoulders. He closed his door and walked into the living room and sat down on a chair. "I assume you heard most of it anyway. These past few days, I've been the hottest topic throughout the entire Xiao Sect, you know?" He flashed Issei a sly smile. "I've been getting loads of attention too. Attention from the fairer sex." All of a sudden, he paused. "Though it might have been the hair… and the eyes." He smiled a lascivious smile. "Chicks totally dig my new look."

"Yeah, right. Girls must love your pink eyes and white hair."

Xiao Luocheng narrowed his eyes. " _Amethyst_ eyes and _silver_ hair," he said sternly. "Pink and white your sister."

"Whatever you say." Issei shook his head helplessly, but a smile could be seen on his face. He missed his conversations with Xiao Luocheng. Only in the presence of his friends—specially Luocheng—could he relax and speak whatever came to mind. "Anyway, let's not get out of topic. Tell me, how did you defeat Xiao Kuanglei?"

Xiao Luocheng straightened his back. "Well, it all started the day you left, really." He smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that I had a lucky breakthrough in my cultivation."

"How lucky?"

"Really lucky." Xiao Luocheng grinned. "Because of it, not only did I breakthrough into the Spirit Profound Realm, I even managed to reach the late stages." His smirk widened upon seeing Issei's shocked expression. "Yes, that's right," he said. "Late stages... of the Spirit Profound Realm!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	129. Red Skull

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 129 - Red Skull**

* * *

"Late Spirit Profound Realm?!" Issei widened his eyes, shock rippling within the two dark brown orbs. Originally, he had found that his increase in cultivation had been ridiculous, but only now did he realize that his didn't even come close to Xiao Luocheng's. He took in a deep breath. "What… what did you do?"

Xiao Luocheng smiled wryly and shook his head. "You shouldn't think too much about it," he said. "When I say lucky, I mean it. Believe it or not, I made a breakthrough by mistake."

"By mistake?"

"Yeah." Xiao Luocheng faintly nodded his head. "You see, I was just taking a stroll around the sect, and…." All of a sudden, he smiled slyly. "Actually, I was just trying to pick-up girls, but that's another story." Laughing, he shook his head. "Anyways, as I was saying, I was going for a walk. And, somehow, I stumbled upon a graveyard of sorts." His forehead suddenly creased. "The eerie, mysterious graveyard that will give you chills, that's the kind I'm talking about."

"And? What happened?" Issei urged. Sometimes, Xiao Luocheng would insist on spending too much time on useless parts.

"I was getting there." Xiao Luocheng shot him a dissatisfied look. Then he smiled. "Alright, as I was saying, I came across this graveyard. Out of curiosity, I ventured inside. Initially, everything went perfectly. I found some tombstones, a few insects, dried up trees and other stuff like that." Reaching that point, his expression turned serious. "However, just as I was about to turn around and exit it, I found something. That _something_ was a red-colored skull."

"It was just laying around?"

"Yeah. I was also surprised," the silver-haired young man said. "Anyhow, after I found the skull, I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I picked it up and placed it in my Cosmos Sack." Seeing Issei's strange expression, he quickly tried to explain himself, "What? It looked impressive and was just lying around there. It's not like anyone would miss it."

Issei sighed. "Your looks are really misleading; you know?"

Xiao Luocheng looked at him in puzzlement. "How so?"

"Your appearance makes you seem…." Issei grasped for the most appropriate word, "well... _aloof_ , I'd say. Cold and detached. You get what I mean." Xiao Luocheng nodded. "But, in reality, you're just a curious child, aren't you?" Issei teased. "Seriously, who in their right mind would just pick up an entirely mysterious and ominous object like a school skull just because it looked cool?"

"I don't want to hear that from you," Xiao Luocheng suddenly smirked, "you _maiden_."

Issei momentarily paused, but after a while, he shook his head helplessly. "Alright, let's not get off-track. Go on. Back to the story. I don't have all the time in the world."

After letting out a grunt of dissatisfaction, the demonic young man rolled his eyes but still complied. "Alright, so I got that skull," he said. "After searching around some more, I headed back home. Upon arriving, I took it out to investigate it, see what it was about. However, the moment it left my Cosmos Sack, it started vibrating as if an earthquake was taking place. All of a sudden, it had flown up into the air and was only a few centimeters away from my forehead. Before I could do anything about it, these strange, purple marks appeared all around my body. In the next moment, the damn skull smashed in my head, and I passed out."

When he heard that, Issei scowled and grumbled under his breath, "I know that feeling all too well."

Ignoring his friend's remark, Xiao Luocheng continued speaking: "Anyhow, when I woke up again, the red skull was nowhere to be seen. Soon after, I also found out my cultivation base had climbed all the way to the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm."

"Just like that?"

The silver-haired young man nodded his head solemnly. "Just like that."

"I…you…" Issei shook his head and sighed. "You are unbelievable; you know?"

Xiao Luocheng suddenly sneered. "Like you can say anything." He smirked at Issei's expression of surprise. "Do you think I didn't notice?" he asked. "You also had a lucky breakthrough. I'm sure of that. After all, the aura around you… is no longer that of the Nascent Profound Realm."

"You noticed?" Issei's widened his eyes in surprise. Not even the Xiao Juetian, the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect, had noticed it, even though he was already at the Emperor Profound Realm. And yet, Xiao Luocheng had actually seen through him. "How?"

"One of the perks of being a demonic cultivator, I guess." He casually shrugged his shoulders. "You see, I'm much more sensitive to spiritual power now. Although I can't accurately say your current cultivation, you are at least at the middle True Profound Realm, right?"

Issei took in a deep breath and sighed. "Eighth level."

"See?" Xiao Luocheng smiled happily. "Anyways, enough about that." His expression suddenly turned serious. "Will you be participating in the tournament?"

Issei nodded his head. "Apparently."

"That's good." Xiao Luocheng let out a breath of relief. "I was just about to call Kuanglei and tell him to revoke his position."

"The Patriarch's son?"

"Yeah." Xiao Luocheng nodded his head. "From my assumptions, the three strongest disciples of the Xiao Sect are me, followed by Xiao Nan—the Martial Heir—and Kuanglei. Considering that there are only three slots given to each sect for the tournament, I was afraid that you'd be left out."

"Well, I don't know about the details, but it seems like I'll be participating," Issei said. "Though, I'm curious now. Who is stronger? You or Xiao Nan? Also, how'd you get Kuanglei to forfeit his position?"

The demonic cultivator frowned. "Between me and Xiao Nan… well, truth be told, I'm afraid of her. The higher my cultivation base gets, the stronger the feeling of danger I feel when I'm around her." He smiled tiredly. "In the end, I decided against challenging that girl. It's as if every cell in my body is screaming at me not to get on her bad side, you know?"

"That's… frightening," Issei commented. "But what about Kuanglei?"

"Well, that's a better subject." He smirked. "You see, after I h defeated the poor bastard, he turned crazy. For some reason, he insisted on becoming my disciple, or at least my junior brother. He looked just like a religious fanatic." Xiao Luocheng got up from his seat and shrugged his shoulders. "As he wouldn't pipe down, I had no choice but to accept him as my disciple at the end. After that, he started following my every command. It's kind of cute, really." All of a sudden, he smiled a wry smile. "The Patriarch wasn't exactly pleased, but… he didn't voice his dissatisfaction, so everything's fine, I guess."

"I see..." Issei also got up from his seat. He calmly walked towards the window, where Xiao Luocheng waited. Peering outside, he saw various disciples walking around to and fro around the house. "Who're them?" Issei asked.

"Guards," Xiao Luocheng replied offhandedly. "Ever since I accepted Kuanglei as my disciple, they have been guarding my house. In truth, I was surprised that you managed to enter so simply; usually they would block anyone who tried to come close."

"Quite a troublesome disciple you got yourself..." Issei commented.

Xiao Luocheng sighed and shook his head. "You don't know the half of it," he said. "The bastard has literally gone crazy. Every day, he'll come by my house at the same time and ask me if I need something. He even tried to make me move out to a residence closer to his..."

"Have you taught him anything yet?"

Xiao Luocheng stared blankly at Issei, puzzled.

The talented young man sighed. "He _is_ your _disciple_ , isn't he? As his master, shouldn't you teach him something?"

"Oh..." Xiao Luocheng looked surprised. "I never really thought about that, actually." After a moment of deliberation, she shrugged it off with a shake of his head. "Oh well, it's not like it matters. I don't really have anything to teach him anyway." He turned his attention away from the window. "So, back to the tournament, do you think you'll be able to do well?"

Issei smiled mysteriously. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Come on," Xiao Luocheng rolled his eyes, "can't you at least tell me something? What should I be expecting, or something like that."

Issei paused and thought. Eventually, he once more smiled mysteriously. "Well, let's say you're in for a surprise."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he stopped. He turned his head around to look at Xiao Luocheng. "See you in a few days."

"We'll talk more later then."

The black-haired young men smiled. "Yeah. Talk more later."

Then he turned around, opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.

A few minutes later, Issei found himself craving for sleep. Yawning, he slowly made his way to his residence. Upon opening the door, he was assaulted by the thick, delightful scent of food. He raised a brow. "Who's cooking?" He suddenly paused. "Wait… since when do I have a kitchen here?"

Temporarily putting his urge to sleep aside, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, filling his nostrils with the sweet, pleasant aroma of hot food. When he opened his eyes again, he immediately started walking towards the second room on the right—where the smell seemed to be coming from. Originally, it had been one of the rooms designated for cultivating, but Issei couldn't shake off the feeling that something had changed during his absence.

His guess wasn't far off from the truth. The moment he opened the door, he saw that the interior had been completely remodeled. In the place where the cultivation mats should have been was a small, strange-looking, stove-like object. There were a few pans on top of it, right above the fire. On the opposite corner of the room was a long countertop, where a few ingredients laid.

"Oh?"

Immediately after the door was opened, a pair of head turned in Issei's directions. One of them belonged to a cute, charming girl, while the other rested atop a slender yet buxom body. When they realized who had entered, both girls revealed shocked expressions. However, it was clear that one of them was much more excited than the other.

"Issei!" Xia Mei exclaimed joyfully. "You're finally back!"

"Mei," Issei beamed at her, "how are you doing?" He then turned his attention to the girl next to her and smiled politely. "Sister Huan, how have you been? Is master well?"

"Thank you for your concern; both of us are fine." Xiao Huan gave Issei a polite bow, a smile on her face. "Though," she glanced at Xia Mei out of the corner of her eye and smiled mischievously, "your little girlfriend here has been worried sick for you."

Xia Mei widened her eyes. All of a sudden, her face turned a deep red. "Hey!" she exclaimed, flustered. "Don't go... don't..."

Xiao Huan ignored her. Innocently smiling, she pointed towards the various woks and saucepans that were placed on top of the stove. "The moment dad told us that he saw you heading towards one of your friend's house, so we had been planning on finishing it before you arrived, but..." she trailed off.

Issei faintly shook his head and smiled. "Don't sweat it," he said. "I appreciate the intention." He walked over to one of the pots and peered inside it. When he saw what they were cooking, he lifted an eyebrow. "So you were cooking _that..."_ Turning his attention back to the two girls, he smiled. "Want some help?"

"You can cook?" Xiao Huan raised a brow at him questioningly. Even Xia Mei looked surprised. "Are you serious?"

Issei nodded his head. "What? Is it that surprising?" Noticing their strange expression, he sighed. "My first master taught me a little bit of cooking," he explained. "Then I had to spend a long time living in a forest. During that time, I tried many different things. I think can handle myself in a kitchen."

"You lived in a forest?!" Xiao Huan widened her eyes at him. She turned her head to look at Xia Mei. "Did you know about it?"

Xia Mei shook her head to the sides—she looked just as puzzled as Xiao Huan.

"That's not important." Issei interrupted before they barraged him with questions. "Let's just focus on cooking now, alright?"

Eventually, he got both girls to forget about it. After he had gotten through that hurdle, he took the opportunity to display his cooking prowess. Although he wasn't nearly as refined as the two girls, he had a deeper insight on different types of food and how they went together.

The result was a majestic feast.

After they had finished eating, Xiao Huan excused herself. Left alone in the living room, Xia Mei and Issei sat next to each other in an awkward silence.

Unwilling to let that awkward silence continue, Issei took the initiative to speak. "So, it seems you've gotten closer to Huan?"

"Ah, yes." Xia Mei nodded her head, her cheeks slightly reddened. "After her dad took me as his honorary disciple, we've gotten much closer."

"That's good." Issei smiled at her. "Friends are important."

"Yeah..."

The awkward silence resumed. It was like an overly attached parasite; no matter how many times Issei tried to get rid of it, it would always come back.

Sighing, Issei decided to use his last resort. "So, I was invited to participate in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. Do you feel like coming with me?"

"I can?!"

"I think so." Issei nodded his head. "I'll have to talk with the Patriarch, but it shouldn't be that hard."

For the next few minutes, they continued talking about it. Apparently, Issei's attempt to get rid of the silence had succeeded in the end. However, as time went by, Issei found himself growing tired—he hadn't slept yet. Generaly, cultivators of his current cultivation base could easily go a few weeks without sleep and still be fine; a few minutes of cultivation was more than enough to completely rejuvenate the body. Despite that, he felt that it wouldn't hurt to sleep every once in a while.

And so, after the conversation ended and they retired themselves to their respective rooms, the first thing Issei did was to lay on the mat and to get his well-deserved sleep. After everything he had been through, he hoped he would be able to enjoy such peaceful days more often.

However, little did he know that what destiny had in store for him would be enough to bring insanity to the sanest of men. Little did he know...that this would be his last moment of peacefulness for a _long_ time.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	130. Heavenly Sword Villa

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 130 - Heavenly Sword Villa**

* * *

Two days later, five giant eagles flew out from the Xiao Sect. Leading those five eagles was Xiao Juetian, the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect. Below him was a colossal Sky Profound Beast, with wings like an eagle, body like a sparrow and beak like a parrot. In spite of its enormous size, it was extremely fast—if it weren't for the fact Xiao Juetian had to maintain the same speed as the giant eagles, he would be speeding ahead.

Issei and Xia Mei were riding one of such eagles, the one farthest to the right. To their side, an annoyed Xiao Luocheng tried to ignore the overly-attached Xiao Kuanglei, who kept telling him about all kinds of miscellaneous things.

Xiao Luocheng was on the verge of insanity. The original plan had been to have Xiao Kuanglei ride the strange Sky Profound Beast along with his father, but after much bickering, the twenty-years-old had convinced Xiao Juetian to let him ride alongside his 'master'. As a result, the silver-haired young man was suffering through hell.

"The place where we are going… it's the Heavenly Sword Villa, right?" Issei slightly bent his body and asked Xia Mei, who sat behind him.

"That's right." Xia Mei nodded her head. She smiled. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Not really." Issei sighed and shook his head. "Aside from the fact that it's Blue Wind Nation's number one sect, I know nothing."

"Let's see… well, there are some things that I should probably tell you about then," she said after some thought. "When I was younger, my father would tell me stories about all the sects, along with some of their key points. For example, the Heavenly Sword Villa's actual power is far above that of the three other great sects combined, the Xiao Sect included."

Issei's eyes widened. "That strong?"

"Yeah," Xia Mei said. "They also seem to have some relationship with the Blue Wind Imperial Family..." She paused. "Something about their founders knowing each other or something..." She shook her head. "Anyway, there's also a story that my father heard once… apparently, there's a demon sealed there or something."

"A demon?" Issei asked, shocked. "A… demon?"

Next to them, Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Kuanglei had ceased bickering. For some reason, the moment that word 'demon' was mentioned, they immediately turned serious. Xiao Kuanglei moved closer to Xiao Luocheng and secretly whispered in his ear. "Master, that girl's parents… who are they?"

Xiao Luocheng shrugged his shoulders. "According to Issei, her dad is a merchant of sorts."

"A merchant…?" Xiao Kuanglei lowered his head in thought. "How could a merchant have heard of that?"

Oblivious to what was happening, Xia Mei continued to tell Issei what little she knew about the Heavenly Sword Villa. Immersed in their talk, time seemed to fly. In the blink of an eye, three hours had already passed.

"Look! There!"

All of a sudden, Xia Mei widened her eyes and pointed at the distance with her finger. Immediately upon hearing that, Issei turned his head around. Over the horizon was a vast mountain range, where all kinds of buildings could be seen. This mountain range spanned for over four hundred kilometers and was incomparably massive.

"Is that… the Heavenly Sword Villa?"

"Yeah." Xiao Kuanglei nodded his head. "Three years ago, I also came here. It's just the same as back then."

"How long is it?" Issei asked.

"I'm not sure." Xiao Kuanglei shook his head. "Though I think that mountain range—the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range—should be at least four hundred kilometers from south to north, and around fifty kilometers from west to east. As for the Heavenly Sword Villa itself, I'd say that it stretches for around twenty-five kilometers."

"Let's see… if my memory does not fail me, the Heavenly Sword Villa is atop the main summit, spreading outwards towards the six subsequent ones." He nodded. "Yeah, that should be it."

"What about those buildings?" Issei pointed at some of the scarcely distributed buildings. They were quite a distance away from the agglomeration of buildings that was the Heavenly Sword Villa. "Aren't they part of it?"

Xiao Kuanglei glanced at them and shrugged his shoulders. "Some elders like to live away from the main building—away from all that hubbub. After getting permission from the higher-ups, they would gather a few materials and blueprints and construct their own buildings in the vicinity of the main sect."

"Stop talking. We're about to arrive," Xiao Juetian suddenly warned them. "Keep talking, and you'll bite your tongue on the descent."

Everyone immediately quieted down. Xiao Kuanglei, who had been about to speak, quickly snapped his mouth shut. His eyes flickered with pain. He vividly remembered the first time he had gone there—he hadn't bothered with his father's advice and wound up with a deep cut on his tongue. It had been a hassle to heal it before the tournament. A painful hassle.

After exactly thirty breaths of time had passed, the five eagles suddenly dropped down. Their long, elegant wings wrapped around its body as it practically drilled through the air. The unprepared Issei and Xia Mei had barely been sent flying had it not been for Xiao Juetian's aid. When they were about to clash with the ground, the five eagles let out a sharp shriek and unfolded their wings. Their falling speed significantly decreased, allowing them to reach the ground safely. Within seconds, they arrived at the foot of the main summit. In front of them was a large, jade staircase.

"What… was… that?" Xiao Luocheng spoke in widened eyes, his hands gripping onto the eagle's feathers as if his life depended on it.

"Blame Dad," Xiao Kuanglei sighed. "Despite his scholarly look, he's extremely wild. On my first trip here, I asked why he had done that. His answer?" The twenty-years-old scowled. "To spice things up."

At the Patriarch's orders, everyone unmounted their respective eagles. Xiao Nan, who had kept her eyes closed in silence throughout the entire trip, almost barfed upon touching the ground. As for her master, Xiao Yi, she gleefully laughed at her disciple's actions.

Xiao Yang—Issei's master—frowned at Xiao Yi's attitude. "She's your disciple, isn't she? Shouldn't you helping her?"

"Oh, shut up old man." Xiao Yi stuck out her tongue at him. "I don't need you to tell me how to treat my disciples."

"Can't you guys act like adults and stop bickering?" Xiao Zhong—the former World Spiritist Heir—jumped down from his eagle and frowned. "I'm trying to come up with a way to profit here."

"Xiao Zhong!" Xiao Juetian, who had been turning a blind eye to their discussion, suddenly trembled. He turned around and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Don't even think about it! Last time you tried to set a betting stall here, I had to personally go and apologize to the Heavenly Sword Villa's Sect Master, lest you'd be beaten half-dead!"

The money-loving elder didn't seem amused. He lazily rolled his eyes. "I only made a few thousand spirit stones back then. That old geezer was making a big deal out of nothing."

"Old geezer?" This time, it was Xiao Yang who sneered. "Heavenly Sword Villa's Sect Master is your junior in age. He's fifty-one this year, remember? If he heard you, a fifty-five-years-old, talking about him like that, you can forget about punishment; you'd be killed on the spot."

As those from the senior generation bickered with each other, their juniors could only watch from afar while shaking their heads in embarrassment. Out of the four Xiao Sect's disciples present, Issei was the only one who wasn't paying attention to the discussion. The young inscription master had a deep, forlorn look in his eyes as he silently stared in the direction of the Heavenly Sword Villa.

For a reason he couldn't understand, every time he looked in the direction of those tall, proud buildings, a feeling of longing would arouse in his heart. This feeling was unlike anything he had ever felt. It wasn't connected to his soul, nor did it come from his heart. This feeling… stemmed from his blood.

"What's… what's happening?" Issei closed his eyes, trying to fully visualize his feeling. However, the moment he did that, it suddenly disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. Eventually, Issei opened his eyes; his expression was one of puzzlement.

Xia Mei caught Issei's expression from the corner of her eyes. Temporarily forgetting about the elders, she turned her head to look at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing." Issei smiled reassuringly and shook his head. As he looked around in an attempt to find something to distract himself with, he caught sight of two people on the far end of the staircase walking down in their directions. They were both young, wore white robes, and had swords strapped to their backs.

At the same time he caught sight of them, so did the Patriarch, Xiao Juetian. His power surged out, causing the three elders to shut their mouths hurriedly. Their expression turned serious as they turned their heads towards him, then towards the opposite end of the staircase. The moment they saw who was coming, they all sighed in relief.

"So it's only that..."

"You had me worried for nothing," Xiao Yi pursed her thick, scarlet lips, "I had thought that an enemy was coming..."

"Quiet down," Xiao Juetian ordered sternly. "You can act like kids all you want while alone, but in public, there's a certain image that must be kept. You can't be showing that childish side to the juniors, especially the juniors from _other_ sects."

Although unwilling, the three elders complied. By the time the two youths had reached the end of the staircase, their appearances were that of dignified paragons, who could look down on the entire world. They looked nothing like they had only a few seconds before.

"Heavenly Sword Villa's core disciple Ling Wang greets Xiao Sect's Patriarch Xiao Juetian."

One of the two youths bowed down and introduced himself to the Patriarch, then to the other elders. The other youth quickly followed suit; he bowed down and said, "Heavenly Sword Villa's core disciple Long Tian also greets Xiao Sect's Patriarch Xiao Juetian."

Xiao Juetian smiled calmly, putting on airs. "Raise your heads," he said. "I'm an old friend of Ling Yuefeng—" He suddenly paused. In all of the previous tournaments, Heavenly Sword Villa's Villa Master Ling Yuefeng had always come down to congratulate him. In fact, this was the first time he had sent two juniors to receive him. "Where's him, by the way?"

Immediately after hearing that, one of the two disciples, Ling Wang, flushed red. He smiled at the Patriarch, embarrassed. "Patriarch Juetian, unfortunately, the Villa Master was unable to come to receive you. Right now, he's talking with Frozen Cloud Asgard's guests. We're truly sorry."

"Oh, so it was that." Xiao Juetian revealed an understanding smile and nodded his head. Perhaps it was due to his scholarly aura and appearance, but the two Heavenly Might Villa's disciples immediately calmed down. "If you don't mind me asking," Xiao Juetian suddenly said, "how many of the Frozen Cloud's Seven Fairies came?"

"All seven of them."

Xiao Juetian slightly widened his eyes, but aside from, his expression didn't betray his thoughts. He calmly looked at the two youths and smiled. "Very well then. Lead the way."

The two youths nodded, turned around, and began to walk up the staircase. Xiao Juetian followed in silence. The tree Xiao Sect's elders exchanged weird looks, but ultimately followed them. At last were the disciples, who readily chased after their masters.

The staircase was long; were they normal mortals, it would've taken an eternity to climb it up. However, as they were cultivators, they reached the top with little to no effort. Immediately after stepping out of the staircase, a large, luxuriant building appeared before Issei and the others. The door was already opened, revealing a vast and beautiful interior.

The two youths stepped to the side, clearing the path for them. "Please, enter," Ling Wang said, "the Villa Master should be waiting for you inside."

Xiao Juetian nodded his head. After shooting those two youths a thankful look, he led his entourage of disciples and elders into the large building.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	131. The Start of the Tournament

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 131 - The Start of the Tournament**

* * *

The Villa Master of Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Yuefeng, was a handsome man. Clad in white robes and with a sword strapped to his back, he had a fearsome, domineering aura. His eyes were sharp and narrow like swords, while his entire body seemed to emanate a sword-like aura.

Just from looking at him, Issei could tell that he was strong. Much more powerful than those Sky Profound Realm stone soldiers.

Currently, Ling Yuefeng was talking with a group of cultivators. They wore red and golden robes. In total, there were three young-looking ones and five elders. Issei narrowed his eyes. Those clothes looked familiar.

Xiao Luocheng lowered his head next to Issei's ear. "They are from the Burning Heaven Clan," he whispered. "Our biggest enemies in this tournament."

Issei faintly nodded his head. His gaze never left those eight cultivators.

Eventually, the Burning Heaven Clan cultivators all gave Ling Yuefeng polite bows before turning away. As they did so, one of the older-looking members caught sight of Xiao Juetian, who stood by the entrance. A glint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he smiled politely. However, deep within that smile, was a sharp and burning loathing.

Xiao Juetian was unfazed. He smiled a scholarly smile. After that, he ignored that Burning Heaven Clan cultivator and set his gaze on Ling Yuefeng, who was walking over to them with a smile on his face. That Burning Heaven Clan member coldly harrumphed and turned around, walking away with his entourage of cultivators.

Issei observed it all with a strange smile. Just from that simple exchange, he could make a guess at the current situation between the Xiao Clan, Heavenly Sword Villa, and the Burning Heaven Clan.

"Juetian." Ling Yuefeng smiled at the Xiao Sect's Patriarch. He extended his hand. "It has been a long time."

"Exactly three years, to be precise." The scholarly man shook Ling Yuefeng's hand while smiling. This time, Issei could clearly see that there was no ill-intention hidden within his expression. "How have you been?"

"Perfect," Ling Yuefeng said. He looked past Xiao Juetian shoulders, trying to look at who he had brought along. The moment he noticed that there were five disciples, and not the usual three, puzzlement flashed within his eyes. He turned his head back towards Xiao Juetian. "Only three can participate," he said. "You know that, right?"

"Yes." Xiao Juetian smiled. He slightly turned his head around and motioned for Issei, Xiao Luocheng, and Xiao Nan to step out. "Those are the ones. The other two are only here as an audience."

"I see." The Villa Master smiled. However, his smile soon changed into a frown. "How come your son is not participating? In the last tournament, he performed rather well. This time, I'm sure he can achieve a high rank." Xiao Juetian sighed. "Kuanglei'er… decided not to participate this time." He turned his head towards his son. "Isn't that right?"

Xiao Kuanglei nodded his head. "Yes. This time, even if I did participate, I'd just drag the team down."

"Drag the team now?" Shock flickered within Ling Yuefeng's eyes. Turning his head back to Xiao Juetian, he mysteriously smiled. "Interesting… interesting indeed." He turned his body around and walked in the direction that the Burning Heaven Clan had gone to. "Come. I'll personally bring you to your living arrangements."

"Are you sure?" Xiao Juetian asked. "Shouldn't you greet the other guests?"

"Don't worry," Ling Yuefeng continued arriving, "Frozen Cloud Asgard, Burning Heaven Clan and the Blue Wind Nation's groups have all arrived already. As for the other ones, my disciples will greet them."

"If that's the case," Xiao Juetian started walking forward, followed by the rest of the Xiao Sect's members, "then I'll have to impose on you."

Ling Yuefeng led them through the various buildings that composed the Heavenly Sword Villa. Although it wasn't nearly as big as the Xiao Sect, it had a more ethereal, calm feeling to it that couldn't be found in other places. On the way, they walked past various members of all kinds of sects and clan, who all bowed the moment they saw them.

Throughout the entire time, Issei kept looking around. Not only was he searching for the reason behind that strange feeling, but there were also a few people there that he was looking for to meeting again. Especially a certain Frozen Cloud Asgard member. However, in the end, his efforts were wasted—he didn't see either of them.

Eventually, they arrived at the residence Ling Yuefeng had arranged for them—a vast courtyard. It had a garden with a pond, a small building designed solely for practicing cultivation and a bigger, elegant building with many rooms.

The spiritual power in the area was so thick Issei could feel his cultivation base increasing just by breathing the air. It was even thicker than the spiritual power within his residence back at the Xiao Sect.

After some arguing, it was arranged that the members of the older generation—the Patriarch and the elders—would be living on the second floor, while those of the younger generation were left with the first. However, there were only four rooms on the first floor, while there were five Xiao Sect's disciples.

Xiao Kuanglei's suggestion had been to have him share a room with Xiao Luocheng. The latter almost cried. Finally, it was decided that Xiao Nan and Xia Mei, who were the two females, would be sharing the room. As both of them were somewhat shy, especially Xiao Nan, they didn't complain and readily agreed to it. Even though that was the case, disappointment could be seen within Xia Mei's eyes. She would occasionally glance in his direction, longing evident on her face.

Issei didn't notice it, but Xiao Luocheng certainly did. For a moment, he wondered whether or not he should interfere and make them take the final step, but ultimately decided against it. He didn't believe that Issei was oblivious enough not to notice it. The demonic young man was confident that his friend was only pretending.

The next day, all of the members of the various sects and clan were brought to a large arena, called as the Sword Discourse Arena. It was vast, with a huge main stage and thirty smaller sword arenas around it, all of them circular in shape. The biggest stage was three hundred meters long, while the smaller stages were roughly sixty meters in size.

This place was where the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament had been held for the past hundred years. This year would be no exception.

The seats around the main stage were filled with an ocean of people. There were at least a few dozen thousand. After all, not only were there hundreds of sects and clans invited, each one of them bringing around seven members, there were also the various Heavenly Sword Villa's disciples, who sat at the higher parts. The tournament was held in their sect, so all disciples had the privilege to spectate it.

The lower parts of the sitting area, the areas closer to the stages, was where the various sects and clans sat. There, the seats were sparser and divided into sections. In front of each section was a plaque with the name of the faction that they belonged to.

Currently, behind the Xiao Sect's plaque, nine cultivators set. When compared to the other sect and clans, who normally only had seven members, the Xiao Sect certainly stood out. Xiao Juetian sat on the right end, while Xiao Kuanglei sat on the left end. Between them, the elders and disciples were randomly distributed. Issei sat next to Xiao Luocheng and Xia Mei, almost at the center.

It was almost time the time tournament was scheduled to begin. Out of all the seats, only the seats belonging the Heavenly Sword Villa's main members were empty. All around the stage, the youths who were there for their first time were beginning to get anxious.

All of a sudden, a sharp streak of light flashed across the sky. Seven different swords appeared on the sly, cutting through the clouds. After dancing around the sky a few times, six of those swords descended into the Heavenly Sword Villa's sitting area. On the top of each sword, a white-robed cultivator could be seen. As for the seventh sword, it stopped in the middle of the stage. Proudly standing on top of it was a handsome middle-aged man.

After glancing in the direction of the Heavenly Sword Villa's sitting area and receiving confirmation, he turned in the direction of the members of the various sects and clans and introduced himself as an elder from Heavenly Sword Villa, Ling Wugou. His voice was like thunder, and even those in the far ends of the arena could hear it.

After giving a pre-match brief of the tournament, Ling Wugou's changed into one of reverence. "This year is a special year," he said. "Ling Kun, an elder from Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, has come to spectate this tournament!"

The moments those words were spoken, everyone except the Heavenly Sword Villa elders revealed expression of shock. Even Xiao Juetian trembled, fear flickering in his eyes.

"Mighty Heavenly Sword Region?" Issei frowned. "What's that?"

This time, it was Xiao Luocheng who cleared his doubts. "The Heavenly Sword Region is one of the four strongest powers of the entire Profound Sky Continent," he explained. "Those four are called as the Four Great Sacred Grounds."

"There's such a thing?"

"Yeah," Xiao Luocheng said, "though I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. Even the knowledge I have is limited. All you need to know is that they have enough power to make even the Divine Phoenix Empire cower in fear. Not only that, they are somehow connected to the Heavenly Sword Villa."

Issei nodded his head solemnly. He continued to stare at Ling Wugou with rapt attention.

Soon after Ling Wugou said those words, a middle-aged man clad in a green attire stood up. Even though he looked plain and average, everyone's eyes locked onto him. Most surprising of all was that he had absolutely no presence. Not even Xiao Juetian had sensed him before. He was none other than Ling Kun.

Ling Wugou cleared his throat, making everyone's eyes turn towards him again. "Now, I shall announce the prizes of this Ranking Tournament," he said. "The third place in the individual ranking will receive one 'Purple Striped Dragon Heart Pellet'. Second place will receive three drops of 'Purple Veined Marrow Quenching Fluid'. As for the first place..." he paused for effect, "they will be given a Sky Profound Artifact that comes from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, the Dragonscale Armor."

When those words were said, everyone in the audience widened their eyes. Compared to the moment Ling Kun's presence was announced, their reactions were even more intense. In fact, the only one who looked neither shocked nor surprised was Issei. Out of all the words that had been said, the only thing that he recognized was the term 'Sky Profound Artifact'.

He turned towards the surprised Xiao Luocheng and whispered, "Why's everyone so shocked? Are those things _that_ good?"

"Good?" Xiao Luocheng shook his head, awe evident in his eyes. "They are exceptional. The prizes for the third and second places are God-like medicines that can't be bought in the market. The first can permanently increase the physical strength and the intellect, while the other can let all of the Profound Entrances open for a month!"

"Increase the power? Intelligence? Open all of them for a month?" Issei repeated plainly. He felt like chuckling. To him, those kinds of thing were worthless; simply garbage. God-like medicine? He was someone who had the Sky Poison Pearl. As long as he had the appropriate ingredients, there wasn't anything he couldn't concoct. Moreover, opening all profound entrances for one month? The young man had to hold back a sneer. In less than ten seconds, he was more than capable of _permanently_ opening all of them with little to no effort.

"Alright, what about that Dragonscale Armor? What's so special about it?"

Xiao Luocheng slowly turned his head around to face, his expression frozen. "Did… did you not hear? It's a Sky Profound Artifact!"

Issei looked at him puzzledly. "What about it?" For someone who had countless precious weapons like Issei, a Sky Profound Armor wasn't anything. Not only did he have Ddraig, who had turned into a Divine Weapon, he also had Lonely Tomb and the weapon he had gotten from one of the Stone Soldiers, which was clearly a Sky Profound Weapon.

Not only that, Issei's fleshly body was exceptionally strong. It was already strong because of the Chaotic Combat Virtues Meridians, but after it had been tempered in the Phoenix Trials, then reconstructed by the 'Great Way of the Buddha', it had already reached a shocking level of powers; his skin alone was already stronger than a Sky Profound Armor.

Because of all of that, he couldn't understand what was so special about those petty rewards. In his opinion, their only use was to be sold at an auction in exchange for spirit stones.

"You…," Xiao Luocheng opened his mouth to speak something, but ultimately sighed. "There's something seriously wrong with your standards."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 _ **A/N:**_ _Truth be told, I ABSOLUTELY hate to write arcs like this, where I have to keep a tab of ATG opened so I can see how to proceed. Seriously, it's just so boring. I can't properly use my creativity and need to follow certain patterns. Therefore, I promise that if this is not the final ATG arc, then this will be at least the penultimate one. Also, worry not! I'm trying my damnest to make sure that these chapters will be entertaining to the ATG readers. You'll see that I'll focus much less on the tournament itself (which is boring as hell) and focus more on the interactions between characters, which will be completely developed (and created) by me. Moreover, the fights that do happen in the original ATG will end in a completely different way. I'll also skip most of the reaction parts. Seriously, ATG sometimes spends more than 3 chapters just to describe something that could be phrased at: They were shocked._


	132. Shocking the Crowd

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 132 - Shocking the Crowd**

* * *

Ignoring the shocked reactions from the audience, Ling Wugou continued to speak. "The top ten forces in the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament will have also have the opportunity to observe Elder Ling Kun performing the Demon Sealing Ritual."

"Demon Sealing Ritual…" Issei narrowed his eyes. He had already heard that there was a demon sealed within the Heavenly Sword Villa, but after hearing it again, he had a feeling that it was somehow connected to the strange feeling he had felt earlier. At that moment, he knew that no matter what happened, he had to get into the top ten.

"Now, the time has come. The Blue Wind Ranking Tournament… officially begins!" Ling Wugou declared in his thundering voice.

He turned around and flew into the seats selected for the Heavenly Sword Villa's members. Once there, he waved his hands, causing the entire arena to tremble. In the middle of the stage, a fissure appeared in the ground, and from within it, a large stone emerged.

Ling Wugou waited until it fully emerged before he continued. "In total, over five hundred and thirteen different sects and clans have come to attend this tournament, which means that over one thousand five hundred and thirty-five disciples will be participating. In order to participate, the competitor can't be younger than fifteen, and most not surpass twenty in age. Now, the lot drawing of the Ranking Tournament shall commence. Before the number can be drawn, one must be tested for their age and current cultivation level, and also reveal their name to the audience. If I call your name, walk onto the stage and place your hand on the Profound Assessing Stone."

Ling Wugou waved his hands, and a large scroll appeared in front of him. "Sky Blade Clan's Li Badao, Ji Hong, and Ye Changqing!"

On the seating area, three youths suddenly trembled. They jumped onto the stage and touched the stone with their hand. In the next moment, a light shot out from the monument, soaring into the air. It then transformed into a string of words, which said the disciple's cultivation base and age.

Their ages were roughly nineteen, twenty and twenty respectively, and they were all in the early Spirit Profound Realm.

After they returned to their seats, Ling Wugou once more announced a clan or sect's name, followed by three disciples. Even after an hour had passed, the Xiao Sect hadn't been called yet. In fact, none of Blue Wind's Four Major Sects had been called yet.

As Issei observed youth after youth have their age and cultivation base determined by the stone, he discovered that there was a particular pattern. Most of the times, the disciples were either nineteen or twenty years of age. Rarely, eighteen and seventeen-years-old would appear. As for sixteen-years-old and fifteen-years-old, even though more than two-thirds of all disciples had already been called, not even one had appeared.

Issei also came to the conclusion that there was an unspoken rule—only cultivators in the Spirit Profound Realm would participate. So far, Issei had yet to see a single True Profound Realm cultivator. As a result of that, he couldn't shake off the feeling that once his name was called, he would be getting some exaggerated reactions.

Eventually, the time everyone had been waiting for had arrived—only the Four Major Sect and Blue Wind's Imperial Family remained.

"Burning Heaven Clan's Fen Jin, Fen Juebi and Fe Yuange."

Immediately after those names were called, everyone quieted down. Everyone watched in silence as three handsome youths walked out from Burning Heaven Clan's sitting area and into the stage.

The results left the audience wide-eyed.

The first one, Fen Jin, was twenty-years-old, and at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. Fen Juebi was at the same age, but at the eighth level. As for Fe Yuange, he was nineteen-years-old, and at the seventh level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

Issei narrowed his eyes when he saw that. The gap between normal sects and the Four Great Sects was bigger than he had imagined. Previously, the strongest one that had appeared had been twenty-years-old and at the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. Despite that, Burning Heaven Sect's weakest one was one level higher, and one year younger.

"Xiao Luocheng, I have a feeling… that I don't fit well in this tournament."

The silver-haired young man looked at him puzzled. "Why's that?"

"Well…," Issei ruefully smiled. "It's obvious that I'm the only one at the True Profound Realm, and I'm also fifteen. It's not that I think I'll lose against those who appear to be stronger than me, but people will think badly of us..." He shook his head helplessly. "How did the Patriarch even let me participate? Wouldn't I lose face to the sect?"

Even though Issei had said those words, what he was worried about was actually the image of the Xiao Sect. In fact, he wasn't concerned about not being strong enough or being underestimated; he was already used to that. However, as he was now part of a sect, he couldn't simply think of himself—he needed to think of the Xiao Sect as a whole.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Xiao Luocheng gave him a reassuring smile. "In the beginning, the Patriarch wasn't exactly willing to let you participate. Three days ago, after we met in my house, I went to meet with Kuanglei, who told me that his dad's plan was to have you tag along so you could watch, while he would participate. That's probably what he had meant when he said that you would be coming to the tournament." All of a sudden, the demonic young man's smile turned into a smirk. "When I heard that, I immediately requested a meeting with the Patriarch. After vouching for you, I even had Kuanglei renounce his position. Your master, Elder Yang, also helped out. In the end, the Patriarch gave in.

"Therefore, you shouldn't worry. The Patriarch is wise. Since he made that decision, he obviously knows the risks."

Issei slowly nodded his head. It was just as Xiao Luocheng had said—since Xiao Juetian had already made his decision, he shouldn't worry about it.

After the three Burning Heaven Clan disciples had returned to their seats, Ling Wugou's voice thundered in the air again. "Xiao Sect's Xiao Luocheng, Xiao Nan and… Issei."

The instant that those words were said, on the opposite side of the stage, a young woman who wore a veil suddenly opened her eyes. Deep within them, shock flickered, along with thousands of different emotions. "Issei…?"

Next to her, a veiled woman sat. The moment Issei's name was said, her bod subconsciously shook. "So he has come..." she softly whispered to herself. A mysterious, sudden feeling of longing suddenly blossomed in her heart.

At the same time, in an entirely different area of the stage, another young woman reacted. Unlike those two women, she wasn't wearing a veil, revealing a proud face with an aura of nobility. "Issei…? Luocheng…? Aren't those names… their names?! How come they are here?!"

Oblivious to the chain of reactions he had sent forth, Issei calmly walked onto the stage, followed by Xiao Nan and Xiao Luocheng. Thousands of eyes followed his every move. He didn't care; he walked as normally as ever.

Upon reaching the Profound Accessing Stone, he took a step back, letting Xiao Nan and Xiao Luocheng go first. The demonic young men decided to be a gentleman for once. He stepped to the side, allowing the shy and timid Xiao Nan to go first. Her face was as red as a ripe strawberry as she walked forward and lightly tapped on the Profound Accessing Stone.

A beam of light shot into the air, where it transformed into half a dozen words. The moment the audience saw them, they all gasped. Everyone's eyes flared with shock and disbelief.

 _Xiao Nan, 18 years old, eighth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

Issei took in a deep breath; compared to the timid girl, the members of the Xiao Sect were clearly lacking. At the age of eighteen, she was already just as strong as Fen Juebi, who was twenty. In fact, the only competitor so far that was stronger than her was Fen Jin.

In the Burning Heaven Clan's sitting area, almost all of the elders and disciples frowned. Fen Juebi even scowled. The only one without any reaction was the Patriarch, who kept a stoic expression. Even Ling Kun, who came from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Once Xiao Nan was done, Xiao Luocheng stepped forward. When he pressed his hand against the Profound Accessing Stone, an incredibly smug smile could be seen on his face. His silver hair whipped about, while his amethyst eyes shone with pride.

 _Xiao Luocheng, 16 years old, ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

The moments those words appeared, almost everyone stood up from their seats, be it Ling Yuefeng, Xiao Juetian or the other mighty powerhouses. Even Ling Kun gasped. In fact, the only ones that didn't have any reaction were the Frozen Cloud Asgard's cultivators, who continued to stare without a change in expression.

"16 years old… and ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm?!" Xiao Juetian almost had a heart-attack. He had already known that Xiao Luocheng was strong; he had defeated his son after all. However, he couldn't have possibly imaged that he would be _that_ strong.

"That kid… who's that kid?! How come I've never heard of him?!" The Patriarch of the Burning Heaven Clan's eyes were filled with a hurricane of emotions. All of the elders behind him were shocking, while the disciples looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"That child… how interesting..." Ling Kun glanced at Xiao Luocheng and revealed an appraising smile.

Even after a few moments had passed, the hubbub didn't seem as if it would calm down anytime soon. However, it was at that moment that from within the audience, a cry rang out. "Wait! There's still another disciple…. Considering he came last, could he be even more shocking?!"

It was as if those words were magical. Immediately after they were said, all of the conversation died down. Everyone's eyes instantaneously locked onto Issei, like an eagle would eye its prey. At the same, in the Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area, one of the disciples suddenly stood up from her chair, making it drop to the ground with a loud noise.

The young woman's entire body trembled, and even the veil that covered her face fiercely shook. "It's… him!" she whispered to herself, her soft and clear voice overflowing with excitement. Her clenched hands trembled. "It's really him!"

In the following instant, the heads of the other Frozen Cloud Asgard's members turned towards her, their eyes flaring with shock. When they saw that young woman standing there with her entire body trembling, while waves of power radiated from her, they looked as if they had seen a ghost—pale and aghast. They had known each other for many years, but that young woman had never smiled or showed any expression aside from her cold and expressionless mask. And now that they saw that normally emotionless person acting like that, they could only widen their eyes in disbelief.

"Sit down."

All of a sudden, a cold voice resonated through the air. The Frozen Cloud Asgard's members, with the exception of that the excited young woman, all turned their heads in the direction of the seat closest to the passionate young woman's position. On top of it, a veiled woman sat with her eyes closed, seemingly resting. What the others didn't know was that she was currently using her spiritual power to lock the troublesome young woman in space, lest she would jump into the stage without a second thought.

"You can see him later," the close-eyed woman said sternly. "Don't force my hand. I won't allow you to cause a ruckus here."

The other girl struggled to break free, but upon realizing that she was incapable of doing so, she sighed. With a wave of her hands, her chair returned to in its original position. Although unwillingly, she sat back in her seat. Her eyes, however, never left the young man on the stage.

"Wait for me," she whispered tenderly. "I'll come for you. I promise."

In her hands, a small bamboo sculpture of half a heart suddenly appeared.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	133. One Surprise After Another

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 133 - One Surprise After Another**

* * *

After walking away from the Profound Assessment Stone, Xiao Luocheng patted Issei on the shoulders. As he glanced at the hundreds of thousands of eyes fixated on him, he sighed. "I may have made matters worse..."

"You think?" Issei faintly shook his head to the sides. "I'll just get over with this. There will be more people coming after me; hopefully, that will make them forget."

"Yeah." Xiao Luocheng smiled. "How old are you now by the way?"

"Exactly fifteen and a half," Issei said, a helpless smile appearing on his face. "Without a doubt, the youngest in this entire tournament."

"Well… good luck."

"Thanks."

Issei walked forward, and after taking in a deep breath, he placed his hand on the stone's surface. However, at the moment he did so, he suddenly remembered something. Even though he appeared to be fifteen, he had spent over five hundred years in a separate realm

Faced with such a problem, the young genius didn't know what he should do. He had already touched the stone, which meant there was no turning back. In the end, he could hope that what this stone checked was only the bone-age. At the very least, Issei knew that his body's age, because of his Dao of Time, was still of a fifteen-years-old.

Everyone watched in expectation as a beam of light shot up into the air, where it transformed into words:

 _Issei, 15 years old, eighth level of the True Profound Realm._

Everyone in the audience immediately stood up; their shock that caused them was just as big as when they saw Xiao Luocheng's cultivation. Issei, on the other hand, was secretly relieved.

"What… what's that?! Are my eyes seeing things right?! True… True Profound Realm?! So weak!"

"Is the Xiao Sect serious? Are they sending a fifteen-years-old? Not only that, he's still at the True Profound Realm?!"

Ling Yuefeng and the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch both turned their heads towards Xiao Juetian. The former looked at him puzzledly, while the later had to hold back a cruel smirk. The scholarly man pretended to ignore them; he closed his eyes and peacefully laid his back on his seat, as if what was happening had absolutely nothing to do with him.

In the Frozen Cloud Asgard's area, the elders and disciples were looking at each other strangely. Although they were still shocked by their comrade's previous outburst, what they just saw had completely stolen their attention.

"What's this?" One of the elders from Frozen Cloud Asgard frowned. "Did the Xiao Sect actually send someone so weak?"

A young disciple nodded her head. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Even though the other disciples and elders didn't say anything, judging by their expressions, it was clear that they were thinking the exact same thing.

"Don't underestimate him. In this entire tournament, he's one of the strongest ones, if not the strongest."

Everyone's heads once more turned in the direction of the previously close-eyed woman, who know stared at the stage.

"Chu… Yuechan?" A beautiful elder took the initiative to speak. Her voice was practically overflowing with respect and fear. "What… why do you say that? Is there something… something special about him?"

The veiled woman—Chu Yuechan—ignored her. Turning her attention towards the young lady who sat by her side, who was the same one that had overreacted earlier, she narrowed her eyes behind her veil. "Xia Qingyue, don't even think about it."

The young woman, Xia Qingyue, who had been about to attempt jumping onto the stage again, let out a tired sigh and let her back fall on her chair again. She shot Chu Yuechan a vicious glare before turning her attention back to the stage. The moment she saw Issei, her eyes were immediately filled with boundless love and affection.

She was so excited to meet _him_ again that she didn't even realize how strange and mysterious Chu Yuechan's current behavior was.

Back on the stage, Issei took a few steps back, his expression calm. Under the stares of belittlement from the crowd, he calmly walked back to his seat, followed by the Xiao Luocheng and the timid Xiao Nan.

When they arrived back at their seats, Xiao Luocheng chuckled. He glanced at the looks of contempt and underestimation that Issei was receiving, and couldn't help but think how ironic that was. "Man, when they see your real power, their expressions will be priceless."

Issei didn't say anything in response, but his lips curled into a soft smile.

"Say, how strong do you think you are?" Xiao Luocheng suddenly asked. "Think you can beat me?"

Issei turned his head to look at him as if sizing him up. Then he mischievously smiled, and returned his gaze back to the arena; he didn't say a single word.

Xiao Luocheng widened his eyes. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Pipe down," Issei plainly said, "the tournament hasn't ended yet."

Coincidentally, not even a second after he said so, Ling Wugou's thunderous voice reverberated through the air once more.

"Frozen Cloud Asgard's Shu Wushang, Wu Xuexin and Xia Qingyue."

The moment he heard those words, Issei suddenly froze. Xia Mei also widened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Luocheng asked, puzzled.

"She came… she really came!" Issei's chair was thrown back as he jumped up from his seat, startling those around him. His eyes were completely locked onto the trio of girls that had just walked onto the stage. More specifically, his eyes were staring straight at the third girl, who was the only one with a veil over her face.

Even though she was veiled, Issei could still recognize her.

She was…. Xia Qingyue! _His_ Xia Qingyue!

"Sister…? Is that really sister?" Xia Mei also got up from her seat—albeit more calmly—and stepped forward, trying to get a better look of the stage. "Is she really participating?"

At the same time, many factions let out sighs of relief. In the previous tournament, a blazing star had appeared on Frozen Cloud Asgard's group—Chu Yuechan. Three years before, when she had touched the Profound Assessing Stone, it was revealed to the world what could've possibly been the most shocking words the cultivators from the Blue Wind Nation had ever seen.

Those words were: _Chu Yuechan, 15 years old, seventh level of the Sky Profound Realm._

Even to this day, the leaders of many sects and clans still trembled in fear. On that tournament, nobody dared to fight her; she had won it without participating in a single match. What was even more fearsome was the fact that considering her age, she could still compete in the current Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. Three years before, she had already been at the late Sky Profound Realm. Her current cultivation base was bound to be shocking.

However, now that they saw that she wasn't going to participate, hope kindled within all of the competitor's hearts. They believed that as long as that monster didn't compete, they'd still have a chance at winning.

Ignoring the gazes from the crowd, the three Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples walked closer to the Profound Assessing Stone.

The results were shocking.

 _Shui Wushang, 20 years old, ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

 _Wu Xuexin, 20 years old, ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

Finally, it was the veiled girl's turn. Everyone's gazes burned with intensity as they looked at her.

 _Xia Qingyue, 16 years old, eighth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

Once more, cries of shock rang from the audience. Even though only a few got up from their seats, everyone was still shocked. Alas, the audience had already developed a certain numbness towards surprises due to Issei and Xiao Luocheng. Not only that, Xiao Luocheng was the same age, and was still a level higher. Had it not been for the two Xiao Sect's disciples' appearances, Xia Qingyue would definitely be the focus of all attention.

Although their expressions were still anxious, Issei and Xia Mei eventually broke free from their shock and returned to their seats. Soon after, the conversations died down, and the three Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples returned to their seating area. Following that, Lin Wugou's once more thundered in the air.

"Heavenly Sword Villa's Ling Yun, Ling Feiyu and Ling Jie."

From the Heavenly Sword Villa's seating area, three sword beams shot out. They flew directly into the center of the stage, whereupon transforming into three young men. The moment they appeared, the crowd started to murmur amongst themselves, their expressions excited.

One of the three youths stepped forward and pressed his hand onto the Profound Assessing Stone. A beam of light shot into the sky and a string of words appeared:

 _Ling Feiyu, 19 years old, ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm._

Before the crowd could react, the youngest-looking of the three also touched the stone.

 _Ling Jie, 16 years old, Spirit Profound Realm level six._

Upon seeing those words, many widened their eyes. However, the focus of all attention weren't those two youths, but instead the last Heavenly Sword Villa's disciple, who stood calmly next to the other two.

A cold smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward and lightly pressed his hand against the monument. This time, the beam of light that shot out from it was noticeably thicker than those from before.

 _Ling Yun, 20 years old, third level of the Earth Profound Realm._

In the following three seconds, not even the slightest sound could be heard. Almost the entire crowd could only stare in shock at those words that brightly shone in the sky as if reminding them of how inferior they were.

However, the silence was soon broken by a shot.

"Earth Profound Realm?! Third level?! This…. isn't this the first time an Earth Profound Realm participant ever appeared?!"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water. The moment they heard them, the disciples from the various sects and clans broke free from their stupor. Conversations erupted all over the stage, and the hubbub was so loud that it was almost impossible to hear one's own thoughts.

Compared to the shock that Xiao Luocheng caused, the astonishment that Ling Yun brought forth was far greater. After all, Xiao Luocheng was still at the Spirit Profound Realm. Even though everyone was painfully aware that he would definitely go past the middle stages of the Earth Profound Realm by the time he's twenty, he hadn't done so yet. Ling Yun, on the other hand, was already at the Earth Profound Realm. Consequently, he received much more attention.

Xiao Luocheng was more talented, but Ling Yun was noticeably more powerful. It could be said that those two were the stars of the tournament. One of them had matchless talent, while the other had peerless power. The only one that could stand on the same level as them was Xia Qingyue, who was the same age as Xiao Luocheng, but only a single level weaker.

As for Issei, he had long since become the laughing-stock of the tournament. Some people even believed the Xiao Sect had brought him alone just to fool around. Aside from a few Frozen Cloud Asgard and Xiao Sect's members, no one was actually taking him seriously.

Eventually, Ling Wugou decided that it wouldn't be possible to wait until the noise died down to continue. He cleared his throat, causing all heads to turn towards him.

"Blue Wind Imperial Family's Feng Bu, Fan Feilong and Fen Juechen."

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Feng, Fan, and Fen? What's up with those names? Wasn't Blue Wind Imperial Family surnamed Cang?"

Xiao Luocheng nodded his head. "Indeed, those from the Imperial Family all have Cang as their surname, but… none of them are actually real cultivators," he said. "They have a bunch of princes, but all of them care only about politics. As for the two princesses, they aren't really talented. Therefore, they recruit disciples from other factions to represent them."

"Oh. So this is why Princess Cang Yue was trying to recruit me earlier?"

"Most likely." Xiao Luocheng motioned his head towards the Blue Wind Imperial Family's seating area, where four people could be seen. Two of them were middle-aged men, while the third was a young woman and the fourth was a girl who resembled the young woman. Currently, the young woman's gaze was locked onto them, while the girl by her side looked at her strangely.

"Princess Cang Yue has been staring at us ever since our names were announced." The silver-haired young man passed his hand through his hair and chuckled. "She's probably really shocked to see us here, representing the Xiao Sect."

"I'd also be surprised," Issei said. His gaze then landed on the girl who sat next to Cang Yue, and his eyes slightly widened. "You mentioned two princesses. Is that her sister?"

"You mean the girl next to her?"

"Yeah."

"Then yes," Xiao Luocheng said. "She's Cang Shu, Cang Yue's little sister. She should be..." He suddenly paused. He turned his head to the side and asked Xiao Kuanglei, "Do you know how old the Cang sisters are?"

The Patriarch's son didn't even stop to think. He immediately answered, "Cang Yue is exactly eighteen and a half right now. As for Cang Shu, she's sixteen."

Xiao Luocheng nodded and turned his head back towards Issei. "You heard him."

"How did he even know that…?"

Xiao Kuanglei smiled a smug smile. "Kid, I've got info on almost all of the girls in the Blue Wind Nation except for the ones from Frozen Cloud Asgard."

"I don't think that's something you should be proud of..."

The silver-haired young man placed his hand on Issei's shoulder. "Let him be," Xiao Luocheng said. "This is what's he's best at. Not only that, it's quite useful."

"If you say so..." Issei sighed, slumping onto his seat.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	134. Astonishing Victory

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 134 - Astonishing Victory**

* * *

When the members of the Blue Wind Imperial Family walked down onto the stage, they attracted some attention. Even though the Blue Wind Imperial Family didn't have an incredible rank in the previous tournaments, they weren't exactly bad. Consequently, many smaller factions focused on them.

However, when people saw the strength of those three disciples, they were disappointed. The strongest one, Fen Juechen, was only at the fifth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. As for the other two, they were both in the lower stages.

In reality, this was one of the most powerful teams the Blue Wind Imperial Family had ever brought. However, because so many shocking cultivators had made an appearance— such as Xiao Luocheng, Ling Yun and Xia Qingyue, these three Blue Wind Imperial Family's disciples were considered as barely average.

After they had returned to their seats, Ling Wugou flew into the center of the stage. He waved his hands, causing countless beams of light to shoot in the direction of all of the contestants. The moment the various disciples came in contact with them, they transformed into small tablets, each of them with a different number written.

The moment Issei got his, he frowned.

Ling Wugou quickly explained the situation, "Those tablets decided the arena and in which order you'll fight. For example, 1604 would mean you are in group 16 and will battle inside Sword Discourse Arena number 4. Your first match would be the fourth, while your opponent would be the one with the number 1644."

He paused to let everyone digest his words before continuing.

"The first round of group fights will last for three days, with over thirty groups in total, each one with an average of fifty competitors. The disciples from each group will each have to fight in twelve fights, and the top ten ranked competitors from each group will move onto to the second round, resulting in a total of three hundred competitors. As for the two thousand and two hundred competitors who couldn't enter the second round, they will be moved into a subsequent area to take part in the raking parts. However, other than the affiliated factions, nobody will be able to observe the ranking matches in this second area.

"The second round of matches, like the first round, will continue for three days. Each of the three hundred disciples will need to participate in fifteen matches. The rankings will be determined based on the number of wins each disciple has. The first hundred spots will be listed, as well the thirty-two strongest. As for those who didn't make it into the top hundred, they will be transferred into the secondary arena.

"Finally, the next matches will be decided into two parts. Those participants that ranked between the one hundredth and the thirty-third positions, if not satisfied with their rankings, can challenge those with rankings higher than theirs. At the same time, the elimination matches for the thirty-two disciples who have won the highest amount of matches will be held.

"Those rankings are the rankings of the disciples. The ranking of factions will be based on the final ranking of their disciples."

After explaining it all, Ling Wugou shot higher into the air. His spiritual power suddenly surged, filling the entire stage. On top of the thirty small Sword Discourse Arenas, invisible Spirit Formations appeared simultaneously. At the same time, thirty middle-aged men mysteriously appeared in the center of each Sword Discourse Arena. Shockingly, all of their bodies emanated the ripples of power that could only belong to the Sky Profound Realm.

Ling Wugou closed his eyes and waved his hands. His thunderous voice shook the air. "The Blue Wind Raking Tournament…. Now begins!"

He then shot back into the Heavenly Sword Villa's area.

Three seconds later, all of the competitors stood up. After checking the numbers written on their tablets, they moved towards their respective arenas.

Issei, Xiao Luocheng, and Xiao Nan all stood up.

"What's your number?" Xiao Luocheng asked.

"0101..." Issei said in disgruntlement.

The silver-haired young man widened his eyes and began to laugh uproariously. "Man! Are you serious? You got the first match in the first arena? What kind of luck is that?"

"Some shitty luck." Issei shook his head helplessly. "I didn't want to attract much attention to myself..." He sighed. "What about yours?"

"1706." Xiao Luocheng shrugged his shoulders after regaining his bearing. "My match is the sixth. I guess I'll watch yours first and see how it goes. Maybe I'll cheer for you or something."

Issei nodded his head. "What about you, Sister Nan?"

"Fue?!" At having her name be called, Xiao Nan immediately jumped. After calming herself, she blushed. "I'm at 2407… I… I think… that I'll… also c-cheer on you."

"Thanks." Issei smiled at her. Finally, he turned his head towards Xia Mei. "Mei, are you staying here or do you want to watch it up-close?"

"I'm fine here," she said after some thought. "Do your best! I'll be cheering for you too."

Soon after, the three Xiao Sect's disciples made their way towards the first arena. He calmly stood next to the Sword Discourse Arena, waiting for his name to be called.

Not even a minute later, the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder who stood in the middle of the arena raised his head. "Group 1, first match, Xiao Sect's Issei versus Nature's Secret Clan's Diao Gan!"

Once Issei's name was called, almost all the heads in the surroundings turned towards the first arena in surprise. The moment they saw Issei stepping onto it, cruel smirks split the faces of the countless disciples in the audience. Issei was well-known to everyone there. Not because he was powerful, but because he was supposedly the weakest. All cultivators had a cruel side to them; they were all looking forward to seeing the one-sided beating that they believed that would soon take place. Some of the disciples were even envious of Diao Gan, who, in their opinion, had been given a certain victory.

Meanwhile, in Frozen Cloud Asgard's sitting area, two heads immediately turned in the direction of the arena.

"You… aren't you the True Profound Realm trash?" Issei's opponents, a skinny youth, widened his eyes, realizing who his opponent was. Immediately after, his shock was replaced by glee. "Oh, the heavens have blessed me with luck! Who'd have thought I'd get the easiest opponent right at the beginning?" Following that, he straightened his back and slapped his chest. His eyes were full of contempt and belittlement. "I'm Diao Gan, the strongest disciple from Nature's Secret Clan!"

Issei stared at him without a change in expression. "I heard your name already, and you've also heard mine," Issei coolly said. "So I won't bother with an introduction."

When he heard Issei's words, Diao Gan frowned. "Shouldn't you show respect for your seniors, brat? I don't care if you're from the Xiao Sect, but this—"

Issei ignored him and turned his head towards the judge. "Can you start the match?"

The judge nodded, amusement evident in his eyes. For some reason, he felt as if the youth in front of them, who was only at the True Profound Realm, was more than met the eye. He nodded solemnly and moved over to the corner of the stage. He let his hand fall. "The match now begins!"

Diao Gan's expression turned livid upon realizing that Issei was ignoring him. The small Cosmos Sack that hanged by his waist faintly trembled, and a green-colored saber appeared on his hand. "Kid, I'll show you—"

All of a sudden, Diao Gan widened his eyes. In the next instant, he dropped to his knees, his expression blank. Deep within his eyes, an intense fear could be seen. Following that, his eyes rolled over, and his whole body collapsed onto the ground, unconscious and frothing at the mouth.

Issei coolly glanced at the unconscious Diao Gan. Although no one could see it, his pupils had been replaced by two azure-colored vortexes. He calmly closed his eyes and turned his head towards the judge. Then opened them again, showing completely normal eyes. "Aren't you going to announce my victory?" he calmly asked.

Unable to answer, the judge could only stare at the young man in front of him in shock. He glanced back and forth between the calm Issei and the unconscious Diao Gan, speechless. Even with his cultivation base of the Sky Profound Realm, he was unable to understand what had just taken place right in front of him. All he knew was that in one second, Diao Gan had been standing there and running his mouth, but not even a second later, he had fallen to the ground, unconscious. The Heavenly Sword Villa's elder was sure that Issei had done something, but it had happened too fast, and he hadn't been able to see it.

In reality, the judge wasn't the only one shocked. Everyone who had been preparing themselves to see a complete one-sided beating was left with their mouths hanging and their eyes as wide as saucers. Not even Xiao Luocheng and Xia Mei, who were extremely close to Issei, were safe from the shock. The entire audience could only stare at the first Sword Discourse Arena in widened eyes. Even those that hadn't spectated the battle had their eyes widened upon seeing Issei calmly standing there, while Diao Gan laid on the ground frothing.

The battle hadn't lasted for even a second.

In the Xiao Sect's seating area, Xiao Juetian's eyes flared in surprise. "What sort of attack was that…?"

"That attack..." Ling Yuefeng, who was observing from his seat, suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Is that a mental attack? No, it seems different..."

Eventually, the judge managed to snap out of his daze. After glancing at Diao Gan once more, who had begun to twitch and tremble, he took in a deep breath. "D-Diao Gan is incapacitated! Xiao Sect's Issei wins the match!"

There wasn't any thunderous applause. In fact, there wasn't applause at all, only an eerie, deep silence. Even the members of the Xiao Sect were too shocked to keep their promise of cheering on him.

Issei calmly walked down the Sword Discourse Arena, his expression the same as ever. At the same time, three green-robed youths jumped into the stage and picked Diao Gan up. They took him away without delay.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, Issei calmly walked over to where Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Nan were at. Then he sat down on the ground, crossed his legs and closed his eyes, completely ignoring his surroundings.

It was only after three whole seconds that the rest of the audience awoke from their stupor. Immediately after, everyone began to discuss amongst themselves, occasionally glancing in Issei's directions. Some of them believed that it had only been through luck that Issei had won, that for some reason, Diao Gan had suddenly passed out due to some disease. However, there were also others who believed that Issei was more than met the eye.

Many of the competitors were quick to change their original assessment of him of a dead-weight to a possibly strong competitor.

The matches carried on. Although there were still people who were still shocked by Issei's match, they still needed to worry about their own matches. Xiao Luocheng was one of such people. He tried to question Issei a few times, but when he realized that his friend had no intention of answering him, he sighed and walked back to his stage. The same happened to Xiao Nan.

Both of their matches turned out to be uneventful; both of their opponents had been from low-ranked sects, and the moment they realized who they were up against, they immediately forfeited.

The same could be said about all of the matches that involved disciples from Blue Wind's Four Major Sects. Whenever one such disciple appeared, the opponent would immediately forfeit. Apparently, the matches had been arranged in a way so that no disciple from one of the Four Major Sect would be faced with a disciple from another one of the Four Major Sects.

Even after a few dozen matches had passed, Issei's match still took the crown as the most shocking one.

Three hours later, Issei opened his eyes again.

Coincidentally, the first arena's judge announced the next match at the same time.

"Xiao Sect's Issei versus Western Cloud Faction's Cai Jinjing!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	135. I'm Stronger

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 135 - I'm Stronger**

* * *

It was as if those words possessed some kind of force of attraction; the moment they were said, thousands of heads turned towards the first stage.

Issei calmly walked towards the stage, his bearing dignified and steady, unperturbed by exterior matters. A deep confidence seemed to radiate from his body, causing many people to once more change their impressions of him.

When they looked at him, what they saw wasn't a True Profound Realm cultivator. At that moment, Issei seemed to possess extraordinary might and power, as if nothing in the world could compare to him.

However, the older cultivators didn't even notice that. All they wanted to know was whether or not Issei had actual ability, or if his first win had merely been a fluke.

"Are you ready?" the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder looked at Issei.

"Yes."

"What about you?" The judge turned his head towards the opposite corner of the Sword Discourse Arena, where a handsome young man stood.

"Yes!"

"Very well." The judge took a few steps back and raised his left arm. "The match now," his raised arm dropped down, "begins!"

Immediately after the beginning of the match was announced, the handsome young man opposite of Issei closed his eyes.

Issei raised an eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing?"

The audience was also perplexed. Only a few cultivators revealed understanding expression, which transformed into cold smiles.

Western Cloud Faction's Cai Jinjing!"

"Do you think I haven't noticed?!" Cai Jinjing, the handsome young man, smirked. "My Western Cloud Faction specializes in mental attacks! It's as clear as day that what you used on that fool Diao Gan was a simple ocular psychic attack! I won't fall for the same trick."

When the crowd of cultivators heard Cai Jinjing's words, they all revealed expressions of enlightenment. Although many of them had already thought of that possibility, many others hadn't.

However, much to their surprise, Issei didn't turn downcast. He continued to look at Cai Jinjing strangely before shaking his head and sighing. "Look," he said, "there are two extremely stupid things someone can do when fighting with a cultivator. And it just so happens that second most idiotic one is closing your eyes. If you do that, you won't be able to see your opponent attacking, and consequently won't be able to dodge or block. You also won't be able to attack."

"What?!" Cai Jinjing cried out. Previously, he hadn't thought of those points. He instinctively opened his eyes. "You—"

The moment he looked at Issei, he immediately realized that something was wrong, especially with his eyes. Instead of pupils, two azure vortexes swirled within them. The Western Cloud Faction's disciple didn't even have the time to react. In the following second, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Issei's eyes had already returned to normal even before Cai Jinjing's body had fallen to the ground, so nobody had been able to see what had happened. He continued to calmly stare at Cai Jinjing's fallen body. "I mentioned there were two things that shouldn't be done," Issei said. "The second stupidest one is closing your eyes. As for the first," he turned around and began to walk away, "it's believing your opponent's words."

Issei turned his head to look at the stunned judge. He shot him a questioning glance.

The judge quickly awoke from his daze. After gazing at Issei strangely, he raised his hand. "Xiao Sect's Issei wins!"

This time, the uproar caused by Issei's victory was even stronger than his first. Not only had it been revealed that he indeed had ability, but it also showed a glimpse of his cunning and shrewd personality. Consequently, many cultivators began to regard him with contempt, but there were others whose impression of him increased even further.

A cultivator had to be crafty. Even if it meant to resort to underhanded tricks, as long as victory was achieved, anything could be accepted.

After a while, Issei's name was called again; it was time for his third match.

Hundreds of thousands of head immediately turned in the direction of the first stage. This time, even those who were in the midst of battles glanced at it out of the corner of their eyes. Issei, who was still at True Profound Realm, had been able to clinch two victories consecutively. Everyone wanted to know if he would be able to maintain his winning streak.

The moment Issei stepped onto the stage, he realized that his new opponent was quite a character. His loose, dust-colored monk clothes fluttered with the wind, and the sun was perfectly reflected in his shaved hair. His eyes were closed, displaying the strange markings that were inscribed on the surface of his eyelids. There were also various tattoos all over his skinny figure.

The moment Issei stepped onto the stage, the strange, monk cultivator clasped his hands and bowed. "This one is Kau Ziqiang from the Earth Buddhist Path School. I ask Brother Issei for guidance."

"Likewise." Issei nodded at him. Since his opponent was being polite, then he'd do the same.

This time, the judge skipped the initial procedures; he walked over to the corner of the arena and announced the start of the match.

Kau Ziqiang kept his eyes closed.

Instead of attacking, Issei stood there, feeling the soft breeze against his skin. "You are planning to fight with your eyes closed?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"It's not that I want to." Kau Ziqiang shook his head. "I was born blind."

If Issei was surprised, he didn't show it. He only nodded his head. "Alright." As he moved his feet back, he slightly raised his hand. "Then let's begin. I'll let you have the first move."

"Then I won't hold back!"

All of a sudden, Kau Ziqiang started to tremble. His voice grew thicker and deeper, while his body suddenly enlarged, muscles suddenly appearing. His skin, which had once been a sickly pale, became as brown as dust. "Earth Buddha Transformation!" he exclaimed.

"His aura increased," Issei commented, even though his expression was as calm as ever. "Originally, he should've been on the third level of the Spirit Profound Realm… he's nearing the fourth now."

At the same time, Kau Ziqiang had already finished his transformation. He lowered his body closer to the ground, pressing his feet against the ground. His leg muscles crazily expanded, almost ripping apart his robes. In a burst of speed, he exploded forward, his fist perfectly aligned with Issei's head.

Since the very beginning, Kau Ziqiang was planning on dealing a fatal blow. Issei's expression didn't change in the slightest as he stared straight at incoming fist. Even when the fist was only a fraction of a second away from his face, he had yet to move.

In the Frozen Cloud Asgard's sitting area, Xia Qingyue's body tensed. She tried to stand up, but Chu Yuechan placed her arm in front of her. "Someone like him won't be enough to even scratch him," she said plainly. "Don't act rashly."

"What do you even know?" Xia Qingyue's eyes grew dangerously cold as she turned her head to stare at the woman sitting next to her. Deep vehemence flickered within them. She didn't care if who she was facing was the strongest person she knew. "You talk as if you know him."

"I—" Chu Yuechan opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut in the next second. Her already cold eyes grew even colder. "You are in no position to ask me questions," she eventually said. "Just keep still and behave. Otherwise, I won't allow you to meet him."

Xia Qingyue's eyes flared with anger. However, she didn't voice her venomous thoughts. Ignoring Chu Yuechan, she turned her attention back to the stage just in time to see Issei dodging Kau Ziqiang's barrage of punches.

Kau Ziqiang kept throwing punches at Issei. Each of them was deadly and fatal. Were they to hit a normal cultivator of the early Spirit Profound Realm, the cultivator would have been sent flying. Alas, Issei's body was simply too nimble; no matter how many times Kau Ziqiang punched out, Issei was never hit.

What surprised the monk cultivator the most was that he couldn't sense the fluctuations of spiritual power around Issei—that meant that he wasn't using any movement martial skill to dodge, and was solely relying on his footwork and reflex.

The more experienced cultivators in the crowd had also noticed that, inciting their amazement. They realized that although Issei was only at the True Profound Realm, he had already reached the level of speed in which he could dodge the punches of Spirit Profound Realm cultivator. There weren't many who could do that. Even Ling Kun was surprised.

"I'll see how much you can dodge!" Kau Ziqiang bellowed. Veins appeared all over his arm, and the speed of his punches more than doubled. However, Kau Ziqiang never felt the familiar feeling of his fist hitting against flesh. If it weren't for the fact he was able to sense Issei's presence through his spiritual power, he would have thought that he was hitting at air.

Kau Ziqiang had been born blind. However, he was the son of an elder of the Earth Buddhist Path School. Since young, he had been taught to use spiritual power to use perceive his surroundings. After many years of training, he had reached the point where he could almost _see_ with his spiritual power.

When he had heard his opponent was Issei, he had been overjoyed. In his previous matches, Issei had only used mental attacks. As a consequence of that, Kau Ziqiang had assumed that his opponent only knew those types of attacks, and was lacking when it came to close-combat.

The monk cultivator had never been so wrong in his entire life.

Much to his horror, he discovered that the young man in front of him could dodge his attacks with little to not effort. On his face, hints of despair were already starting to appear. However, he continued attacking, hoping that a miracle would occur.

It didn't.

"Don't you think we've played around too much?" Issei suddenly asked, startling Kau Ziqiang. When he saw another punch coming his way, Issei's expression grew cold. Instead of dodging, he struck forward with his palm. The moment his palm collided with Kau Ziqiang's fist, a dull sound exploded in the air. Before the monk cultivator could even react, Issei clenched his hand, wrapping his finger around Kau Ziqiang's fist.

Everyone in the audience widened their eyes.

"You caught it?!" Kau Ziqiang tried to move his hand away, but found himself unable to; Issei's grip was like iron. "How…?"

"I'm stronger," Issei said plainly. "That's how."

"What—"

Kau Ziqiang suddenly shut his mouth mid-speech. Issei's grip on his hand had suddenly strengthened around his fist. The monk cultivator could practically feel his bones cracking apart.

"AHH!" Kau Ziqiang let out a blood-curling cry. He then fell to his knees, his entire body trembling. Once more, he tried to pull his fist back, only for Issei to further clench his hand, inciting an even higher pitched cry.

Issei coolly stared at Kau Ziqiang, his expression set in an emotionless mask. "I thought you were a righteous person at first, but you're quite vicious, aren't you?" he said. "All of your attacks were either aimed at my head or other vital parts. You were planning on crippling me."

Kau Ziqiang continued to scream, unable to answer.

"Well, let me tell you something," Issei's eyes grew even colder, "I absolutely _loathe_ hypocritical bastards like you."

"AHHHHHH!"

Kau Ziqiang's body collapsed on the ground, trembling and quivering. Only then did Issei release his grip on the monk cultivator's hand, revealing a bloodied and wobbly hand. At least half of the bones within it had been completely pulverized.

After glancing at the bloodied hand once, the dark-haired young man turned around and began to walk away, leaving the unconscious Kau Ziqiang behind. When he was about to reach the end of the Sword Discourse Arena, Issei stopped and turned his head back, towards the judge. He stared at him with cold and expressionless eyes.

After snapping out of his daze for the third time that day, the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder raised his hand into the air. "Xiao Sect's Issei wins the match!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	136. Encounter

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 136 - Encounter**

* * *

For the first five seconds after the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder announcement of Issei's victory, not even the slightest sound could be heard; even the matches that had been taking place at the other arenas were temporarily paused. Everyone only stared back and forth between Issei and Kau Ziqiang in shock. This victory was even more surprising that the previous two had been.

It was unknown who was it, but all of a sudden, the sound of clapping could be heard. Like a virus, it started to spread throughout the arena. What had initially only been a single person clapping turned into hundreds, then into thousands. Sounds of screaming could be heard as the crowd of cultivators cheered.

Even the sect masters of various clans and sects were clapping their hands, including Ling Yuefeng and Xiao Juetian. As for the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch, he only sat there silently, his face a mask of grimness.

They weren't clapping for Issei's victory; they were clapping for his performance.

Before this battle, everyone had thought that the fifteen-years-old specialized solely on mental attacks, but they were completely proven otherwise. Therefore, they clapped. This was the only way they had of showing their astonishment.

Issei, who had once been considered as the weakest of the tournament, turned into an unfathomable existence in the span of six hours.

In fact, many people were starting to have doubts.

"Is he really at the True Profound Realm?"

"How can this be possible? It's clear how he easily blocked that monk's attack! That was the attack someone at the fourth level of the Spirit Profound Realm!"

"Could… could it be that the Profound Assessing Stone made a mistake? Someone so strong… can't possibly be at the measly True Profound Realm!"

Many discussions took place all over the stage. Some people claimed that there had been a mistake, while others believed Issei's power was simply beyond cultivation levels. Those different vies and opinions soon led to a quarrel. If not for the interference of the elders of the various clans, a big hassle would have occurred.

Issei, the focus of all attention, didn't seem bothered by it all in the least. He walked as calmly as ever and soon arrived at his usual position. After sitting down, he closed his eyes in order to meditate. However, as soon as he sat down, he heard Eggy's voice.

"Issei…?" A meek, timid voice rang in his mind.

"Hmm?" Issei asked. "Eggy?"

"That… that power… was that?" Eggy asked. Her voice, which was normally cheery and naughty, surprisingly contained hints of bashfulness.

Issei frowned at that. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he suddenly paused, enlightenment flickering across his face. On his face, a knowing smile blossomed. Despite that, he didn't mention _that_ subject. After all, he knew that he had been cruel back then, so he decided that it would be for the best just to pretend it had never happened.

Not only that, he _did_ plan on keeping his promise—he'd definitely finished what he had started. The only the problem was that Issei was still waiting for an auspicious time and moment.

"That power? It's something I acquired only recently, the 'Azure Vortex Martial Intent'."

Inside Issei's World Spirit Space, Eggy looked puzzled. "Who gave it to you?"

"A certain almighty existence," Issei said. "It happened while you were asleep. It's a long story. I'll explain when I have time."

"Alright," Eggy said. "Also, about what happened before…?" she trailed off shyly.

"Soon," Issei answered. "Don't worry. I'll keep my promise."

Although Eggy blushed a deep red, she still nodded enthusiastically. She talked some more with Issei, mostly asking what had happened while she slept. Eventually, Issei had to end the conversation, as his name had been called by the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder again.

"Xiao Sect's Issei versus Dignity Splendor Sect's Gao Gang!"

Issei calmly got up from the ground and walked into the stage. On the opposite side of the stage, a bulky youth stood nervously, as if he didn't want to be there. When he realized that Issei was staring at him, he immediately moved his head to the side, as if afraid to meet his gaze.

It wasn't without reason. After all, he had seen what happened to those that dared to look at Issei in the eye.

After receiving confirmation from both contestants, the Heavenly Sword Villa's Elder announced the beginning of the match.

Surprisingly, Gao Gang didn't attack. Instead, he bowed.

"Senior Brother Issei, this lowly junior brother requests for your guidance. I beg you to go easy on little me!"

Issei, who had been about to attack, halted his steps. He stared blankly at Gao Gan, shock flickering within his eyes. However, he soon realized what was happening. Even though his expression didn't change in the slightest, he felt quite amused in his heart.

Most likely, after seeing him effortlessly beat three opponent consecutively, Gao Gang had developed a deep fear towards him. Not only that, after probing Gao Gang with his spiritual power, Issei discovered that he was only at the second level of the Spirit Profound Realm, one of the weakest in the entire tournament. Since even those at the middle Spirit Profound Realm instantly fell under Issei's power, Gao Gang believed that dealing with him would be like swatting a fly.

"Don't worry," Issei smiled at him. "I promise not to be heavy-handed."

Gao Gang let out a sigh of relief. Issei's words meant that he had gotten the message across. After a few moment of hesitation, Gao Gang produced a sword from his Cosmos Sack. He swung it at Issei, even though he already what would happen. Issei did a short side-step, easily dodging the sword. Then he pulled his fist back and lightly struck it against Gao Gang's stomach.

He allocated just the right amount of force in that punch. It wasn't enough to actually injure Gao Gang, but it pushed him back a few meters. The bulky youth dramatically fell to his knees and coughed. He raised his head and tiredly smiled at Issei.

"I…. I forfeit..."

The Heavenly Sword Villa's elder, who had understood Gao Gang's intentions from the very beginning, immediately raised his hand. "Xiao Sect's Issei wins!"

This time, there wasn't much applause. A few member of the audience even looked at Gao Gang in pity. Many of them knew that if they were to switch places with the bulky youth, they would have also done the same.

Issei faintly nodded his head, turned around, and walked off the stage. After reaching his usual position, he once more sat down.

The instant he sat down, Eggy started talking again.

"How come he was so shaken, even though you barely put any strength on your fist?" she asked. "He shouldn't be so weak, right?"

Issei shook his head helplessly. "He was acting."

"Acting? Why?"

"He knew he couldn't defeat me," Issei said. "But he also didn't want to lose face and forfeit before the match even began; that would make him look like a coward. When he said those words the moment the match began, he was telling me that he only wanted to put up a token struggle before forfeiting. In order to make things more realistic, he pretended to be heavily wounded. Though..." Issei opened his eyes to glance at the audience, "I don't think many of them bought it."

After an hour or so, Issei heard his name being called again. His new opponent, an average-looking cultivator, decided to take the same path as Gao Gang. After pretending to struggle for a few seconds, the average-looking cultivator forfeited.

When Issei walked back to his usual position again, the sun was already beginning to set. Lin Wugou quickly announced that the first day of the tournament had ended and that the matches would continue the day after.

As the thousands of cultivators exited a stage, they talked about many matters. However, it was clear that the hottest topic was undoubtedly Issei. He had even been deemed the title as the dark horse of the tournament. Some people even claimed that dark horse wasn't enough to describe him.

What truly mattered was that no one looked down on him anymore. The cultivators were sure that the power Issei had displayed so far definitely wasn't his limit. Even the cultivators at the late Spirit Profound Realm were already taking Issei into consideration. After all, they had no ways of knowing how powerful he truly was.

It was more than obvious to those present that Issei's battle prowess transcended his cultivation level. Consequently, nobody kept judging him by his True Profound Realm cultivation base any longer.

A few seconds after Lin Wugou had announced the end of the first day of the tournament, Xiao Luocheng, and Xiao Nan both hurried to Issei's position. Xiao Luocheng patted him on the back proudly, as if Issei's own success was directly related to his own.

"Man! You completely rocked!" Xiao Luocheng exclaimed. "I knew you were powerful, but damn!"

"Like you can say anything," Issei said calmly. "Do you think I haven't noticed? Both you and Sister Nan also won all of your matches."

"But that doesn't count!" The silver-haired young man shook his head. "All of our opponents forfeited before the match even started! We didn't even get the chance to show our power…." He turned his head to look at Xiao Nan. "Right?"

"Y-Yes." Xiao Nan shyly lowered her head. "B-Brother Luocheng's right. I-It was no f-fun…"

As they talked, Xiao Luocheng led Issei towards the Xiao Sect's sitting area, where the others awaited them with smiles on their faces. All of the elders praised them, and even the Patriarch looked at Issei proudly. The most excited of all was undoubtedly Xia Mei, who had rushed into Issei's arms the moment she saw him and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"He's at it again…." Xiao Luocheng shook his head helplessly whereas Xiao Nan blushed. The elders only chuckled. They were already used to the strange relationship between the handsome young man and the gorgeous beauty.

When nobody was looking, Issei tried to look around the stage, searching for something. Alas, he soon revealed a disappointed expression; he hadn't found her. The Xiao Sect's members then walked out of the stage, heading back to their courtyard to rest.

All of a sudden, while walking through the large corridors that connected all buildings in the Heavenly Sword Villa, Issei turned his head to the right, then widened his eyes. He instinctively stopped walking, attracting everyone's attention. When Xiao Luocheng turned his head in the direction Issei was looking at, he discovered that there were six, white-clothed figures walking in their direction. With each step they took, a faint layer of ice would spread outwards on the floor.

Out of the six, only four of them had their faces showing. As for the other two, they kept their faces hidden behind veils. One of them was clearly a young woman, while the other one seemed to be slightly younger. As for their figures, which couldn't be concealed by the robes they wore, they could only be considered as perfect, while their faces were heavenly as if they were goddesses. If not for the icy coldness in their eyes, they could have been considered as perfect beauties.

Xia Mei also widened her eyes. "Sister…?"

The six beauties halted their step. The four of them who didn't wear veils stared at the Xiao Sect's members coldly, while the two who wore veils were visibly shaken. The veiled young man only slightly trembled, whereas the younger one fiercely shook.

Completely ignoring Xia Mei's cry of shock, the veiled young girl stared at Issei in a daze. "Issei..." Her words were soft and melodic, like the strings of a harp. Just hearing them would be enough to make the hearts of countless men waver.

"Qingyue..." Issei softly said. Those words left a sweet, melancholic taste in his mouth.

Before anyone could even react, the veiled young girl rushed forward. Under the astonished gazes of the Xiao Sect's and Frozen Cloud Asgard's members, she threw herself into Issei's arms.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	137. Desire for Power

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 137- Desire for Power**

* * *

The veiled young woman, ignoring the looks of shock and astonishment from those around her, buried her head in Issei's chest. Her thin, elegant arms tightly wrapped around the young man's solid upper body, as if she would never let go.

"Qingyue…" Issei murmured. He knew that the situation was far from the best, but he also couldn't control himself any longer. He wrapped his arms around her back, hugging her closer to him. After a few seconds, Issei felt his chest region growing wet. He didn't need to look down to realize what was happening.

Almost by instinct, Issei hugged her even closer. His embrace got tighter and warmer. From Xia Qingyue's mouth, soft sobbing sounds could constantly be heard. At that moment, it was as if only the two of them existed in the world. Everything else, be it people, the ground, the tournament… ceased to exist.

All that mattered was them. And only them.

Xia Qingyue had never cried so much.

Three years.

It had been almost three years since they had last met. However, there wasn't a single day that would go by in which she wouldn't think about her lover.

Every time she felt pain, she would remember Issei's smiling face.

Every time she felt lonely, she would once more feel the warmth of Issei's embrace.

Every time she felt tired or distressed, she would imagine Issei in front of her, cheering her yup.

In those three years, there hadn't been a night in which she didn't dream of him. In fact, there wasn't even a moment of the day in which he wasn't on her mind.

Unknowingly, he had become her emotional support. Her world. Her entire life.

In those three years they spent apart, Xia Qingyue's feelings for Issei didn't grow weaker. Instead, they had kept growing stronger and stronger. Eventually, they turned boundless—limitless. A love so big that could cover the entire universe.

"I missed you," Xia Qingyue softly whispered. "I missed you so much..."

Issei smiled a tender smile. "I missed you too."

All of a sudden, Xia Qingyue pulled her head back from Issei's chest. Even though she was still wearing her veil, Issei could clearly see her bright, onyx eyes. When they stared at him, not even a sliver of coldness existed within them. All that floated in that endless midnight-black ocean was an endless stream of affection.

She slowly raised her head, steadily approaching Issei's face. As she brought her mouth closer and closer to Issei's own, her heels left the ground. By the time she was on the tip of her toes, her lips were barely a hair's breadth apart from Issei's own. Her soft, scarlet lips slightly quivered, filled with longing.

In a trance, Issei used one of his hands to softly caress the young girl's face, pulling up the veil in the process. As he did so, an exceptionally beautiful face was unveiled right before his eyes. He lowered his own head, closing his eyes. Xia Qingyue did the same, eagerly awaiting what was about to come.

However, just as Issei was about to cross the small distance that separated them, a sizzling voice interrupted them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

All of a sudden, Issei felt a biting cold hit his he was thrown backward, impacting with the opposite wall. A clear, sharp sound rang in the air. Fragments of the wall behind him crumbled into pieces, while web-like cracks spread outwards. As Issei's body slowly slid to the ground, a thick, red stain was revealed.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Xiao Juetian narrowed his eyes and waved his hands, sending his spiritual power in Issei's direction. Taking a step forward, he placed himself in front of the wounded young man protectively, his eyes burning with the flames of hatred.

Three lights flashed next to him, and the three Xiao's sects elders all appeared by his side, forming a line of defense that separated Issei from Frozen Cloud Asgard's group. Their eyes were all fiercely staring at a veiled woman, who had her hand raised. A thin layer of frost could be seen on each of her erect fingers.

"Your disciple tried to make a move on mine," the veiled woman said coolly. "He deserves punishment."

"Punishment?!" Xiao Juetian spat. An overbearing aura rose up from within his body. "Your disciple was clearly the one to take the initiative," he said. "Chu Yuechan, regardless of how much of a genius you are, you should know that you can't beat all four of us."

The veiled woman—Chu Yuechan—harrumphed. "Are you certain of that?" As she said that, the aura of the second level of the Emperor Profound Realm exploded out from her body, shocking everyone present. Even the Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples and elders seemed surprised.

"You're…. already a Throne?!" Xiao Juetian's eyes flared in disbelief. Despite that, he didn't back down. Although he didn't say a single world, the very action of not moving away from Issei spoke volumes. Even when faced with a more powerful enemy, Xiao Juetian was a man that would protect the younger generation.

The tension in the air was barely tangible. The elders from the two groups glared at each other, whereas the disciples looked astonished. Xia Qingyue only stood there, a blank look in her eyes.

All of a sudden, her eyes regained clarity. "What… what did you do?!" she exclaimed. Disregarding the Xiao Sect's elders, she rushed in Issei's direction.

Chu Yuechan raised her hand, and a barrier of ice was condensed out of thin-air, blocking the young woman's path. In spite of that, Xia Qingyue kept running, spiritual power brewing up within her. Alas, the moment she tried to punch through it, a repelling force struck outwards, sending her flying in the opposite direction.

While mid-air, Xia Qingyue bent her body and managed to fall on the ground swiftly. After using her sleeves to wipe the blood out of the corner of her mouth, she once more rushed in the direction of the ice-barrier. In her hands, a sword made out of ice suddenly appeared.

It was at that moment that a young man's voice reached her ears. It was eerily calm but contained a deep coldness.

"Stop."

Almost instantaneously, Xia Qingyue came to a halt. She watched in surprise as Issei stood up behind Xiao Juetian. Much to her surprise, he suddenly disappeared, only to reappear in front of the Xiao Sect Elders. He didn't look at Xia Qingyue; his eyes were completely locked onto Chu Yuechan.

As he stared at the young woman, Issei felt a tinge of pain arise in his heart. Although she tried to conceal it with the help of a veil, Issei could clearly see the hurt in her eyes, along with a venomous emotion; jealousy.

Upon seeing the look in her eyes, Issei realized how careless he had been. There were a proper time and place for everything, but his reunion with Xia Qingyue couldn't have happened in worse terms. He shot a deep look in Chu Yuechan's direction, the another one towards Xia Qingyue. Then he sighed, turned his body around and began to walk away.

"Let's go back." He lowered his head, causing his long, black hair to overshadow his eyes. "It's clear that we aren't welcome."

Xiao Juetian and the other elders hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed after Issei. The remaining Xiao Sect juniors exchanged strange looks between each other. Eventually, they also turned around and walked away. Xia Mei's gaze lingered on Xia Qingyue for a few moments before she turned around. Within her gaze was a bitter coldness that hadn't been there before.

Not even a word was exchanged between the Frozen Cloud Asgard's and Xiao Sect's groups. Even after the Xiao Sect's members had already disappeared out of sight, none of the Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples and elders dared to move. All of them only stared at the two veiled young woman, who stood opposite of each other.

"I'll not discuss this with you here," Chu Yuechan said coldly. "We'll go back first."

Xia Qingyue opened her mouth to argue, but hurriedly closed it after thinking better. After shooting a glance in the direction Issei had gone, she lowered her head and followed Chu Yuechan in silence.

She had imagined her reunion with Issei many times but never had she dreamed that it would be so bittersweet.

In her opinion, the sole person to blame for its shortness was none other than Chu Yuechan.

Xia Qingyue subconsciously clenched her hands.

She'd have her revenge.

Issei silently laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Eventually, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I've really done it now, haven't I…?"

He knew that the damage he had caused was much more than it appeared to be on the surface. Chu Yuechan wasn't the only one angered by his reunion with Xia Qingyue. For the past five hours, he had constantly been comforting Eggy and Feng Xinyi, who had spectated the entire scene.

It was only in that moments like this that Issei realized how terrible his predicament was. There were many cultivators like Xiao Luocheng who desired for a harem full of beautiful girls. However, such was not the case for Issei. After personally experiencing the troubles it could bring, he came to the conclusion that a harem… simply wasn't possible.

At least not with the girls he loved.

If he were presented with a choice, he would definitely choose a single girl for himself. However, the problem was that he couldn't pick only one girl. Feng Xinyi, Eggy, Xia Qingyue, Xia Mei and even Chu Yuechan… he couldn't choose just one of them.

Issei wasn't someone oblivious to those around him. He knew how devastated those girls would be if he only chose one. Not only that, he deeply loved all of them.

"My love-life… is a mess..." He sighed tiredly. After a moment of hesitation, he took in a deep breath and asked, "Jasmine… what should I do?"

Out of all the girls Issei was close with, the young man knew that the only one who didn't harbor feelings for him was the petite, red-haired devil. Consequently, she was the only one he could ask in this situation.

He knew that it was stupid to rely on Jasmine for problems such as this, but he didn't have anyone else at that moment.

A crimson light flashed near him, revealing the form of a young girl. Even though they had been together for almost four years, Jasmine's appearance was still the same she had on the day they first met. She hadn't aged at all. At least not physically.

Jasmine coldly stared at Issei; it was impossible to tell what was going on within her head. "Kill yourself," she said. "That would be for the best, no?"

Issei let out a bitter chuckle. "You sure know how to lighten the mood." He shook his head. "Both of us know that out of everything I could do, the only thing you absolutely can't allow is suicide. After all, if I die, you also die."

"Then I've got nothing." Jasmine crossed her eyes and looked away."You were stupid enough to get yourself in this mess. Grow a brain and find a way out."

Issei took in a deep breath and sighed. "I'm trying."

"Try harder."

"It's easier said than done."

Jasmine shot him a cold look and once again harrumphed. Soon after, she went back into the Sky Poison Pearl, leaving Issei behind.

Eventually, the young man closed his eyes. In the following morning, he opened them again. No longer were they calm or joyous. All that existed within them was a chilling coldness.

He had reached a conclusion.

Power.

He needed more power.

Although he didn't know how it would help him, there was something in his head that told him that power… was the solution to all his troubles. He was aware that it wasn't logical, but it was as if the very essence of his being insisted on it. After an entire night, he began to believe it.

Unknown to him, the Demon Sealing Jade within the Sky Poison Pearl suddenly trembled. An eerie, demonic aura suddenly spread out of it.

On its surface, a small slit suddenly appeared. Then it opened up, revealing a black-colored orb. If looked from a distance, it would closely resemble an eye.

"That's right… power… desire for power…" An archaic, demonic voice rang from within the jade slip. "Desire for power, my spawn…"

At the same time, the weapon that the Primordial Azure Dragon had given Issei, Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb, also trembled.

"It's almost time…."

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	138. That's all that matters

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 138 - That's all that matters**

* * *

The next day, Xiao Juetian once more lead his entourage into the Sword Discourse Arena. Not even a few minutes after they had arrived, the matches resumed.

Unsurprisingly, Issei would be participating in the first match of the day.

When the spectators turned their attention to the first Sword Discourse Arena, belittlement and mockery were no longer present in their eyes. All they felt was a deep pity. Not towards Issei, but towards his enemy.

Issei's opponent, a brawny youth, had spent a long moment of reflection before the match, wondering if he should just quit from the beginning or put up some show and save some face. In the end, he decided to go with the latter.

That wasn't a good decision.

The moment the judge announced the beginning of the match, the brawny young man didn't even have the time to speak; his vision had already grown dim by the time the judge's voice had reached his ears.

Issei's eyes were filled with a deep coldness as he walked out from behind the brawny youth, his whole body surrounded by a vicious, ruthless aura. His right hand was covered in a faint layer of blood. If one looked closely, they would see a blood-red area near the brawny youth's neck.

The Heavenly Sword Villa, already numb to Issei's actions, looked at the collapsed body on the ground. He frowned. "Is he….?"

"Alive," Issei coolly answered, his feet taking him to the end of the arena. "Three hours and he'll wake up."

The judge slowly nodded his head. Then he raised his head and intensely stared at Issei. He felt that this young man was more ruthless than before. Although he wondered the reason, he kept his mouth shut. He raised his hand into the air. "Xiao Sect's Issei wins the match!"

Hours later, Issei stepped onto the stage again. Facing him was a slender young woman. She smiled bewitchingly at him, her long eyelashes fluttering enticingly.

Issei stared back at her, his face cold like stone. It was as if the charming young woman in front of him was no different than a blank wall.

When the judge announced the beginning of the match, the young lady tried to follow the previous youth's footsteps. Just as he was about to say some words, Issei's figure disappeared, only to reappear behind her. Then he struck her neck with the back of his hand. The young woman's widened. Her vision went dim, and she collapsed onto the ground.

The third and fourth matches both ended in the same way.

In the fifth match, a slightly smarter opponent appeared. Instead of climbing onto the stage and taking the risk, he forfeited the moment his name was called. It was a shameful action, but none of the cultivators present held it against him. Everyone had long since noticed that Issei was in a bad mood. As long as he faced someone in the stage, the match was guaranteed to end with the opponent collapsing onto the ground.

After realizing how ruthless Issei was, many in the audience started to fear him. By the end of the second day of matches, he had already turned into one of those cultivators that nobody wanted to be against.

Even those in the seventh stage of the Spirit Profound Realm had already begun to fear him. As for those in the ninth and tenth, although they were wary of him, they weren't too worried. As for Ling Yun, the only one in the Earth Profound Realm, he was merely amused.

In the Frozen Cloud Asgard's designated area, Chu Yuechan silently stared at Issei. Deep within her heart, she regretted what she had done the day before. She knew that Issei's current behavior… was entirely her fault.

Alas, the damage had already been done. The previous day, Chu Yuechan had acted impulsively. The moment she saw Issei and Xia Qingyue acting like that, a wild, ferocious feeling arose in her heart. At that moment, all that she had wanted was to break them apart. In the end, she was driven by jealousy and attacked Issei. In reality, the one who she actually wanted to attack was Xia Qingyue, but as she was a disciple from her faction, she couldn't do so.

After a sleepless night, she had reached a conclusion. It was just as she feared—she had truly developed feelings for the young man. As much as she hated to admit it, that was the truth, and she had no way of changing it. She could only hope those feelings would fade away with time.

In the seat next to hers, Xia Qingyue silently stared at the stage, her eyes cold. Ever since what had happened the day before, she hadn't spoken even once. Her hatred for Chu Yuechan was almost tangible. It coiled around her like a snake, fueled by dark emotions.

However, there was nothing she could do about it. Her only salvation was Issei. Even if it were a mere glance, all of her worries and troubles would go away just by looking at him. At the moment, all that she wanted was to go down there, take him into her arms and never let go.

Her obsession had reached such an astonishing point that she had completely forgotten about her sister's existence. Little did she know that her sister was having similar thoughts.

"Issei… Sister… what's the relationship between them?" Xia Mei quietly asked herself, her eyes cold and desolate. Ever since she had seen how affectionate Issei had been with Xia Qingyue the day before,

she hadn't been able to think straight.

Never, not even in her wildest dreams, could she have known that Issei was actually acquainted with her sister. Not only that, they seemed to share a close relationship. A _dangerously_ close one.

Xia Mei's relationship with Xia Qingyue was incredibly complex. Since young, Xia Qingyue had been cold and distant, always focusing on cultivation. Xia Mei, on the other hand, was cheerful and bashful. Their personalities were opposites. Consequently, the interactions they had had with one another were extremely few.

They were more like strangers than siblings who shared the same blood.

Xia Mei was a kindhearted girl, even if her sister were to date the one she likes she'd just swallow her pride and pretend to be okay with it. However, if a stranger she barely knew was to appear one day and steal the boy she loves from her… she was bound to feel jealous.

When she stared in the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area again, cold vehemence flickered in her eyes. Even if it meant going against someone who shared the same blood as her, if it were for Issei, she wouldn't hesitate to do it.

However, for that, she needed power.

That day, Xia Mei's thirst for power grew even stronger.

"Master, I never knew that Brother Issei was this… this ruthless..." Xiao Kuanglei stared at Issei in widened eyes. By his side, Xiao Luocheng sighed.

"Normally he holds back," the silver-haired young man explained. "However, after what happened yesterday, he hasn't been normal. Even I'm afraid of approaching him right now." He shook his head with a sigh. "The last time something similar to this happened, we were on a mission."

"What happened then?"

"A massacre." Xiao Luocheng smiled a bitter smile. "At least a thousand cultivators were instantaneously killed. Though, I think the situation is somewhat different this time." He turned his head to look in the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard's seats. "It definitely has to do with that Xia Qingyue girl… and that Chu Yuechan also seems to be involved."

"Master, I don't know if he's lucky," Xiao Kuanglei shook his head and smiled, "or if I should pity him."

"Pity him," Xiao Luocheng said. "Issei's someone with an almost unbreakable will. For him to become like that… his situation is much worse than you could possibly dream of." All of a sudden, he looked up at the sky and sighed. "Alright. Let's call it a day. There shouldn't be any more matches. I'll fetch Issei."

"Alright." Xiao Kuanglei nodded, then turned around and walked back to the Xiao Sect's seating area. Soon after, Xiao Luocheng brought with him a cold-looking young man. After everyone had reunited, they set off in the direction of their courtyard.

On their way, they were lucky enough to not encounter any _undesired_ surprises. Aside from coming across the members of some smaller sects, nothing eventful took place. When they arrived at their residence, almost everyone immediately went into their own rooms. Xiao Yi, on the other hand, claimed that she had some old friends to meet, and promised to be back later tonight. She had her signature, sultry smile on her face.

Everyone knew what she wanted to do, but nobody stopped her. Xiao Nan, her disciple, tried to convince her master not to while blushing, but failed.

In the middle of the night, under the faint shine of the moon, a slight, cracking sound could be heard on the lower floor of the house. Following that, the soft sound of footsteps rang out, following by another cracking one.

Xia Mei, who had been unable to sleep, heard them. She hesitated for a moment but got out of the bed in the end. After making sure that Xiao Nan was sound asleep, she walked out of the house, her footsteps as soft as feathers.

Upon walking outside, she didn't see anything at first. However, when she focused on the direction of the pond, she noticed that a small, almost shadowy figure was seated next to it.

"Issei..." Xia Mei softly whispered, her expression softening. She quietly walked towards the pond. Even though she was sure that Issei had long since noticed her presence, she had no intention of disturbing him.

When she arrived at the lake, she silently sat down. Only then did she turn her head to look at him. Currently, his gaze was unfocused and distant as he stared into the waters of the lake. Although his face was set in an empty expression, his stare contained hints of melancholy.

Xia Mei didn't say anything. She stared at him in silence for a long time. Neither of them spoke a single word. Eventually, Issei turned his head around, and their eyes met.

He smiled at her. His eyes, however, were tired.

"It's a lovely night."

Xia Mei nodded her head. "It truly is."

"Mei..." Issei said, his voice serious. "Do you… do you love me?"

The young woman wasn't startled by his question. She sweetly smiled at him. Instead of answering him, she brought her head forward and softly pecked him on the lips. She pulled her head back, revealing her reddened cheeks. Nevertheless, she kept her calm. "Does this answer you?"

Issei stared at her in silence. He slightly traced his lips with his index finger before sighing. "Then I must ask you to stop."

The young woman continued to smile. "Why?"

"I'm not worthy," he said. "I'll only bring trouble for you in the future. Not only that, there are… there are other girls. If you choose me, you won't—"

Xia Mei softly placed her finger on Issei's lip, silencing him. "Do you love me?" she asked.

"I..." Issei wanted to say no, but he knew he couldn't lie to her. At least not in this situation. He smiled a bitter smile. "I do."

Xia Mei beamed at him. Using her hand to push her forward, she once more claimed Issei's lips. This time, it wasn't a single peck. She kissed him with passion. She kissed him with emotion. She _kissed_ him.

After a few seconds, she pulled her head back. Then she smiled at him.

"That's all that matters."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	139. He is MINE!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 139 - He is MINE!**

* * *

The next day, Issei woke up in a foul mood. Turning his head towards his side, he saw a young woman sleeping by his side.

Thousands of thoughts crossed his mind. Then he shook his head and sighed. "The tournament is about to start." He softly tapped the sleeping younpg woman on the shoulder. "We need to go."

The young woman's body stirred. She lazily opened one of her eyes. "Already?"

"Yes."

"Alright..." she muttered. She opened her other eyes and after blinking a few times, she turned her heads towards Issei and beamed. "Sleep well?"

Issei's expression softened. He smiled. "I did."

It was a lie. He hadn't slept at all.

"That's great." She brightly smiled at him and nodded her head. Then she turned around and got up from the bed.

Not once did she mention the conversation they had had the previous night.

Issei watched as her night-gown fell to the ground, revealing her slender yet voluptuous body. Her jade-like skin filled Issei's eyes like an ocean of white. He could clearly see every inch of her perfect, unblemished body.

She knew it. And he knew that she knew it.

In silence, Issei observed as she produced a beautiful dress from her Cosmos Sack. She donned it slowly, as if putting on a show. Although her movements seemed calm and experienced, if Issei were able to see her face, he would have known how embarrassed she truly was.

It was only when she finished dressing that Issei turned his head away. His heart was filled with complex, incomprehensible feelings.

Issei hated himself. He hated how weak he was. He hated how he was incapable of doing anything.

"Issei, are you there?" Xiao Luocheng's voice came from the other side of the door.

"On my way."

"Alright. Also, is..." Xiao Luocheng paused, his voice turning bashful. "By any chance, is Xia Mei there with you?"

Issei glanced at the young woman, who smiled back at him and nodded. Then he sighed. "She is."

Xiao Luocheng didn't say anything. All that could be heard were the faint sounds of his footsteps, which grew increasingly quieter with each passing second.

"You don't seem so happy," Xia Mei said, staring at Issei in the eye.

Issei shook his head and smiled at her. "It's fine."

"No it isn't." Xia Mei took a step forward. She looked worried and concerned. "Tell me. What's the problem?"

The young man opened his mouth, but immediately closed. Then he bitterly smiled. "It's a lot of things," he eventually said. "Too many things."

Xia Mei smiled a soft smile. "Do they include me?"

Issei widened his eyes. Even though his first urge had been to say that she was wrong, he couldn't lie. He nodded his head. "Yes."

"And do they include my sister?"

"Yes."

"What about Chu Yuechan?"

Shock flickered in Issei's eyes. He lowered his head. "Yes."

Xia Mei kept smiling. "There are still more, aren't there?"

"Yes..."

"When you want to talk, I'll be there for you." Xia Mei sighed. After deeply looking at Issei, she turned around and walked towards the door. She opened it. "I'll be cheering for you," she said. "Both in the tournament, and..." She walked out, her words left hanging.

The moment the young woman was out of sight, Issei's body collapsed on his bed. He stared at the ceiling, his expression blank. After a long time, he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Those words were directed at Xia Mei. As well as Eggy, along with Feng Xinyi. And Chu Yuechan. They were also directed... at Xia Qingyue.

Within Issei's World Spirit Space, Eggy stared at the skies. Her lips were curled in a smile, but her face was wet with tears.

"Issei..." she softly murmured, holding her hands close to her chest. Close to her heart. There was no malice or ill in her eye. Only a deep-seated obsession existed within them, as well as a forlorn melancholy.

At the same time, in a completely different place, Feng Xinyi sat on an empty, void-like space. Her head was lowered, and her hair cast shadows over her eyes.

"He's mine... he's mine..." Her words were soft in the beginning, barely a whisper. However, every time they were repeated, they would get louder, stronger. Hints of obsession blossomed in her voice as she continued to repeat those three words like a mantra.

"He... is... MINE!" Her eyes were filled with twisted affection as she cried out. Tears streamed down from the corner of her eyes, her head madly shaking to the sides. "MINE! MINE! MINE!"

"He belongs to me, not her or her or her. He's MY world. He's MY light. He's MY Issei! Not theirs, MINE!"

Issei had no means of knowing what was happening. However, he was aware that he... wasn't the only one suffering.

Although the others tried to conceal it, they couldn't hide it from him.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "For everything."

He then got up from the bed and straightened his clothes. After making sure everything was in order, he opened the door and walked out of his room. Outside, he found Xia Mei and Xiao Luocheng, along with the rest of the Xiao Sect's members, waiting for him.

When Issei walked out, Xiao Juetian immediately opened his mouth, intending on rebuking him for making everyone wait. However, the moment the Xiao Sect's Patriarch caught sight of Issei's face, he swallowed his words.

Never before had Xiao Juetian, who had lived for almost one hundred years, seen such a desolate, cold expression.

Even the other Xiao Sect's elders and disciples were stunned. They had thought that Issei had been in a foul mood the day before, but only at that moment did they realize how wrong they were.

The day before, Issei had been simply angered. On the other hand, his current aura... was one of ultimate desolation.

The moment Xiao Luocheng saw his friend, pity appeared in his eyes. Pity for the poor, ignorant cultivators that would suffer under Issei's hand that day.

When they arrived at the arena, they attracted a lot of attention. Issei's performance the day before had simply been too shocking. Although there were still many cultivators who thought themselves stronger than him, such as the ones from the Four Major Sects, there were others that knew he shouldn't be underestimated.

Like in the two previous days, Issei's match was the first one. His opponent was a brown-haired, plain-looking youth. Issei recognized him. He was one of the few outstanding disciples that didn't belong to the Four Major Sects. His cultivation base was surprising—sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

Issei stared at him coldly. The average-looking youth glared at him in response. Their enmity was almost tangible. In the audience, Xiao Luocheng sighed. He shook his head to the sides, a bitter smile on his face.

"One more casualty, I guess."

In the first Sword Discourse Arena, the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder declared the start of the match. The average-looking youth immediately lowered his head to the ground, avoiding Issei's gaze. Then a faint light flashed in his hand, and a longsword appeared.

"Take out your weapon," he said. "I'd feel bad about defeating a handicapped opponent."

"I'm not handicapped." Issei shook his head. "You are."

"What—"

Issei's body suddenly disappeared. In the next moment, the youth felt wind building up behind him. Before he could turn around, a hand appeared on his shoulder. The youth froze in place.

"I'm not in the mood for playing today." Issei exerted some force, causing his opponent to widen his eyes in pain. "Nor am I in the mood for long battles."

Issei's other hand struck out like lightning, landing on the average-looking youth's back. Instead of piercing through, it acted as a push, sending the youth flying off the stage. He was already unconscious mid-air.

This time, the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder was prepared. He had grabbed ahold of the youth before he fell to the ground, greatly decreasing the damage. After laying him down on the ground, he declared Issei as the victor.

In Issei's following matches, the opponents he faced were smarter. Instead of fighting, they all forfeited the moment their names were called. In that manner, the third day of matches ended, which also signaled the end of the first round of matches.

There were thirty groups in total, each with more than fifty competitors. The ten competitors with the highest amount of wins from each group advanced to the second round, while the remaining ones were allocated to another stage, where they would fight to decide the rankings below 300.

Aside from the last first round matches, no others happened that day. After announcing those who made it into the top 300 and those who hadn't, Ling Wugou announced that the second round would only begin on the following day.

All three Xiao Sect's disciples had passed with flying colors. None of them suffered any defeat. Everyone had expected that result from Xiao Nan and Xiao Luocheng since the very beginning, but Issei's performance had been completely unexpected.

The one who had been thought to be the weakest of the tournament had ranked within the top 300 without any losses. Even Xiao Luocheng felt that it was difficult believing that, never mind the others who didn't know Issei.

The difference between the True Profound Realm and the Spirit Profound Realm wasn't a small one. However, it was clear that to Issei, cultivation levels meant nothing.

Xia Qingyue had also passed. Although her cultivation base was slightly lower than most disciples from the Four Major Sects, it was still higher than almost all other disciples. Therefore, all of the opponents she faced had immediately forfeited.

In that manner, the first round's last day of matches came to an end. After Ling Wugou's announcement, the various factions present excused themselves and returned to their courtyards. The Xiao Sect lingered around a little longer, but ultimately excused themselves and left.

When Issei got back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard, he isolated himself in his room. Not even Xia Mei was allowed to enter. Eggy and Feng Xinyi tried to speak with him, but he ignored both of them. He only laid on his bed, gazing at the ceiling.

The following day, Issei woke up in an even worse mood. The desolate aura around his body had gotten even thicker and stronger. Just from being around him, one would feel a feeling of despair. Even Xiao Luocheng, who was normally carefree, was starting to get worried.

Xia Mei attempted to talk with him a few times, but he only ignored her. Instead of being hurt, the young woman got even more worried.

She had thought that after she confessed her feelings, Issei's mood grow better. However, it was clear that it had had the opposite effect. After much thought, Xia Mei decided that she couldn't sit around any longer. If she wanted Issei to get better, she would have to take action. To do that, she would have to understand the situation first.

And the only way to do that was to talk with her sister.

Xia Mei's current relationship with her sister had never been so strained before. They were already distant when they were children, but after they had discovered that both of them had feelings for the same person, enmity was born between them. Despite that, Xia Mei still planned on having a conversation with her sister.

She couldn't afford to let Issei be in such a mood any longer. The guilt was eating him from inside, and she knew it. Not only that, she had a feeling that there was also something else to his current state. Ever since three days ago, she had noticed a strange light in his eyes that hadn't been there before; an obsession. An unhealthy obsession with power.

And it grew stronger with each passing day.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	140. Second Round

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 140 - Second Round**

* * *

When Issei and the other Xiao Sect's members arrived at the stage, the first thing they noticed was how empty it was. The amount of people in the audience had practically halved, while the number of competitors had plunged down to three hundred. However, even though the numbers had greatly decreased, those that remained were Blue Wind Nation's cream of the crop—the talented geniuses.

This time, the three hundred competitors were arranged in ten groups of thirty. Instead of being allocated to the first group like before, Issei was sent to the tenth group. After glancing at the those who were in the same group as him, he came to the conclusion that the overall level of power of his group was incredibly high. Even though there wasn't any disciple from the Four Major Sects aside from him in his group, they were all strong.

Xiao Luocheng ended up in the fifth group. Much to his surprise, Fen Jin, one of the Burning Heaven Clan's disciple, was actually in his group. In his entire group, only him and Fen Jin were at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. This meant that their battle would attract a lot of attention.

The silver-haired young man smirked. He couldn't wait to see how strong he had grown.

In contrast to the demonic cultivator, Xiao Nan's group was full of weaklings. Not only did she not have someone of the Four Major Sects at her group, all of the members there would have been at the bottom of the three hundred disciples. When she realized that, Xiao Nan smiled bashfully. She knew that she was guaranteed to make it into the top thirty-two.

Aside from Xiao Luocheng's group, there was another group with two disciples from the Four Major Sects, the first group. In that group was Ling Feiyu, Heavenly Sword Villa's second strongest disciple, along with Frozen Cloud Asgard's genius disciple, Xia Qingyue.

As for the one who was considered to be the strongest of the tournament, Ling Yun, he was in the third group. When the competitors of the third group realized that Ling Yun was actually sent to the same group as them, they felt like crying. After all, nobody there had hopes of beating someone at the third level of the Earth Profound Realm.

The audience's attention was mostly focused on three groups. The tenth, Issei's group; the fifth, Xiao Luocheng's group; and the first, Xia Qingyue's group. After all, the first and fifth groups were the only ones with two disciples from the Four Major Sects. As for why Issei's groups received attention, it was all because of his presence.

Everyone was eager to see the limits of his strength.

Issei's match in the tenth group was the second one. The moment the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder, who was the same one in charge of the first group of the first round, called out his name, almost all heads turned in his direction.

The handsome young man silently got up from his seated position and jumped onto the stage. Soon after, another youth jumped onto the opposite side of the stage.

This time, Issei's opponent was rather eye-catching. At first glance, someone would be unsure whether he was a he or a she. With skin that _looked_ soft and gentle facial features, were it not for the fact that his name was a male one, anyone one would have taken him for a girl.

Issei only stared at him in silence. It was as if his wasn't facing an opponent, but a mere speck of dust.

The androgynous youth wasn't offended. Much to the audience's surprise, he smiled. "My name is Tsoi Li, and I'm from the Grace Blossom Sect," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet Brother Issei."

Issei didn't say anything in response. His cold and desolate gaze bored down on Tsoi Li, startling the Grace Blossom Sect's disciple. The handsome young man then turned his head in the direction of the judge. Although he didn't say anything, his meaning was clear.

After taking a few steps back, the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder ruefully smiled. He raised his hand into the air. "Tenth group, second match… start!"

The moment those words left the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder mouth, Tsoi Li smirked. Instead of avoiding Issei's gaze, he met it with his own eyes. What he saw weren't normal eyes, but instead two bottomless, azure-colored vortexes. In the following moment, Tsoi Li felt a slightly painful sensation on the back of his head, but it soon disappeared.

"So this is your so-called power?" Tsoi Li smirked. "Too weak."

Issei didn't say anything in response. His expression remained cold as he sent more spiritual power towards his eyes, increasing his Azure Vortex Martial Intent's power. However, Tsoi Li kept smiling. It was as if his power didn't have any effect on the androgynous youth at all.

Tsoi Li yawned. "Is this really all you have got? I was expecting more..."

The handsome young man continued channeling more spiritual power into his eyes. Despite that, aside from showing some slight discomfort, Tsoi Li remained as calm as ever. There was even a sneer on his face.

All of a sudden, Issei closed his eyes. When they opened again, they were back to normal.

"What? Giving up?" Tsoi Li asked. "I expected more from you."

In response, Issei coldly stared at him. He knew that Tsoi Li was trying to provoke him. "In order for my ability to work," he said, "the target must first be capable of thought. Now I understand why it doesn't work on you."

Tsoi Li narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"There's nothing in your head." Issei coldly gazed at him. "You're already an idiot. I can't destroy what doesn't exist."

"You..." For the first time, Tsoi Li displayed a livid expression. Then he threw his head back and laughed. "This is too funny! Are you seriously trying to find an excuse?" He shook his head at Issei. "You've gotta face it. You can't defeat me."

Issei chose not to speak. In reality, he already knew the reason why he couldn't use it. Tsoi Li's mental power was abnormally high, comparable to someone of the Earth Profound Realm. If Issei wanted to defeat him with his Azure Vortex Martial Intent, he would have to pay a steep price. However, it wasn't as if the Azure Vortex Martial Intent… was his only power.

Since the very beginning, Issei had already been in a foul mood. However, as he stared at Tsoi Li, he felt his anger growing even stronger. The handsome young man slightly shook his head. He needed to keep himself in check. It wouldn't do any good to snap.

Tsoi Li sneered at Issei. "Alright, I've already let you attack. Now, let's see how you cope… under my mental attack!" He raised his hand and pointed his index finger at Issei. "Crimson River, Wilted Blossoms, Forsaken Grace—"

Before Tsoi Li could continue casting his attack, Issei walked forward. The moment he did so, a ripple of power surged out from within him, causing Tsoi Li to swallow his words. The androgynous youth could only stare in shock as wave after wave of spiritual power emanated out of Issei's body, flooding the tenth Sword Discord Arena.

Issei had various means of defeating Tsoi Li. Any of his powers would be enough to beat the arrogant youth. However, he wanted an overwhelming victory. He wasn't in the mood to fight, so by releasing his aura, he would plant the seed of fear in everyone's minds. That way, when it was time for his second match, the chance of his opponent forfeiting would greatly increase.

What Issei had unleashed was the first gate of the Evil God, Evil Soul. However, after his profound veins and dantian had fused with the Heretical God Seed, all of the gates of the Evil God gained the heretical attribute and had their powers doubled.

Originally, by activating the first gate, Issei's spiritual power would triple. However, because of the influence of the Heretical God Seed, it had sextupled.

"This power… how's this possible?!" Tsoi Li widened his eyes in shock. Although it was clear to him that Issei's cultivation base was still at the eighth level of the True Profound Realm, the power that was flowing out of his body was just inconceivable.

In the audience, Ling Yun, who had only been interested in Issei's power, narrowed his eyes. For a reason he couldn't understand, he felt a sense of deadly crisis weighing down on him. If Issei was only capable of multiplying his power by six, he wouldn't be worried. However, he had a feeling… that that was far from his true limits.

Back in the tenth Sword Discourse Arena, Tsoi Li raised his hands. Just as he was about to forfeit, Issei's figure flashed. The androgynous youth, who had watched Issei's previous match, immediately turned around, expecting to find Issei behind him. Alas, he was met with nothing.

"What?!" Tsoi Li widened his eyes. "Where is he?!"

All of a sudden, Tsoi Li felt a sharp pain on his head. His vision was blackened, and his body collapsed onto the arena's ground. On to top of him stood Issei, his hand on top of Tsoi Li's head, pushing it further onto the ground.

Under the audience's shocked gaze, Issei lifted Tsoi Li from the ground by the head and threw him in the direction of the judge. As he flew through the air, a trail of blood was left behind. The Heavenly Sword Villa's elder reacted quickly, and quickly grabbed him from mid-air. After that, he announced Issei's victory.

The audience didn't applause. Everyone present only stared at Issei in shock, their mouths agape

That day, Issei was supposed to participate in four more matches. However, out of those, three were immediately won, as the opponents forfeited before the match even began. On the fifth match, Issei's opponent, a boorish youth, thought he had a chance at winning. Three seconds after the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder had announced the beginning of the match, the youth had already lost consciousness.

While this happened in the tenth Sword Discourse Arenas, the other geniuses were all having their matches.

In the fifth arena, Xiao Luocheng was in his fourth match. His opponent was the one whom he was looking forward to fighting with the most, Fen Jin. The silver-haired youth had thought that he would only be able to fight with him in the last match, so when he discovered that it was actually in his fourth, he was extremely surprised.

When the match began, the audience had thought that it would be a hard battle. After all, both Xiao Luocheng and Fen Jin were at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realms, so their battle prowess was supposed to be similar.

However, one minute after the match began, it was clear who had the upper-hand. Since Fen Jin was a disciple from the Burning Heaven Clan, all of his attacks were based on fire. However, every time one of his attacks would land on Xiao Luocheng's body, the fire would be repelled, as if afraid.

Xiao Luocheng was a demonic cultivator, but he couldn't reveal that to the audience, or else he would be killed on the spot. As a consequence of that, his repertoire of skills was greatly limited. Despite that, he could still use one of his strongest demonic skills—Demonic Repulsion.

Demonic Cultivators were, most of the time, associated with darkness. Fire, on the other hand, brings forth light. It could be said that they are polar-opposites. Therefore, Xiao Luocheng's body, after fusing with that demonic cultivator's bones, acquired an absurd resistance to fire. As long as the fire's grade wasn't too high, or it wasn't a powerful Flame Essence, it wouldn't be able to harm him.

The last time a Demonic Cultivator had appeared at Blue Wind Nation had been centuries ago. Consequently, no one recognized the skill that Xiao Luocheng was using, as it didn't possess any demonic aura. Therefore, many cultivators simply thought it was some kind of powerful martial skill.

The moment Fen Jin realized that none of his attacks were effective, it was already too late. Xiao Luocheng had managed to greatly decrease the distance between them, and his black-colored sword was already parallel of his body.

Fen Jin knew that all it took would be a move from Xiao Luocheng's part to fatally wound him. In the end, the Burning Heaven Clan's cultivator clenched his teeth and forfeited.

In that manner, Xiao Luocheng effortlessly won against the strongest opponent of his group. After that, nobody else dared to clash with him in battle. Much to the silver-haired youth's annoyance, all of his opponents would immediately forfeit upon hearing his name.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	141. The Bashful Xiao Nan

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 141 - The Bashful Xiao Nan**

* * *

Xiao Luocheng's and Issei's matches may have been surprising, but they weren't the ones that shocked the audience the most. That day, the spotlight went to Xia Qingyue and Xiao Nan.

Even though Xiao Nan was in the weakest group, there were still some disciples that dared to challenge her. Not only was she on the eighth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, but she also looked absolutely harmless. The various competitors at the seventh and eighth level of Spirit Profound Realm were confident of defeating her, even if she was a Xiao Sect's disciple.

Xiao Nan's first match was the fifth. Her opponent had been a handsome, dashing youth. The moment he saw Xiao Nan cute and petite figure, he beamed at her.

"Miss, are you sure you don't want to forfeit?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to hurt someone as precious as you."

Xiao Nan blushed a deep red and lowered her head. She opened her mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Flustered, she could only shake her head to the sides.

The dashing youth frowned. "Little Miss, are you sure? You could get hurt."

"I…I' m sure!" Mustering up her courage, Xiao Nan lifted her head and exclaimed, her face as red as a ripe tomato. She wasn't good with people to begin with, and now that she was being watched by a thousand eyes, she could barely think straight. She even wildly swung her arms as if that would make her point clearer.

"Alright." The youth couldn't help but smile at her cute behavior. It was simply adorable. "Then I promise to go easy on you, milady." He then turned his head in the direction of the judge. "Shall we begin?"

The Heavenly Sword Villa's elder solemnly nodded and took a few steps back, announcing the beginning of the match.

"Little miss, you can have the first move—" The handsome youth suddenly narrowed his eyes in shock. "What?!"

A moment ago, he had tried to bow, but he suddenly found himself unable to move. Squinting his eyes, he realized that his entire body was surrounded by thin, almost invisible threads.

"Wires…?" the handsome youth murmured to himself. Then his eyes widened. "Wait! These are… the tendons of an Earth Profound Beast! But they are too thin… were they refined?!"

It was at that moment that his gaze fell on the bashful Xiao Nan. His eyes widened even further. "You..."

Xiao Nan avoided his gaze. "I'm s-sorry," she murmured. "Master… master told me to w-win n-no matter what…"

Even as she apologized, she made a grasping motion with her hands, and five needles appeared on each head. Those needles were exceptionally thin, and could barely be seen. They were also made in a way that it would reflect sunlight, blinding the opponent.

The handsome youth gaped at her. "When did you…." He paused, realization dawning upon him. At that moment when Xiao Nan had swung her arms, he had thought that it had been simply childish, but now he realized what she had truly done. While swinging her arms, she had somehow scattered thousands of invisible wires throughout the stage's floor. Then, by infusing them with spiritual power, she had made them surround him.

"I'm s-sorry… r-really so-sorry." Xiao Nan took a step forward, her various needles shining in her hands. "But you'll h-have to… g-go..."

Then she clumsily threw her hands forward. However, hidden beneath that clumsiness was frightening precision. The ten needles all hit the handsome youth's body, tearing apart his clothes and piercing into his flesh. They were thrown with such calculated power that each needle stopped after half of its body had pierced into the handsome youth's flesh.

Much to the dashing young man's surprise, even though he could clearly see the needles stabbing onto his body, he didn't feel any pain. Then he realized that it wasn't just pain; he couldn't feel his body at all. He wasn't even able to open his mouth.

Noticing the expression of panic on her opponent's face, Xiao Nan blushed and lowered her head. "I'm so s-sorry," she said. "But m-master t-told me to add a-anesthetic to m-my needles…."

In horror, the handsome youth could only watch as Xiao Nan walked closer and closer to him. Never before had he been so frightened in his entire life. No matter how he looked at the bashful, blushing girl in front of him, she appeared to him as a gigantic, bloodthirsty devil. Were he able to open his mouth, he would have already forfeited dozens of times.

Xiao Nan kept walking closer to him. When she was only a few feet away from the dashing young man, a light flashed in her hands, and two daggers appeared. Almost everyone spectating the battle held their breaths as the blushing young woman traced the blade of her daggers along the handsome youth's arms, leaving behind a thin trail of blood.

By the time Xiao Nan's daggers had reached the young man's chest, tears were already streaming down his eyes. Even though he felt no pain, he was completely devastated. In fact, he was on the verge of a breakdown. His eyes begged Xiao Nan to stop, but she only blushed and proceeded to ignore his silent pleads.

"It's n-not my f-fault," Xiao Nan shook her head, "b-blame M-master." As she said that, her grip on her swords strengthened. She pulled her two swords back, only to struck out with them towards the dashing youth's lungs.

"Nan, that's enough!"

Just as the two daggers were about to pierce through the handsome youth's lungs, Xiao Yi stood up from her seat and ordered her to stop. Her face, however, didn't match her words. She was smiling seductively, her face as alluring as ever.

Xiao Nan immediately reacted to her master's words and stopped. Lowering her head, she apologized once before looking at the judge. "M-mister…?"

The judge trembled as if struck by lightning. As someone of the Sky Profound Realm, he rarely felt fear, but as he stared at the cute and bashful girl in front of him, he was taken over by horror. However, he was still an elder of the Heavenly Sword Villa, so he managed to quickly regain his bearing. "As competitor Jung Tao is incapable of continuing the battle, Xiao Sect's Xiao Nan wins the match!"

The petite young woman blushed. After thanking the judge, she turned in the direction of the dashing youth, Jung Tao, and made a small grasping motion with her hands. Her daggers disappeared, and the needles that had been stuck in Jung Tao's body flew back to her hands, after which they were stored away in her own cosmos sack. The wires that surrounded Jung Tao's body also returned to Xiao Nan's hand. After using her spiritual power to get rid of the blood that had stained some of the various wires, Xiao Nan placed them back in her cosmos sack.

As for Jung Tao, the moment he had been released from Xiao Nan's wires, he had fallen to the ground, unconscious.

After her match with Jung Tao, nobody else dared to fight with Xiao Nan again. Every time her name was called, the opponent would immediately forfeit. Even those stronger disciples from the other groups were thoroughly scared of her.

It could be said that the three disciples the Xiao Sect had brought to this Blue Wind Ranking Tournament were unfathomable. There was Xiao Luocheng, a sixteen-years-old who was already at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm and possessed unfathomable battle prowess. Then there was Xiao Nan, who although looking cute and charming, was extremely dangerous. Finally, there was the mysterious True Profound Realm disciple, Issei.

In the Xiao Sect's seating area, Xiao Juetian narrowed his eyes at Xiao Yi. "Those weapons that Nan used," he said, "they are all Earth Profound Realm weapons, aren't they?"

Xiao Yi avoided his gaze. "Maybe."

"Xiao Yi..." The Xiao Sect Patriarch frowned. "We're talking about two Earth Profound Daggers, ten Earth Profound Needles and more than three dozen wires made out of the refined tendons of Earth Profound Beasts. Even a single of those irons is worth an Earth Profound Sword." He stared at her straight in the eye. "I would have to spend almost one-third of my fortune to get my hands on all of that. How did you get them?"

"About that..." Xiao Yi lowered her head. "Once, on a quest, I met with a secluded expert, and he… he made weapons. So, in exchange for some… fun-time, I had him make those for Xiao Nan."

The Xiao Sect's Patriarch widened his eyes. He stared at her intensely for a long time before sighing. He didn't talk about that subject any longer.

Soon after Xiao Nan's match, in another stage, Xia Qingyue's first match took place. Surprisingly, her first opponent was actually Ling Feiyu, the Heavenly Sword Villa's second strongest disciple. In terms of cultivation base, Ling Feiyu was one level above Xia Qingyue.

However, their battle went beyond all expectations.

After the start of the match was declared, none of them moved. Ling Feiyu stared at Xia Qingyue in silence. Xia Qingyue, who wore a veil over her face, kept standing in the same place.

At first, the audience was puzzled as to what was happening. But, after ten seconds had passed, the cultivators with the keenest sight started to realize that thousands of small lights were flashing all over the stage.

Cries of shock erupted from the audience as more and more people realized what was happening. The various lights that kept appearing all over the stage grew brighter and brighter until it reached the point where everyone was able to see them.

If one looked closely, they would see that the entire Sword Discourse Arena was covered by various, minuscule objects. Those objects were either miniature sword-beams or tiny snowflakes. There were more than a thousand of them, constantly clashing in the air. Every time they collided against each other, a bright light would flash, and they would be destroyed.

Those sword-beams belonged to Ling Feiyu, while the snowflakes originated from Xia Qingyue. At first, they appeared evenly-matched in terms of powers, but as they kept clashing against and again, it was clear that Xia Qingyue was gaining the upper-hand.

After five minutes of controlling the sword-beams, Ling Feiyu had already started to pant. Xia Qingyue, on the other hand, kept standing there, completely unfazed. Although nobody could see her face, it was clear that she was composed and calm.

What nobody knew was that Xia Qingyue wasn't even paying attention to the battle. Ever since she had started fighting, her eyes had never left Issei. In fact, she had been staring at Issei ever since she had arrived at the stage along with the other Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples.

Her battle with Ling Feiyu was merely a joke to her. She had already reached such a level of mastery that she didn't even need to control her own power. Her spiritual power would immediately counter-attack the moment she was attacked.

The moment the match had begun, Ling Feiyu had tried to use his various, almost invisible sword-beams to immediately achieve victory. Alas, Xia Qingyue's spiritual power practically had a consciousness of its own, and reacted in the same way as him, creating thousands of snowflakes.

That's how the battle reached its current stage.

If the audience, who was already in awe of Xia Qingyue's power, were to find out the truth, they would have been shocked beyond belief.

For the following five minutes, Xia Qingyue only stood there, the various snowflakes destroying Ling Feiyu's sword beams. The Heavenly Sword Villa's disciple was already at his wit's end. He was on the verge of collapse, and yet his opponent, who was supposed to be weaker than him, seemed perfectly calm.

In his opinion, that made no sense whatsoever.

Eventually, he couldn't withstand it any longer. If he kept going for even a second longer, he would faint. He raised his hand into the air and forfeited.

It was only at that moment that Xia Qingyue temporarily averted her gaze from Issei and looked at him. After a fraction of a second, she turned around and began to walk away. Even as she walked off the stage, her eyes were already searching for Issei again.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	142. Unworthy

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 142 - Unworthy**

* * *

According to the schedule set by Heavenly Sword Villa, the second round of matches was supposed to last for three days. However, for many, it had ended on the first day.

After spectating Xiao Nan's and Xia Qingyue's matches, nobody dared to battle them again. Consequently, in the second and third day, they didn't even need to walk to the stage when their names were called; the opponent would forfeit instantly. The same situation applied to Xiao Luocheng. Since he had effortlessly defeated Fen Jin, nobody else dared to fight him.

Issei had it tougher. Even though he had defeated his first enemy with an overwhelming performance, there were still some cultivators who overestimated themselves and thought they were up to the task. However, this only applied to the second day; in the third day, all of his opponents forfeited before the match could begin. After all, the handsome young man had almost killed everyone who dared to fight him.

In that manner, the third day of the second round of matches ended. The competitors with the higher amount of wins ranked within the top thirty-two. That included all of Blue Wind Four Major Sect's disciples. As for Blue Wind's Royal Family, they hadn't been able to make it into the top three hundred.

According to Ling Wugou, the thirty-two strongest disciples would have their matches in the main Sword Discourse Arena, which was at least quadruple the size of the ones that had been previously used. As for those that were between three hundredth and the sixty-eighth rank, they were allocated to another area.

It could be said that the matches between the top thirty-two disciples were the ones that truly mattered. It was also during those matches that the various geniuses, who had been holding back, would unleash all of their trump cards. It was also the final round of battles, in which a victor would emerge.

The rules were simple: They would be divided into two groups—Group A and Group B. In the first day, only Group A would fight in the main Sword Discourse Arena, whereas Group B would fight in the lower arenas. On the other hand, the opposite would happen on the second day; Group B would have the main Sword Discourse Arena for themselves, while Group A would have to have their matches in the lower arenas.

In the third day, it would be the fight to determine the top five.

The competitors would each have to take part in sixteen battles. This meant that they would fight all of the members of their group once. Obviously, no one would fight two matches consecutively, as a period of rest was required. And, if someone were to be incapacitated or knocked-out, their opponents for all the following matches would all win by default.

At the same time, this also meant that those of the same sect would have to face against each other.

Issei was placed in Group A, along with Xiao Luocheng, a Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciple, and two Burning Heaven Clan's disciples. As for Group B, it contained Xia Qingyue, the other Frozen Cloud Asgard Disciple, Ling Feiyu, Ling Yun, the remaining Burning Heaven Clan disciple and Xiao Nan. Ling Feiyu, Heavenly Sword Villa's youngest disciple, hadn't made it into the top thirty-two

Xiao Luocheng was the one who was pleased the most with this arrangement. Ever since Issei had displayed his power, he had been itching to see who was stronger between the two of them. He could only hope that his match with Issei would be one of the last ones, for he knew that independent of who won between them, the loser would be knocked-out.

After everything had been arranged, the competitors of Group A all walked towards the main Sword Discourse Arena. This time, the judge was Ling Wugou himself.

"First match, Xiao Sect's Xiao Luocheng versus Burning Heaven Clan's Fen Juebi."

Xiao Luocheng raised an eyebrow. "Another one? And this is one is even weaker than Fen Jin..."

Nevertheless, the silver-haired youth still entered the main Sword Discourse Arena. Fen Juebi, on the other hand, kept standing in the same place. Ignoring Xiao Luocheng, he turned his head towards Ling Wugou. "Instead of wasting my energy with him in a futile battle, I'd rather preserve it for a more meaningful enemy."

Ling Wugou stared at him. "So you forfeit?" he asked.

"I do." Fen Juebi nodded his head. Then his gaze fell onto Xiao Luocheng. "As for you, don't get full of yourself," he said. "I'm not scared of you. It's just that a fight with you would be meaningless, considering you're impervious to flames."

The silver-haired youth shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter." Then he turned around and jumped off the stage. As he walked back to his initial position, he cursed under his breath, "Not get too full of myself? You little flamies are all so stuck-up! Don't let this father get you in the future, lest this father will show the true difference between us!"

The following match was between two disciples that didn't belong to the Four Major Sects. After that, Frozen Cloud Asgard's Wu Xuexin fought against a handsome male disciple. By freezing her opponent all the way to his waist, she achieved victory.

Issei, who had realized that his match would still take some time, turned his attention towards the lesser Sword Discourse Arenas, where various battles were taking place at the same time. His eyes traveled from stage to stage until he reached one that was covered in ice. There, a veiled young woman fought against a sword-wielding youth.

What surprised Issei was that although it seemed like the veiled young woman was focused on the battle, he could feel her attention on him. Although he couldn't see through her veil, he was sure that their eyes were locked.

"Qingyue..." he murmured. There were a thousand different things he wanted to tell her, but at that moment, he couldn't muster any words. In the end, he settled for simply staring at her in silence. She did the same.

Eventually, Issei heard his name being called. Sighing, he turned his attention away from Xia Qingyue. Then he walked towards the Sword Discourse Arena. He hadn't heard the name of his opponent, but he couldn't bring himself to care. As long as it wasn't Xiao Luocheng, he wasn't interested in fighting anyone else.

His opponent wasn't Xiao Luocheng. The one who stood opposite of him was actually the Burning Heaven Clan's disciple who had lost to Xiao Luocheng in the previous round of battles, Fen Jin.

Issei sighed. If there was a field he specialized at, it would be fire. He had the fire seed of the Evil God, which made him thoroughly impervious to all kinds of fires and flames, along with a Flame Essence that contained the Primordial Azure Dragon's Flame Essence, which was of the highest grade in existence. As if that wasn't enough, he even had a thousand drops of blood from each of the Three Divine Fire Beasts, insane comprehension of the Dao of Fire, and an inconceivable grade of fire Origin Energy Fusion compatibility.

Even in the Higher Realm, it would be impossible to find someone who was as intimate with fire as Issei was.

Therefore, a match against Fen Jin was absolutely worthless to him. There would be no suspense, no thrill; his victory was set in stone.

Fen Jin, ignorant to the mess he was getting himself into, smirked when he realized who his opponent was. "The Xiao Sect's black-horse? Good, good! Even though I lost to that silver-haired freak, I'll be able to regain the pride of the Burning Heaven Clan by stopping your winning streak!"

Issei didn't say anything in response. He just stood there, waiting for Ling Wugou to announce the beginning of the match.

"Are both competitors ready?" Issei and Fen Jin nodded. Ling Wugou took a few steps back and raised his hand. "Then the match now begins!"

Fen Jin acted almost immediately. His feet struck hard against the ground, sending him up in the air. While airborne, he struck out his hands, his fingers stretched wide. "Burning Heaven Blade—Loath of the Fire Lord!"

On top of each of Fen Jin's fingers, lotuses made out of fire bloomed. From within each fire lotus, a small, blade-like flame flew out. In total, there were ten of them, flying in circles around the Burning Heaven Clan's strongest disciple. Still mid-air, Fen Jin punched out towards Issei, causing the ten fire blades to fly towards Issei. As they sailed through the air, they increased in size. By the time they were about to reach Issei, they were over two meters long.

Fen Jin deserved his title of genius. Before the swords could even reach Issei, he had already started casting another martial skill. "Burning Heaven Blade—Descent of the Crimson Phoenix!" Fen Jin struck his palm together, and a huge phoenix made out of flames appeared in front of him. A sneer appeared on his face as he sent it forth in Issei's direction.

He was sure that if Issei somehow managed to avoid the ten fire blades, he would still be caught by the crimson phoenix. In his opinion, it was a foolproof plan.

Alas, his opponent was Issei.

Instead of dodging, Issei raised one of his arms in the direction of the incoming swords. Then, with a completely calm expression, he watched as the fire sword struck against his hand. It was at that moment that Fen Jin's sneer disappeared.

Much to the Burning Heaven Clan's disciple shock and disbelief, the fire sword disappeared the moment it came into contact with Issei's hand. The nine remaining swords suffered the same fate; the moment they touched Issei, they disintegrated.

Issei's cold expression changed when he saw the flaming crimson phoenix. Not because he was scared, but because what it represented. "A phoenix…?" Boundless anger appeared within Issei's eyes. "You're not even worthy… of using an ability that resembles her!"

Overwhelmed by anger, Issei decided to make a move. His eyes grew dangerously cold as he snapped his fingers. The Flaming Phoenix, which had been about to reach him, suddenly stopped while mid-air. Then it changed colors, becoming golden. Following that, it spun around in the air, turning in Fen Jin's direction.

Fen Jin couldn't believe his eyes. When he saw his own martial skill listen to Issei's commands and target him, he felt as if he was in a nightmare. Not only was he mid-air, unable to dodge, he was also under a dazed state. By the time he snapped out of his shock, it was already too late.

The flaming golden phoenix ruthlessly collided against Fen Jin's body, sending him flying through the air like a kite without a string. Golden flames brightly burned on the youth's body, devouring everything. His clothes were gone in seconds, and his skin was charred black the moment it came into contact with the golden flames.

However, before the situation could get out of control, Ling Wugou waved his hands, and all of the flames on Fen Jin's body slightly trembled before disappearing. At the same time, a Burning Heaven Clan's elder appeared next to Fen Jin's charred body, grabbing him from mid-air. After shooting a vicious look at Issei, the elder took Fen Jin's body away.

Issei was fearless. He glared back at the Burning Heaven Clan's elders, and not even a shred of guilt could be found in his stare. In fact, it seemed provocative, as if daring him to do anything. After the Burning Heaven Clan's elder was out of sight, Issei turned his head around to face Ling Wugou.

"It's my victory?"

It was a rhetoric question; he already knew the answer.

Nevertheless, Ling Wugou nodded his head. Facing the audience, he announced Issei's victory: "Xiao Sect's Issei wins the match!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 _ **A/N: Fellow Cultivators, please check your inbox. There's a great chance I have sent you a PM recently, so please check it.**_


	143. I Love Him

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 142 - I Love Him**

* * *

After his victory against Fen Jin, Issei calmly walked over to his original position outside the state. Burning stares followed each step he took.

Shock, amazement, and disbelief all flashed in the eyes of everyone present. Ever since Issei had shown his battle prowess, they had already known that he was strong, but only after his match against Fen Jin did they realize how fearsome he could be.

Fen Jin was a cultivator at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. Not only that, as a disciple of the Burning Heaven Clan, his foundations were firm and solid. In terms of actual battle-power, he could compare to someone at the tenth level of the Spirit Profound Realm or even the first level of the Earth Profound Realm.

However, Issei, a mere True Profound Realm cultivator, had rendered him unconscious not even five minutes after the fight began. As if that wasn't enough, he had actually used Fen Jin's own ability to accomplish that feat.

It was one thing to use your own martial skill, but to wrest away a cultivator's control over their own martial skill, empower it and then use it against the caster was simply unbelievable.

After Xiao Luocheng's match, everyone had imagined that the Xiao Sect had nurtured a disciple that was naturally talented with fire-attributed skills. However, it was only after seeing Issei's match against Fen Jin that they realized who the true talent was.

In the audience's opinion, Xiao Luocheng was a rare talent, but Issei was simply a monster.

In the entire history of the Blue Wind Nation's, the shock Issei had brought forth was only second to the shock they had upon seeing Chu Yuechan's cultivation level three years ago.

"Damn." Xiao Luocheng let out a dry whistle. "You went a little overboard, don't you think?"

Issei stared at him in silence for a few seconds before turning his head towards the stage. "He deserved it."

Xiao Luocheng smiled. "What? Because he looked down on you? I know you're not the type to get bothered by that." He paused. "It has to do with that last skill he used, right? That's what pissed you off."

Ignoring Xiao Luocheng's observation, Issei sat down on the ground and closed his eyes. Although he didn't say anything, his message was clear.

The silver-haired young man sighed. "I forgot he was still in _that_ mood..." After glancing in the direction of the lesser Sword Discourse Arenas, he lightly shook his head to the side. Then he sat down on the ground, also entering a meditating position. However, he kept his eyes open, different from Issei.

After all, he still wanted to see the following matches.

Eventually, Xiao Luocheng heard his name be called again. He went up to the stage, and after a short match, he was deigned the victor. There was no suspense at all.

Then it was Issei's turn. His battle was against a cultivator from a sect outside the Four Major Sects. Just as he was about to step onto the stage, the cultivator forfeited. Although he found it odd, Issei glanced at Ling Wugou's direction before going back to his resting place.

Slowly, the day went on. As they were each supposed to fight in 8 matches that day, it took well over a few hours for everyone to fill their quota of matches.

Xiao Luocheng won all of them. When the day finished, he had a smile on his face. The same could be said about Issei, but he wasn't smiling.

The Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciple also didn't suffer any losses. Out of all disciples from the Four Major Sects present in Group A, the only ones who lost were Fen Juebi and Fen Jin. The former forfeited before his match against Xiao Luocheng began, while the latter was incapacitated by Issei.

The Xiao Sect didn't originally have good relationships with the Burning Heaven Clan, to begin with. Now that Issei, a Xiao Sect's disciple, had severely injured their most powerful disciple, the hatred burning in the eyes of the Burning Heaven Clan's disciples and elders was scorching. Even the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch's stare was filled with vehemence as he stared at Issei.

Xiao Juetian was well aware of that. The moment Issei had won and rendered Fen Jin unconscious, he had intentionally flared his own aura to stop the Burning Heaven Clan's elders from attacking Issei. Even though he had been paying close attention to the fights in Group A and Group B, he would occasionally glance in the direction of the Burning Heaven's Clans sitting area to make sure they weren't plotting anything.

After all, he considered Issei to be one of the most important disciples of the Xiao Sect. Originally, because of his overwhelming talent in formations, Issei had already become one of the disciples he had to pay attention to, but after witnessing his victories in the Blue Wind Tournament, Xiao Juetian had to admit that Issei was a monstrous genius.

He had already decided; the moment they got back at the Xiao Sect, he would provide Issei with all the resources he wanted. Even if that meant that Issei would neglect his study on inscription symbols, Xiao Juetian didn't care. Issei's talent was far too shocking, and there was also Xiao Huan, who could take over his role as the Formations Heir.

In order to let the Xiao Sect have another powerhouse in the future, Xiao Juetian was prepared to sacrifice everything.

"In sixty years—No! Forty years," Xiao Juetian murmured, "there's a chance my Xiao Sect will have two other Emperor Profound Realm reserves. The Ancestor is at the end of his longevity, and the only reason why he's still alive is to make sure Heavenly Sword Villa's old monster won't take action against us. Before he passes away, I must make sure to give my Xiao Sect another powerful backbone."

Right after Issei and Xiao Luocheng returned, the blushing Xiao Nan rushed back to the Xiao Sect's area. Even though her face was flushed—red like a ripe tomato—and her eyes shone with bashfulness and innocence, there were various drops of blood all over her clothes.

Her first opponent didn't forfeit and decided to battle her, even though he had seen how miserably Xiao Nan's previous opponent had lost. If it weren't for Xiao Yi interfering once more, Xiao Nan would have relieved him of a few limbs. Those various drops of blood were also from him.

Needless to say, all of the following opponents forfeited.

When Xiao Juetian saw the results, he smiled proudly. This year, the Xiao Sect had really outdone itself. None of his disciples had suffered even a single loss! However, what he liked the most was the fact that Burning Heaven Clan's had already suffered more than four losses. One of them was in the previous round, in the match between Xiao Luocheng and Fen Jin. Then there were two more in Group A, and finally, Fen Yuange, another Burning Heaven Clan's disciple, forfeited against Ling Yun in Group B.

"This year, our results sure are excellent," Xiao Yang, Issei's formations master, commented. "The Burning Heaven Clan already lost four times, and even Heavenly Sword Villa's suffered two losses, both of them in the second round. Currently, the only two groups with only wins are us and the Frozen Cloud Asgard."

In contrast to him, Xiao Zhong, the Formations Elder, was terribly downcast. "I could've made so much money! That Issei disciple, he's simply a gold mine! Specially in his first match. The odds against him would be at least 1 to 10000…. so many spirit stones..."

Before he could continue complaining, Xiao Juetian smacked him on the back of his head. "Quiet down, greedy monkey. Let Ling Yuefeng hear that, and not even I will be able to save you. You are well aware of how much he condemns betting stalls."

While the ones from the senior generation discussed, the disciples walked in an uncomfortable silence. They had attempted to speak many times, but the cold aura around Issei's body made it impossible for them to hold a proper conversation. Xia Mei kept getting more and more concerned.

When they reached the Xiao Sect's courtyards, the elders reunited in the second floor, while those from the junior generation each went to their own rooms. However, deep into the night, one of the doors opened. A few minutes later, Xia Mei walked outside their courtyard.

As she walked through the various corridors in the Heavenly Sword Villa's main building, Xia Mei was constantly on the look-out. Although there were no explicit rules about venturing out at night, she didn't want to get caught doing so.

Eventually, after walking across various corridors, she arrived in front of a vast courtyard. It was slightly bigger when compared to the Xiao Sect's courtyard, and seemed to be in a world of its own. There was a cold, threatening aura surrounding it, and snowflakes could occasionally be seen falling from the skies above it.

This was Frozen Cloud Asgard's Courtyard. She had arrived at her destination.

"How should I get her to meet me…?" Xia Mei stared at the cold courtyard, wondering how she should proceed. Then her gaze fell on the small, frozen pond next to the courtyard, and her eyes widened. On its edge stood a veiled young woman, who stared at the water in a trance.

"Sister…?"

Although Xia Mei's words were barely a whisper, the young woman's head snapped in her direction. Then, before Xia Mei could understand what was going on, the young woman disappeared from her field of vision.

Xia Mei's instincts kicked into action, and she immediately turned her body around, coming face to face with the same young women from before.

"What are you doing here?" The veiled young woman's veil fluttered with the wind, revealing hints of her heavenly appearance. "Mei."

The graceful young woman took in a deep breath. Even though she hadn't seen her sister in years, her aura was still as cold and as threatening as ever. "I came to meet you."

Xia Qingyue stared at her deeply. "Is it about _him_?"

"Yes."

"Then we have nothing to talk." The veiled young woman shook her head. "It isn't your place to intrude in this matters."

Xia Mei narrowed her eyes. "It is."

"What do you mean?"

The older sister's stare was burning as she stared at her younger, veiled sister. "I love him. That's enough reason."

"You..." A cold aura surged out from the veiled young woman's body. "Love him…?"

"I do." Xia Mei firmly nodded her head. "As much as you, if not more."

The moment those words were said, a cold current of air hit Xia Qingyue. Her veil, which had once covered her face, was thrown into the air, revealing her burning gaze. "You know nothing," she coldly stated. "I love him, not you. He's mine."

"He's yours?" Even in the face of her younger sister, who held enough power to easily end her life, Xia Mei dryly laughed. "What gives you the right to say so?"

"We've already sealed the pact," Xia Qingyue said. "We kissed. We exchanged our deepest secrets."

In response to her sister's words, Xia Mei sighed shook her head. "I've already kissed him. Moreover, deepest secrets…? Then, did you know? There are more girls."

The temperature plummeted.

"What?" Xia Qingyue asked, her words as cold as ice.

"If you don't believe me, go ask him yourself." Xia Mei shook her head. "I'm prepared to accept that, even if unwillingly. But are you, who claims to love him, prepared to accept it? Or is your love… not strong enough?"

Unknowingly, Xia Mei had long since forgotten her original reason for coming there. As of that moment, she was trying to establish her superiority, regardless of the cost.

However, her words had the opposite effect. The moment Xia Qingyue heard them, she turned her head away. Then she started walking in the direction of her courtyard, surprising Xia Mei.

When she was about to reach it, she stopped walking. Without turning around, she said, "This time, I won't do anything. However, next time, don't blame me if something happens. Even if you're my sister, I won't hold back." After saying that, she followed with even colder words, "I love him. I love him more than you, more than anyone. If you don't want to get hurt, give up right now."

Xia Qingyue didn't wait for Xia Mei's response. The moment she finished speaking, her body disappeared into the courtyard.

"Qingyue…" Xia Mei stared deeply in the direction Xia Qingyue had disappeared into. Then she clenched her hands and turned around, walking back to the Xiao Sect.

The young woman's expression was no longer cheerful, or even bashful. Her face was a mask of coldness, while her eyes gleamed with a sinister light. Deep within her heart, her desire for power got even stronger.

Within her body, shocking changes took place. Xia Mei's profound veins and dantian trembled and pulsated. A tyrannical, wild energy was slowly forming within them.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	144. Fear

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 144 - Fear**

* * *

The next morning found Xia Mei shivering on her bed. Her eyelids abruptly parted, revealing bloodshot eyes. She felt pain in her entire body. It was as if there were thousands of ants squirming beneath her skin, eating her flesh and blood from inside. Her heart thumped wildly, and a faint light surrounded her profound veins and dantian.

It was only after an entire hour that the pain died down. Her eyes returned to normal, and all of the unpleasant sensations faded away. Xia Mei could only lay there, gasping for breath. Her eyes were filled with horror and shock.

"What… what was that?" she murmured between deep breaths.

Xiao Nan, who had been soundly asleep, was woken by Xia Mei's rapid breathing. Lazily raising her head from her cushion, she stared at Xia Mei through half-opened eyes. "Nightmare…?" she asked.

"I guess." Xia Mei took a minute to compose herself. Eventually, she turned her head in Xiao Nan's direction and smiled. "It's alright now. Sorry for waking you up."

"Alright…" Xia Nan slowly nodded her head and pulled up her covers over her head. She was asleep within seconds.

Xia Mei stared at her own body in silence for a long time before sighing. She didn't know what had happened, but she didn't want others to worry about her. In the end, she decided to keep it a secret. "Maybe it's the stress..."

After a few moments, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her head and went back to sleep. It would still be a while before today's rounds of the tournament started, after all.

Had she checked her profound veins, she would have discovered that her spiritual power was significantly thicker than when compared to before.

Four hours later, Xia Mei was back in the stage, along with the other Xiao Sect's members. Issei and Xiao Luocheng had already walked over to the lesser Sword Arenas, while Xiao Nan waited near the main Sword Discourse Arena.

Xia Mei gazed in the direction of the main Sword Discourse Arena, and her gaze met with the one belonging to a veiled young woman. Her eyes grew cold, and she was sure that the other party had reacted the same way.

"This is war..." Xia Mei murmured darkly.

Next to her, Xiao Kuanglei shot her a questioning look but didn't think too much about it. All he wanted was to see his master winning against more opponents.

…

In contrast to how the matches were held in the main Sword Discourse Arenas, the matches that took place in the lesser Sword Discourse Arenas would all take place simultaneously. Instead of Ling Wugou, there was a Heavenly Sword Villa's elder in each arena, responsible for supervising the matches.

This time, as many matches were held at the same time, it didn't take long for Issei's name to be called.

His first match was against the only Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciple in Group A, Wu Xuexin. Like Fen Jin, she was also at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

Even though she was above Issei in terms of seniority and cultivation, she didn't dare to look down on him. The moment he got on the stage, she greeted him in the same way she would greet an equal.

Noticing that, although Issei's mood was still sour, he wasn't about to be disrespectful. Although his words were brief and short, he still properly greeted her.

After the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder announced the beginning of the match, Wu Xuexin immediately took action. She rushed forward, an ice-colored sword appearing in her hand. At the same time, all around her, icicles appeared.

"Ice Asgard's Arts—Ice Shards Condemnation!"

Issei narrowed his eyes in response. This attack wasn't enough to threaten him, but he still had to put his guard up. In a split-second, he made a decision. A faint light flashed in his hand, and an azure-colored sword appeared on it.

The moment Issei took out his sword, many cultivators in the audience widened their eyes. After all, since the beginning of the tournament, it was the first time Issei had taken out a weapon.

"So he was a sword cultivator? I thought he didn't use any weapons!"

However, the elders, patriarchs, and sect-masters present were shocked for a completely different reason.

"That sword… that aura… Sky Profound Weapon?! He has a Sky Profound Weapon?!"

Sky Profound Weapons were considered almighty treasures in the Blue Wind Empire. Even large clans and sects like the Xiao Sect and Burning Heaven Clan only had one or two of them, and they would always be in possession of the patriarch or sect-master. The Burning Heaven Clan, for example, only had a single one, which belonged to the Patriarch.

Although the Xiao Sect was rumored to be slightly better off, nobody believed that they could freely hand a junior like Issei a Sky Profound Weapon. In fact, the Xiao Sect only had two of them. One of them belonged to Xiao Juetian, while the other was hidden in a secret location.

Ling Yuefeng narrowed his eyes. "How does that kid have a Sky Profound Weapon? Did Juetian give him the other one? But I don't remember it looking like this… could it be they got their hands on a new one?" He then turned his head towards Xiao Juetian but was shocked to see that the Xiao Sect's Patriarch looked just as shocked as everyone else. "Could it be..." Ling Yuefeng's eyes widened. "That he didn't know either?"

In fact, the most shocked out of everyone present was without a doubt Xiao Juetian. After all, a disciple from his own sect had brought out a Sky Profound Weapon that he had never seen. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand how Issei had gotten one. All of a sudden, a thought crossed his mind.

"Not too long ago, he went on a mission with Lady Chu… could it be?!" He snapped his head in the direction of the Frozen Cloud Asgard's seats, and when his gaze fell on Chu Yuechan, a complex light flashed through his eyes. Although he had no proof, he was sure that Chu Yuechan had given Issei that weapon. After all, he couldn't think of any other possibility.

"To give a junior a Sky Profound Weapon as thanks… just who is she?" The Xiao Sect Patriarch murmured in disbelief.

In the Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area, Chu Yuechan slightly narrowed her eyes. "So he's taken out the weapon he got in the first trial… it seems that he's getting a little serious."

On the Sword Discourse Arenas, Wu Xuexin and Issei clashed back and forth with their swords. Whereas Wu Xuexin battled along with the aid of the various icicles, Issei used his sword alone to block and even parry all attacks.

The more they fought, the more Wu Xuexin was convinced of his power. It was as if he had eyes all over his body; even when she tried to use a sneak on his back while attacking him from the front and the sides, he would somehow dodge them all and still find a chance to counterattack.

Gritting her teeth, Wu Xuexin fell back, putting up some distance between them. As her icicles kept Issei occupied, she raised her sword into the air.

"Cloud Asgard's Arts—Sundered Winter, Fog of Snow!"

The instant those words left her mouth, Wu Xuexin's sword began to vibrate. From within it, a thick mist rolled out, spreading out in the Sword Discourse Arena. When the mist came into contact with the arena's floor, a layer of frost formed on top of it.

Since the arena was protected by a dome-like screen of spiritual power, the mist couldn't go beyond it. On the other hand, this made it impossible for the audience to see what was happening inside. All that could be seen was a thick agglomeration of fog.

Within the Sword Discourse Arena and surrounded by fog on all sides, Issei kept a calm expression. His sight had turned useless; even if he placed his hand in front of his head, he wouldn't be able to see it. He unhesitatingly closed his eyes and channeled his spiritual power to his ears.

Although it was barely audible, he could feel the faint sound of footsteps quickly approaching him. With his eyes still closed, he bent his body to the side. In the place where his torso had just been at, a sword appeared. As it hadn't reached its target, the sword retreated into the fog. In the next instant, it thrust at Issei again.

Issei seemed to dance in the fog, dodging again and again. The attacks kept getting wilder and more vicious, coming at even shorter intervals. Alas, Issei dodged them all.

Five minutes later, Wu Xuexin had reached a point in which she no longer bothered to conceal herself. She viciously hacked and slashed at Issei, but to no avail. What shocked her the most was that she could see that Issei's eyes were still closed, yet he was able to dodge all of her attacks.

Eventually, Issei seemed to grow tired of constantly dodging. His expression grew cold as he struck his feet against the ground. Wu Xuexin, who had been about to launch another attack, stopped in place.

"First Gate—Evil Soul."

Issei's aura surged outwards. It kept climbing higher and higher, until it was more than six times stronger than before. Issei then struck his other foot against the ground, and a shock-wave spread out in the air. All of the fog, which had previously covered the entire area, was completely dissipated in a single moment.

"What?!" Wu Xuexin cried out in shock. Although she had already seen Issei use that ability before, she didn't think he would be able to use it again so soon. As a consequence of that, she hadn't prepared for it.

Issei took advantage of her dazed state to put an end to the battle. He rushed forward, his sword thrusting towards Wu Xuexin's throat. The azure-colored blade shone with a menacing light as it pierced through the air, tearing apart everything in its wake.

By the time the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple realized what was happening, it was already too late to dodge; Issei's sword was only a fraction of a second away from her neck. Without hesitation, she cried out, "I forfeit!"

It was an instantaneous reaction. The azure-colored blade, which had been about to pierce through her, stopped in place, only a hair's breath away from her skin. Had she taken a second longer to answer, she would have undoubtedly lost her.

When Wu Xuexin realized that, she gulped. Even she, a Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciple whose emotions had practically been sealed away, felt deep fear as she stared at Issei. Those cold, emotionless eyes of his were practically telling her that he wouldn't hesitate to take her life.

That frightened her.

Without a single word, Issei turned around and began to walk away. His azure-colored sword disappeared in a flash, returning to the Sky Poison Pearl. Under Wu Xuexin's stunned gaze, he walked off the stage.

It was only after he was back in his seat that the Frozen Cloud Asgard's maiden broke free from her stupor. After sending a deep, meaningful look in Issei's direction, she gave the bow a curt bow and jumped out of the stage.

"You wouldn't have killed her."

The moment Issei sat down on the ground, he heard Jasmine's voice in his mind.

Although Issei wasn't looking forward to a conversation with Jasmine, he knew that it would be wiser just to get over with it. "She's a Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciple. If I killed her, I would suffer consequences," he said. "Not only that, she's affiliated with Chu Yuechan _and_ Xia Qingyue. I can't afford to offend them in any way. My situation is bad enough as it is."

"Then why did you make it seem as if you would?"

Issei sighed. In his opinion, Jasmine was awfully talkative. "Fear. I want them to fear me. That way, things will go smoother in the future." He paused for a second. Then he added, "Fear leads to respect if done correctly."

Within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine seemed to think for a moment. Then she slowly nodded to herself and closed her eyes.

Noticing that the conversation had come to an end, Issei tried to make use of this period of silence to think about his situation again and weigh his options. However, before he could, his other tenant decided to talk with him.

"Issei…"

When he heard Eggy's soft tone, Issei clenched his hands. He felt a twinge of pain in his heart. At the moment, he couldn't bring himself to face Eggy. Ultimately he deiced to pretend he couldn't hear her. He knew that it was tantamount to running away from his troubles, but there was nothing else he could do.

He hated himself for it, but he couldn't see any other way.

Within Issei's World Spirit Space, determination flickered across Eggy's onyx-black eyes. She had been worried sick for Issei these past few days, and couldn't contain her concern any longer. She decided that she would have a talk with Issei and settle this matter once and for all. She was afraid that if she didn't take action, Issei would fall even deeper into the abyss he had created himself.

And she couldn't allow that to happen. She _wouldn't_ allow that to happen.

She loved him deeply. She loved him with all her heart and even more. And she couldn't bear to see him suffer. Not anymore.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**

* * *

A/N: _Guys, I'm avoiding doing Author Notes, as I feel that it spoils the story and takes away part of the suspense. However, after reading these news reviews, I decided to grit my teeth and do it, lest I knew I would lose readers. Many of you are probably bothered by what's happening right now between Issei and the girls. I can understand that. However, I wanted to at least make my story slightly realistic, and add in jealousy. In my opinion, this is something necessary. However, I wouldn't worry if I were you. This period of angst won't last for long. Therefore, I ask you to_ bear _with it and wait for the solution._


	145. Xiao Luocheng versus Issei

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 145 - Xiao Luocheng versus Issei**

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Alas, before Eggy could start talking, one of the Heavenly Sword Villa's elders called Issei's name. Sighing, the Asura World Spirit decided to postpone their conversation. At least for the time being.

This time, Issei's match ended before it even began. After he had beaten Fen Jin and Wu Xuexin, even those various geniuses in Group A no longer dared to think of themselves as his opponent. It was clear that the difference in power between them wasn't something that could be ignored.

Even if there were a few disciples who still stepped onto the stage when their names were called, they went up without any hopes of winning. In their opinion, the only person in Group A who had a possibility of dealing with Issei was Xiao Luocheng. However, they also weren't sure of that; after all, it was clear that Issei hadn't revealed his true power yet.

After so many astonishing victories, nobody bothered with Issei's cultivation level any longer. Although it mattered to others, when it came to Issei, it was merely inconsequential.

As a consequence of that, even after five hours passed, the only match Issei had actually fought in was against Wu Xuexin. Considering that his name had already been called seven times, his next match would be the last. And he knew he with whom it would be with.

"To think that our match was actually the last one! I've really struck it lucky!" In a place not too far away from Issei, Xiao Luocheng did some stretching exercises, his face sporting a devious smirk. Out of the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Issei. His smirk turned into a grin. "If it's against him, I'll be able to go all-out."

Xiao Luocheng had already participated in seven matches that day; fifteen if counting the previous day. However, he hadn't been able to meet a worthy opponent. In his opinion, the only ones in this tournament that could pose a threat to him were Ling Yun, Xiao Nan, and Issei. Two of them were in Group B, so Issei was the only one left. And it just so happened that Issei was the one whom he was looking forward to fighting with the most.

Six months before, in the New Moon Profound Palace, they had fought, and the match ended in a draw. However, Xiao Luocheng was certain that Issei could've won if he truly tried. Now, at the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, the silver-haired young men wanted to see who was the strongest between the two.

"Xiao Sect's Xiao Luocheng versus Xiao Sect's Issei!"

It was an instantaneous reaction, like oil on fire; the moment those words were said, all heads snapped in the direction of the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder who had spoken.

This was one of the most anticipated matches of the entire tournament.

"Finally!" Xiao Luocheng grinned wildly. He crouched down on the ground, his leg muscles tensing. Then he released all of the pent-up momentum in a single movement, launching his body into the air. After somersaulting a dozen times, Xiao Luocheng landed on the stage, the ground shaking beneath his feet.

He didn't care for his aloof and distant image anymore. His silver hair whipped in the wind, and a ferocious, wild aura surged out from his body. An intense, boundless desire for battle burned in his eyes.

Issei, on the other hand, cared not for the splendor or flare. He walked towards the stage, and with a small jump, landed on top of it. His lips were set in a straight, thin eyes, while his eyes were cold and distant. In contrast to Xiao Luocheng, there wasn't even a hint of excitement in his eyes. Within those two, lifeless black orbs were only deep desolation.

The Heavenly Sword Villa's elder stared back and forth between the two of them. After receiving their confirmation, he stepped back and announced the beginning of the match.

Against all expectations, nobody took action. They simply stood there, staring at each other in silence.

Eventually, Xiao Luocheng lowered his head, his silver-haired casting shadows over his eyes. Then he raised his head again, releasing an even wilder smirk. His amethyst, ethereal eyes were brilliant to the point of glowing.

"Let's see…" Xiao Luocheng swung both of his arms down. On his hands, two swords materialized; one black and one green. "Who is the strongest!"

Issei slowly nodded his head. The young man made a small motion with his right hand, and the azure-colored sword from before appeared on it. He held it in front of his body, the blade parallel to Xiao Luocheng.

His smirk still in place, Xiao Luocheng raised both of his swords in the air. Spiritual power rippled around him, turning black, green and purple. It was as if his eye of the storm, with an insane amount of raw energy rotating around him. Xiao Luocheng's two swords vibrated with intensity, and his body shone with an amethyst glow. On his forehead, a small mark that resembled a miniature, red-colored skull appeared.

In the audience, Xiao Yi, and Xiao Nan gasped.

"Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement—God-slayer Armor!"

The moment those words left Xiao Luocheng's mouth, the purple aura around him trembled. Then it began to tightly wrap around his body, creating layer after layer of amethyst, demonic spiritual power on top of him. After the twelfth layer had been set, cracking sounds filled the air as the amethyst spiritual power that covered Xiao Luocheng started to solidify.

Over Xiao Luocheng's green robes, a different robe formed. It was black and purple in color and covered every inch of Xiao Luocheng body. Although it had a metallic glint, it was as versatile as cloth, and just as malleable. It wrapped tightly against the silver-haired young man's body, highlighting his athletic form.

On top of Xiao Luocheng's head, a small, amethyst-colored crown appeared, contrasting with his long, silver hair. The moment the amethyst robe appeared on his body, his aura surged out with intense power, while the red, skull-like mark on his forehead pulsated a dozen times before turning purple. Then it changed in shape, transforming into a purple-colored crystal.

The two swords in Xiao Luocheng's hands tried to resist the pressure but ultimately shattered into thousands of pieces. However, before those fragments could fall to the ground, an amethyst light surged out from Xiao Luocheng's body, wrapping around them. In the following instant, those fragments, controlled by the amethyst light, gathered in front of Xiao Luocheng, assuming the form of a colossal, black-colored sword.

Instinctively, Xiao Luocheng reached out with his hands, grabbing the hilt of the sword. His aura surged out even further; even the arena's floor had begun to crack. At the same time, signs of frost appeared on the arena's ground. Demonic arts were always Yin-attributed, and Xiao Luocheng's 'Amethyst Soul Demon Refining' was completely filled with Yin-attributed spiritual power.

In the audience, the leaders of many sects and clans became serious. Even Ling Kun, the elder from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, rose up to his feet. His expression was one of disbelief and surprise.

Amidst all of the gasps and widened eyes, Issei stood, his eyes narrowed, staring at Xiao Luocheng in silence. "Even though he knows his identity as a demonic cultivator may get discovered, he still did it," Issei said. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Luocheng… I shall give you the battle you want."

In the face of Xiao Luocheng's frightening aura, Issei kept his heart calm. Although it was indeed terrifying, Issei's life was riddled with moments that brought forth much more fear. Not even a ripple of emotion could be seen on his face, showing how composed he was.

"Issei!" Xiao Luocheng shouted from the other side of the Sword Discourse Arena. His colossal sword rested with its tip on the ground, and his aura pulsed and flared. "It's your turn now! Bring out… your true power!"

The black-haired young man acknowledged his friend's words with a curt nod. The azure-colored sword in Issei's hand started to tremble as Issei's spiritual power was channeled into it. A savage, tyrannical power surged out from within Issei's body, colliding with Xiao Luocheng's cold, amethyst energy.

However, it was clear that Issei's aura wasn't powerful enough; within seconds, it was overwhelmed by Xiao Luocheng's demonic aura.

"First Gate—Evil Soul!"

A berserk, heretical energy surged out from within Issei's profound veins and dantian, sextupling his power. It collided once more with Xiao Luocheng's own energy, causing a shock-wave to spread in the air. Issei's and Xiao Luocheng's robes rippled as they stared at each other, their gazes burning, piercing through the thick layer of spiritual power that separated them.

After a few seconds, Issei sighed. He had realized that even with the First Gate opened, Xiao Luocheng still had a slight edge over him; his current power wasn't enough to defeat him. Taking a deep breath, Issei solidified his resolve to carry on.

"Second Gate—Burning Heart!"

Issei's aura, which had already been enhanced by the opening of the first gate, once again shot up. It seeped out of Issei's body, causing cracks to appear in the space around him. The sheer power present in that power was enough to tamper with the World's Natural Laws. After all, this wasn't any normal power—it was the power of the Evil God, the strongest god, and the Heretical God Seed!

The Middle Realm could just barely support such berserk, heretical power! This pressure didn't have to do with Issei's actual power, but with the attributes contained therein!

Xiao Luocheng widened his eyes, disbelief flickering within them. "Issei's aura increased by six times again! Doesn't this mean he's… thirty-six times stronger?!"

If Xiao Luocheng was able to realize that, then so were the various elders, sect-masters, and patriarch. Xiao Juetian was panting as he stared at Issei and Xiao Luocheng, his eyes filled with amazement.

Ling Kun, which had already been stunned by Xiao Luocheng's shocking display of power, was thoroughly shocked upon seeing Issei unleashing his power. "I originally thought the silver-haired kid, was a talent, but… this other one is even rarer!"

In the Sword Discourse Arena, Xiao Luocheng let out a bitter laugh. It was as clear as day that Issei could completely overpower him with his new power. However, the silver-haired young man didn't give up. The battle hadn't even started yet; Xiao Luocheng was unwilling to go down without putting up some fight.

"Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement—Leviathan's Wrath!"

Determination flickered in his eyes as he slashed down with his great-sword. His amethyst energy rippled in the air, transforming into dozens of amethyst sea-serpent demons that flew towards Issei. The smallest of them over twenty meters long, while the biggest ones were over thirty-five meters in length; their bodies alone could cover half of the entire Sword Discourse Arena.

Even someone at the second level of the Earth Profound Realm wouldn't be able to defend against such an attack. Xiao Juetian stood up in alarm. His eyes were filled with alert; if the situation developed into one in which either side would get seriously hurt, he would interrupt it without a second thought.

Even Ling Yuefeng and Ling Wugou was prepared to take action if needed.

Everyone stared at the stage unblinkingly, awaiting Issei's next move. Although they could sense Issei was more powerful, they wanted to see how he would resist that attack.

However, what Issei did went beyond all expectations.

There were no flashy lights or flamboyant names; the young man didn't even speak. He only raised his sword above his head, then brought it down in the direction of the dozens of illusory sea serpents. A gale of wind sprung up, sweeping across the stage.

Like a vicious beast, the wind howled towards the incoming leviathans. The moment they came into contact, the dozens of illusory creatures let out mournful cries before shattering in the air; not even a single one was left standing.

Without any loss of momentum, the gale of wind continued onward, colliding against Xiao Luocheng's body. His amethyst-colored armor instantly shattered into pieces, and his body was sent sailing through the air like a kite without a string.

Xiao Luocheng closed his eyes mid-air, his bloodless lips twitching into a smile.

"So this is your real power..."

Before he could say anything else, he lapsed into unconsciousness. Despite that, he continued smiling in satisfaction.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	146. Shocking Revelation!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

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 **Chapter 146 - Shocking Revelation!**

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Xiao Luocheng's defeat signaled the end of Group A matches. The results, although shocking, weren't unexpected. Only one person came out undefeated—Issei. Xiao Luocheng was the only one with a single loss. As for the two Burning Heaven Clan disciples, Fen Juebi suffered three losses—one because of Issei, another because of Xiao Luocheng, and other because of Wu Xuexin—, whereas Fen Jin lost all of his matches due to being unconscious.

Aside from Xiao Luocheng and Issei, Wu Xuexin was the only one who acquired shocking results; she only lost two times, one of them could be attributed to Xiao Luocheng, and the other to Issei.

Overall, the Xiao Sect had the most outstanding performance in Group A.

As for Group B…

In the main Sword Discourse Arena, the battles continued. Currently, a handsome, white-robed youth stood in front of a veiled young woman, sword in hand.

This young man was none other than Ling Yun, the strongest Heavenly Sword Villa competitor.

As for the veiled young woman, she was Xia Qingyue.

This was the last match of Group B, considering that those two were the only ones without any losses. Even Xiao Nan, the terrifying yet bashful Xiao Sect's disciple, lost because of them.

Ling Yun's performance was far from unexpected. In fact, many people believed that he would be the champion of the tournament; after all, his cultivation base was far above others, at the third level of the Earth Profound Realm.

On the other hand, Xia Qingyue had completely surprised everyone with her power. Back in the Profound Assessment Stage, everyone had thought that since Xia Qingyue's cultivation base was weaker, she was just there to gain more battle experience; everyone believed Frozen Cloud Asgard had placed their hopes on the other two Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples.

However, when the Group B matches began, Xia Qingyue displayed fearsome power. It didn't matter who she was up against; the enemy would always lose. What surprised people the most was the nonchalant, distant manner in which she defeated enemies; it was as if she wasn't even paying attention to the battle.

Even when facing Xiao Nan, one of the most feared competitors, Xia Qingyue had done so almost effortlessly. First, she had dealt with the various wires by freezing them before Xiao Nan could take action. After that, all it took was to cast a wide-range ice martial skill in the entire stage to stop Xiao Nan from moving around.

The one most shocked by that battle wasn't Xiao Nan, but Xiao Yi. After all, Xiao Yi knew better than anyone how powerful those wires were, and was aware of how difficult it was to freeze Xiao Nan in place; in her opinion, the girl was nimble to the extreme. However, Xia Qingyue had done it without any effort.

It was because of this that Xiao Yi secretly told Xiao Nan to forfeit the battle during the match. She had a feeling that this veiled young woman was much, much more terrifying than she seemed.

After Xia Qingyue had won against Xiao Nan, nobody else dared to clash with her in battle. Even the other Frozen Could Asgard's disciple had immediately forfeited. Because of that, the veiled young woman quickly arrived at the finals.

And so, her battle against Ling Yun commenced.

"Lady Qingyue, it's my pleasure to battle with you." Ling Yun bowed down politely, a friendly expression on his face. He was someone that respected power, and Xia Qingyue had plenty of it. Not only that, he was a gentleman by nature. "I hope we can have a good match."

Ling Yun then raised his head to look at Xia Qingyue, but when he saw her, his expression changed. Her head was slightly bent to the side, and although he couldn't see her face clearly because of the veil, it was clear that she wasn't even looking at him.

When the young man turned his head in the direction Xia Qingyue was staring at, his eyes locked onto the biggest surprise of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, Issei.

"Why… why is she staring at him?" Ling Yun murmured to himself, puzzled. "And it's during our match, no less."

In Ling Yun's opinion, Issei was a mysterious existence. It was only after seeing his fight against Xiao Luocheng that he started taking him seriously, but even then he wasn't worried. He was still confident he could beat him if he went all out. However, what he couldn't understand was why someone like that would have caught Xia Qingyue's attention.

He knew that it wasn't because of his power; Ling Yun was confident he was much stronger than him in that regard. As for other aspects such as appearance, Ling Yun didn't even consider. Not only did he consider himself more handsome than Issei, he knew that disciples that were part of Frozen Cloud Asgard loathed men down to their very bones.

After a moment of deliberation, Ling Yun raised his body and gave a dry cough. Much to his surprise, Xia Qingyue didn't turn her head towards him. Sighing, he cleared his throat. "Lady Qingyue, the match… shall we begin?"

Without turning her head towards him, Xia Qingyue acknowledged his words with a faint nod. Her gaze had yet to leave Issei.

"She isn't taking me seriously." Ling Yun's expression darkened. "Does she not know who she's up against?"

To him, this was an offense. Even if he were faced with someone much stronger than him, he would still have the decency to pay attention to his opponent; this was the least amount of respect someone had to show to an opponent.

There was a decorum that had to be followed, but it was clear that the young woman in front of him didn't care about it at all.

Narrowing his eyes, Ling Yun raised his right hand in Xia Qingyue's direction. In the following moment, a crimson sword appeared on it.

The blade was thin and long, with a glint like jade. The moment it appeared, Ling Yun's aura of the third level of the Earth Profound Realm surged out.

It was at this moment that Xia Qingyue turned her head to look at him. She didn't say any words; she simply waved down with her hands, causing a barrier of ice to appear in front of her. She waved her hand down three more times, and even more barriers appeared.

They were like a boundary, cutting the Sword Discourse Arena in two parts.

Ling Yun continued to stand in place, his sword held parallel to his body. Then he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When he did so, his fearsome aura retreated into his body. Although he seemed even weaker than before, Xia Qingyue's eyes flickered with caution. With no hesitation, she swung her hands down a few more times, and even more ice barriers appeared.

Then it happened. Ling Yun opened his eyes and swung down his sword. His body was like a tap that had been turned; all of the spiritual power he had been saving flowed into his sword then out into the air, transforming into a colossal sword beam.

"Heavenly Sword Splitting Across the Earth!"

Then Ling Yun took in a deep breath and thrust forward with his sword. It was like a needle, piercing through the air.

"Heavenly Sword Cleansing the Mortal World!"

Finally, Ling Yun lowered his sword into the ground, then slashed upwards. His sword went above his head and only stopped once it was parallel to the skies.

"Heavenly Sword Tearing Through the Heavens!"

Three sword beams cut through the air, heading in the direction of the ice barriers. One of them cut upwards, the other pierced forward, while the last one cut down. Each and every one of them was filled with the full power of his Earth Profound Realm cultivation base.

"Big brother sure doesn't kid around!" Ling Jie, Ling Yun's younger brother, exclaimed in surprise. "He's already using the three Heavenly Swords from the very beginning!"

Ling Yuefeng nodded his head in satisfaction. "Let's see how the young lady will react to it," he solemnly said.

When the three sword beams came into contact with the ice barriers, they met with no resistance. They easily cut apart the various ice monuments, slashing towards Xia Qingyue, who stood there motionlessly.

The moment they were about to reach her, Xia Qingyue reached out with her hand. A blast of coldness exploded out from her body, clashing against the three sword beams.

"Frozen Melody, Ethereal Freezing," Xia Qingyue softly murmured.

What happened next shocked everyone else.

The three sword beams, which were made of spiritual power, stopped mid-air. Then frost started to appear on their surface. Gradually, they began to solidify. From raw spiritual power, they transformed into three blocks of ice.

Instantly, gasps of surprise filled the air.

"She… she actually froze spiritual power? How is that even possible?!"

"Spiritual power… frozen…? What…?"

Ling Yuefeng stood up from his seat. His expression was grave as he stared at the stage. "She has actually reached the level in which she can freeze spiritual power…. This isn't good!" He turned his head towards Ling Jie. "Quick, throw your brother the other sword!"

"Alright!" Ling Jie clenched his teeth and grabbed the sword he carried strapped to his body. Then he threw it towards the stage. "Big brother, catch!"

In the Sword Discourse Arena, Ling Yun narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand, grabbing hold of the sword Ling Jie had thrown him. Then he glanced down at the sword in his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, stored it away. In its place, another sword appeared.

Although he was still shocked because of what Xia Qingyue had just done, he didn't have the time to be dumb-struck. His father had told him that no matter what happened, he couldn't show an unsightly performance; after all, Ling Kun, an elder from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, was spectating the battle.

Clenching his teeth, Ling Yun threw the sword Ling Jie had handed him into the air. At the same time, the sword he had just brought started to vibrate.

"Sword Doppelganger!"

The sword Ling Yun had just thrown out started to vibrate in sync with the sword in his hands. Around the sword, a faint fog appeared, which began to condense, taking shape similar to a human. Ling Yun kept channeling his spiritual power into it, making it look more and more like a youth. Ten seconds later, cracks started to appear in the fog. Then it broke down into pieces, and a young man carrying a sword walked out from within it.

This young man looked completely like Ling Yun. Even his cultivation was also at the third level of the Earth Profound Realm.

As for the sword it held in its hand, it was the same sword Ling Jie had thrown to Ling Yun.

"A clone..." Xia Qingyue slowly murmured, her eyes narrowing behind her veil. She originally thought that her match with Ling Yun would end as quickly as the others, but only now did she realize that he had a trump-card.

Her eyes then turned cold. "The more time I waste here, the longer it will take for me to meet Issei," she murmured. "I must finish this as soon as possible."

As she watched Ling Yun and his clone approach her, Xia Qingyue raised her arm and slightly tapped with her hand on a spot of her neck. On it, a small, tattoo appeared. The veiled young man slightly pinched it, causing it to break apart.

In the following moment, Ling Yun and his clone, who had been about to reach her, felt their surroundings growing blurry. A wave of massive power smashed down on them, sending them flying through the air. Unable to support the pressure, his clone shattered apart, and even the sword it had held revealed cracking marks.

In the middle of the main Sword Discourse Arena, Xia Qingyue stood. Her long, black hair whipped behind her, and her clothes rippled. The ground beneath her was covered in snow, and countless snowflakes rained from the skies.

However, the biggest change was her aura. It was so strong that ripples spread out in the air, and a faint layer of ice had started to condense out of free will. The entire Sword Discourse Arena trembled under her power.

Her current cultivation base was at the almighty… Sky Profound Realm!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	147. I won't leave you

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 147 - I won't leave you. I promise.**

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It was only after Ling Yun's body had fallen to the ground that Ling Wugou reacted. As fast as lightning, he rushed forward, grabbed hold of the young man's body, and flew into the air towards the Heavenly Sword Villa's seat.

Meanwhile, the various cultivators present drew in deep breaths. However, unlike previous times, no one spoke or exclaimed words in shock. There were many that didn't even dare to breathe.

Sky Profound Realm.

They couldn't believe it. It was right before their eyes, yet they couldn't believe it. All of the patriarchs and sect masters were on their feet, staring at the stage. Ling Kun was panting, his eyes glimmering in shock.

Xiao Juetian stared straight at the seating area opposite to his. "Frozen Cloud Asgard…"

In the previous tournament, Chu Yuechan had rocked the Blue Wind Nation with her cultivation base. Everyone had thought that Frozen Cloud Asgard had managed to get their hands on a genius that only came once every ten thousand years. However, another such genius appeared right before their eyes.

Xia Qingyue, sixteen years of age, and with a cultivation base at the Sky Profound Realm.

Chu Yuechan, who hadn't moved at all since the beginning, stood up to her feet. She glared at Xia Qingyue. "Return," she ordered. "The battle has ended."

The veiled young woman didn't hesitate this time. After glancing in Issei's direction, she rose up into the air and flew towards the Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area.

Since she had already unveiled her cultivation base, she didn't need to pretend anymore; she literally flew towards her seat, an act that only someone at the Sky Profound Realm should be capable of doing.

Near one of the lesser Sword Discourse Arenas, Issei stared at Xia Qingyue in silence. After she reached her seat, he turned around and began to walk away.

"Issei… you don't seem surprised," Eggy commented. Since she couldn't have the talk she wanted with Issei right away, she decided to start with smaller things. This way, she could warm up to him once more. "Why?"

Absentminded, Issei paused his steps. "I had already been expecting it," he said. "Back when she touched the Profound Assessing stone, I was surprised at how low her cultivation base was. It would only make sense for Qingyue to be at least in the Sky Profound Realm."

In Issei's World Spirit Space, Eggy looked puzzled but happy. She knew that Issei talking to her was great progress. She also knew that she had to keep the conversation going no matter what. "Why?" she asked. "What made you so sure?"

"You don't remember?" Issei faintly shook his head to the sides. "Around three years ago, I opened all of her profound entrances. Her cultivation speed was originally fast because of her special physique and mind, but after I opened all of her profound entrances, it practically tripled, if not even more. In comparison to an ordinary person, the speed in which she cultivates should be at least ten times higher."

Eggy widened her bright, alluring eyes in realization. "Oh. I had forgotten."

"With everything that's going on, it isn't surprising." Issei sighed. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he stopped.

He couldn't think of anything.

The young Asura World Spirit was facing the same problem. "No..." she murmured to herself. "I can't let it end so soon… just as I was about to… I must think of something!"

Issei continued walking towards his seat. After sitting down, he closed his eyes. He had made his mind. He couldn't run away any longer. "Eggy, tomorrow… at night… we'll talk."

Even though his words were vague, she understood them. Excitement appeared on her face, then anxiety, finally followed by concern. "Alright," she nodded her head, "tomorrow" Then she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to think before their talk. Think about what she should say.

Issei knew what she was planning, so he didn't stop her. He stood up from his seat and walked forward towards the Patriarch's seat. Then he sighed and told Xiao Juetian that he wanted to head back early.

The Xiao Sect's Patriarch stared at him, puzzled. However, he had no reason to deny him that request. "Alright. There're some other matters that I must do here. You may go back early."

"I'll go too," Xia Mei immediately volunteered to follow Issei. She wanted to take advantage of that opportunity to talk with him.

"Mei..." Issei paused his steps and turned his head to look at her. Then he sighed. "Could you… could you go back with everyone else? I want to be alone."

It pained him to say such words to her, but it was something that must be done.

Xia Mei widened her eyes. Then she lowered her head and sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'll see you later then."

"I'm sorry," Issei's expression softened. He then turned around and began to walk away, towards the Xiao Sect's courtyard.

Ten minutes later, Issei stepped into his room. He immediately closed the door and crouched down. His hands made various signs in the air as he laid formation after formation on the door, in order to make sure it couldn't be opened. Then he laid a Spirit Formation on top of it out of precaution.

"This isn't enough," Issei shook his head to the sides, "Xiao Juetian is at the Emperor Profound Realm; my formations aren't enough to stop his awareness."

The young man took in a deep breath and started to work again. His hands left after-images in the air, while his expression was one of utmost concentration. Countless shining symbols spun around him, filling his room with an ethereal glow.

After an unknown period of time, Issei brought his hands together. The thousands of symbols in front of him all flew outward, landing on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Upon contact, they shone with a faint light, then dissolved into the surface they had landed on.

Issei let his body fall down on his bed, exhaustion appearing on his face. Crossing his legs, he cultivated for a few minutes in order to recover some of his energy. Then he opened his eyes, and stood up to his feet, giving his room an appraising stare.

"As long as Xiao Juetian doesn't concentrate on my room, he shouldn't be able to hear or sense anything," he concluded. He then sat back on his bed and sighed. "Xinyi, come out. We need to talk."

A red and golden light flashed in front of him, and in the following moment, the young man felt something impact against his upper body. The rest of his body was thrown into his bed, and if it weren't for him using his spiritual power to dissolve his momentum, he would have smashed against the wall.

Instead of being surprised or angered, Issei was calm. He lowered his head to his chest, and his black eyes met teary golden ones.

"Issei!" Feng Xinyi's slender arms tightly wrapped around Issei's back. Her golden eyes, which were full of tears, stared back at his black ones unblinkingly. She then buried her head into his chest, hugging him even tighter.

Issei softly smiled and also wrapped his arms around her, pressing her tightly against his body. For a long time, neither of them said anything.

Eventually, Feng Xinyi lifted her from Issei's chest. Her eyes had never been so clear. "Issei, are you alright?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Issei smiled at her. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Xinyi, I'm sorry. Because of me, you had to suffer."

Feng Xinyi feigned innocence. She tilted her head to the sides. "What?"

Issei's expression softened even further. "I know you could hear and see everything that happened."

Feng Xinyi widened her eyes, then lowered her head, crestfallen. "So you knew... I'm sorry."

"Hey," Issei brought his head closer to her. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"It's… it's not your… fault..."

"It is." Issei stared at her, sadness flickering within his eyes. "I'm the one who got myself involved in this mess. I'm the one who hurt all of you."

"No!" Feng Xinyi firmly shook her head. "You couldn't help it! You're too kind! The ones at fault are them!"

Issei widened his eyes but then sighed. "Regardless of who's wrong and who's right, what was done has already been done," he said. "I can't change that." After a moment of deliberation, he took in a deep breath. "Xinyi, I need to know… are you willing to accept others?"

"No."

Feng Xinyi's response had come so fast that Issei widened his eyes in shock. Although he had already been expecting her answer to be negative, he couldn't have imagined that it would have come so fast. It was almost instantaneous, and her tone left no room for arguments.

Issei opened his mouth to speak something, but Feng Xinyi beat him to it.

"You're mine," she said. "And only mine. I won't share you." Her eyes were filled with zealousness. "Not with them, not with anyone."

"Xinyi..." The handsome young man took in a deep breath. He had decided to start with Feng Xinyi as he had thought she would have been the easiest to talk with, but from the look of things, his assumption couldn't be any more wrong. "I love you," Issei said.

Feng Xinyi's eyes brightened. This was the first time Issei had told her such words.

"But I also love the others," Issei continued. "And I can't choose only one."

"Do you love them more than me?"

Issei shook his head. "No. I love you all equally."

"Issei..." Feng Xinyi lowered her head, causing her long, scarlet hair to hide her obsession-filled eyes from Issei's sight. "I… I'm sorry, but… I can't. I can't share you with others."

The young man knew that there was no turning back. He stared at her deeply. "Why?"

Feng Xinyi's body trembled. "I can't stand it," she said. "Seeing you with another person… seeing you kissing… seeing you hugging… seeing you showing your love to someone else…" She lowered her head even further. Her entire body was shaking. "I'm afraid… afraid you'll forget about me. I'm afraid… you'll leave me." Tears streamed down Feng Xinyi's face, falling down on Issei's chest. "I don't… I don't want to be alone again! That darkness… that feeling… I don't want to feel it never, ever again!"

She raised her head to stare at Issei, her eyes bloodshot and filled with tears. "Don't leave me," she pleaded, her voice quivering. "I need you. Without you, I won't have a reason to live. You… are everything to me. If you… if you are taken away, I don't know… I don't know what I would do. So please," her voice started to fail, while her hand tightly held onto Issei's body, "p-please… stay with me. Issei… I love you…" Tears continued to fall from her pain-filled eyes. "I love you… I love you!"

Issei felt a knot form in his throat. As he stared at Feng Xinyi, he could see the sadness and the terror in her eyes. Never could he have imagined that her feelings for him… were actually that deep. He took in a deep breath and brought his body upwards. His arms wrapped around her once more.

"I'm here," he brought her head over to her eyes and whispered. "I won't leave you. I promise." He pressed her head against his chest, letting her cry all she wanted.

"Do… do you promise?" Feng Xinyi pulled her head away from his chest to stare at him. "But… what about the others?"

"Nobody will take me away from you." Issei stared at her firmly. "I told you already. I love the others, but I love you just as much. Not even they could take you away from me." He placed one of his hand under her chin and lifted her head towards his. He also brought his head down and closed his eyes.

Feng Xinyi stared in shock as his face got closer and closer to hers. Then she closed her eyes and completely entrusted herself to Issei.

Their lips met.

They _kiss_ _ed._

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	148. Transformation

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 148 - Transformation**

* * *

The next morning, Issei woke up in a relatively better mood. He stared at the ceiling blankly for a moment, then sighed and closed his eyes. A soft, fragile smile bloomed on his face. After opening his eyes, he tried to lift his body up from the bed. Thereupon, he realized he felt heavier than usual. He paused and thought for a moment, recalling everything that had happened in the previous night. Then realization dawned upon him—Feng Xinyi had spent the night with him instead of going back to her separate dimension.

Then he noticed another problem—Feng Xinyi wasn't nearly this heavy.

Puzzled, he raised his head to his chest. The first thing that entered his sight was long and thick scarlet hair. The handsome young man stared at it in a daze. "This is definitely Feng Xinyi's hair," he murmured, "but it's longer than usual. Fuller too."

After a moment of deliberation, Issei used one of his hands to caress the hair that laid atop his chest. Then he slowly moved his hand down, towards the person's neck. As his hand trailed across her face, he felt a warmth hit his hand. Startled, Issei paused for a moment but then sighed.

"It's only her breathing," he murmured. Meanwhile, his hand continued its trip towards her neck.

Even though Issei wasn't sure of who it was, he made sure not to wake her up. Once his hand had reached her chin, he stopped. Then he carefully lifted the person's head up to his eye-level. However, he realized that he wasn't able to see her face; the scarlet hair completely shrouded her features. After a slight pause, Issei raised his other arm and used it to softly part her scarlet hair, unveiling her face.

Then he widened his eyes.

What he saw was Feng Xinyi's face, but at the same time, it wasn't.

Feng Xinyi's appearance could be likened to that of a child. Even though her body was somewhat curvaceous, her face was adorable and childish. And regardless of how Issei stared at the face in front of him, he could never associate it with the word 'child'.

 _She was_ beautiful beyond compare, to the point of impossibility. A beauty so ethereal, so rare, that it took away his breath. Her eyelashes were long and seemed to flutter with her every intake of air. Although there was no wing, her scarlet hair slightly wavered, and a few dozen golden strands gently swept across her face. Although she didn't wear any make-up or cosmetics, her skin was white like jade, and her cheeks were of a slightly rosy hue.

 _She_ was like a ray of light shining through dark clouds, or even the ephemeral dawn. Her beauty seemed so rare and so fragile that Issei was afraid that if he looked away, she would disappear. She was the type of woman who could cause the stars to dim with, the flowers to darken and even the whole world to grow bleak with only her presence. Around her, all other existences would seem inferior, ugly.

And this face—a face so precious that could outshine the sun and the moon—was only a few inches away from Issei's own.

"Xinyi…?"

Her long eyelashes fluttered as if blown by the breeze, responding to his call. Then her eyes parted open, revealing two golden orbs. They shone with warmth and brightness, further accentuating her peerless charm.

Then she smiled at him. In the next moment, Issei felt as if the entire world had grown dull, and all colors had ceased to exist. Only she and her smile remained.

"Issei," she greeted him. Her voice was soft like early snow, yet filled with the warmth of the sun. Not even the best of harps could possibly come up with a sound so melodic as her voice. Then she noticed the shock on his face and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Xinyi?" Issei asked, his voice shaking. "Is that really you?"

The young woman looked puzzled. "What are you talking about, Issei?"

"What… what happened to you?" Issei managed to ask, awakening from his daze.

The beautiful young woman frowned. "Do I look different?" she asked.

Issei nodded his head.

The young woman stared at him meaningfully. Then she raised one of her hands into the air and used her spiritual to cast a fire on top of her index finger. Either she failed to notice how long and slender her fingers were, or she didn't really care.

The vermillion flame burned brightly on top of her finger, fluttering with the slightest of winds. The young woman then pursed her alluring, naturally scarlet lips and blew on it. The flame suddenly froze and started to solidify, becoming a small, miniature-sized mirror.

When she saw her own reflect, the young woman gasped.

"Isn't this," she stared at the mirror in shock, "my original appearance?"

Still under a state of shock, she closed her eyes and probed her body for clues. However, she didn't find anything different that could justify the sudden change. It was as if it had naturally, randomly, happened.

According to her theory, she would only regain her original appearance once she had full access to her powers. The reason why she looked so young was because most of her cultivation base had been sealed by the Evil God. However, she could clearly sense that her cultivation base hadn't changed at all; it was still sealed.

Whatever way she thought about it, she was unable to find an answer.

Then she realized that Issei was still waiting for an answer. She quickly opened her eyes, and what met her gaze were two, confused black orbs. She couldn't help but feel conscious of Issei's burning stare and blushed.

Eventually, she raised her head to look at him again. She smiled bashfully. "It's me," she said. "Your Xinyi."

After declaring her identity, Feng Xinyi slightly moved the lower part of her body so she could accommodate herself in Issei's lap. The way she had been simply felt too uncomfortable in her opinion. However, she then realized that her body had grown, and it wasn't as easy—or even as comfortable—to be in such a position. After a moment of careful thought, she wrapped her arms around Issei's neck, while her legs parted at his torso, each one of them going to each of his sides. Then she brought her body closer to his, and her legs wrapped around his back.

Issei stared at her in shock. She only grinned.

It was a devilish grin.

Confidence surfaced in her heart, and her previous bashfulness faded way. It was like a shot of adrenaline; she had the sudden urge to take the situation a step further. Fully aware of her feminine charms, she pressed the upper part of her body against his. As a consequence of that, her breasts, which had grown to an impressive size, pushed against his chest. She continued to press her body against his, allowing the startled young man to feel more of the sheer elasticity and softness of her proud bust.

Her devilish grin then turned into a sultry smile. Taking advantage of his shocked state, she brought her head close to one of his ears and breathed out. Her hot, warm breath caused Issei's hair to stand on end. Feng Xinyi brought her lips even closer to Issei's ears. "Perhaps," she said, her voice husky and attractive, "you like me better this way?"

Then she moved her head back to catch a glimpse of Issei's expression, but when she saw his face, her eyes widened. He wasn't blushing, or even bashful. Instead, he was smiling. It was sly smile. The look in his eyes told her he knew something.

"Issei—"

Issei moved one of his fingers towards her lips, silencing her. Then he playfully shook his head. "Go back for now. We'll continue this later. I have many things to do today."

Feng Xinyi stared at him in shock, her mouth agape. It wasn't as if she was looking at a young man, but instead at someone who had plenty of experience under his belt. Confidence was practically overflowing from his voice, and his charisma was boundless. His words were soft and fluid, spoken completely naturally. The young woman could even sense an inexplicable charm behind his words.

She hesitated for a brief moment, then slowly nodded her head like an understanding child. Still dazed, her body turned into various motes of red-colored light that flew into Issei's body.

The moment she was gone, Issei used a spell that made her, along with all his tenants, unable to see what happened in the outside world. Then he let his body fall down on his bed, his expression changing from confidence to utter bewilderment.

"That… that was dangerous," he said. "Her appearance isn't the only thing that changed; her feminine wiles are simply mind-blowing." He shook his head and sighed. "And she even mentioned that this was her original appearance… could it be that her personality was originally like this?" He suddenly paused. Then he shook his head. "No. I can tell she isn't like this naturally. Beneath all that sultriness is still a naive girl. The only difference is that she's much more deadly now."

He sighed. "However… there's also something wrong with me," he said to himself. "I don't have any experience with women, yet I can still act… act like that. The same thing happened with Eggy before. Although it was fainter last time, I could feel it clearly just now.

"It feels as if… for a brief moment, I have access to vast experiences and memories. That experience, although it doesn't belong to me, I feel as if it does. It feels familiar." He paused. "Could it be… that it's related to that shadow from before?"

Before he could delve too deep into that line of thought, he closed his eyes and stopped his musings. He knew that blindly guessing wouldn't bring him anywhere. He was aware that there was some deeper secret behind it all, but he had no means of figuring it out. At least not at the moment.

"Focus on the present," he told himself. "The future comes later. Anyways, the matter with Xinyi seems to be almost solved. I'll just have to check with her later. I'll also talk with Eggy tonight… that leaves Mei, Qingyue and… Chu Yuechan." He clenched his hand, and a resolute light flashed across his eyes. "I can do it. I _have_ to do it."

The handsome young man then got up from his bed, quickly tidied his clothes and walked over to the door. According to his estimations, the tournament should begin in only a few minutes. There was a good chance that everyone was already waiting for him outside.

After leaving his room, the first one he saw was Xiao Luocheng. The silver-haired young man looked warily at his friend; Issei's mood had been far from good these days, and he knew that he wanted to be left alone. His current situation was a perfect example of 'once bitten, twice shy'.

However, the moment he realized the brighter look in his friend's eyes, a wide smile split across his face. He enthusiastically walked forward and patted the dark-haired young man on the back. Instead of congratulating his friend on his partial recovery, or even mentioning the battle that had happened the day before, he skipped directly to the main content.

"Are you prepared?" he asked as they walked towards the entrance. "Today's the big battle. You'll be fighting that Qingyue girl."

Deep inside, Issei was grateful for Xiao Luocheng's consideration. However, he frowned in the next moment. The way Xiao Luocheng was acting didn't seem correct. "Luocheng, nobody told you?"

"What?" Xiao Luocheng looked at him puzzledly. "Did something happen while I was knocked-out? All Nan told me was that Xia Qingyue won against Ling Yun. She must be pretty darn strong."

Issei sighed. He didn't know. "You'll find out once we get there.

Xiao Luocheng stared at Issei strangely but didn't dwell on that topic. The tournament would happen in only a few minutes, and he could wait that long. The silver-haired young man shook his head in a carefree manner. "Alright. Anyways, how confident are you? If you don't beat her, you'll have to battle with Ling Yun for the second place."

"Confident?" Issei paused his steps. Then he mysteriously smiled. "Actually, I'm not sure. But, from what I have seen, my chances aren't that small."

"Oh? That's good then." Xiao Luocheng smiled at him. "Just do your best, or whatever they say."

At that moment, Xiao Luocheng had no way of knowing how shocking Issei's words were. It was only after he had arrived at the arena and heard the so-called secret that he would realize what Issei's mysterious smile and his confident words represented.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	149. Xiao Luocheng versus Ling Yun

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 149 - Xiao Luocheng versus Ling Yun**

* * *

After every faction had arrived at the stage, Ling Wugou flew up into the air. All of the conversations ceased, and all eyes fell on him.

"Fellow Cultivators, I'm proud to announce that today is the final day of this year's Blue Wind Ranking Tournament." He gazed the audience as a whole as he spoke in his thunderous voice; even those outside the stage could hear him. "Today will be the matches to determine the top five competitors. Those who'll be participating in those matches are the contestants from both groups that lost only a single time, or didn't lose at all."

Ling Wugou's gaze fell onto the Xiao Sect's area, then moved over to Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area. "There are four such competitors, and they'll be the top four of the tournament. The ones with a single loss are Xiao Luocheng from the Xiao Sect and Ling Yun from the Heavenly Sword Villa."

Applause erupted from the audience. Almost every single group present applauded, with the exception of Frozen Cloud Asgard and the Burning Heaven Clan.

Ever since the first Blue Wind Ranking Tournament was held, there had always been a Burning Heaven Clan's member in the top four. However, because of the Xiao Sect, they hadn't been able to keep their flawless record. Almost every member of the Burning Heaven Clan glared at the Xiao Sect, deep hatred burning within their eyes.

Even the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch looked grim. His hands were gripped the arms of the chair so tightly that the they already showed cracks and fissures. He was barely able to contain his anger.

Ling Wugou ignored their reaction. He wasn't even bothered by Frozen Cloud Asgard's lack of enthusiasm. After all, they were known for being apathetic. Once the applause had died down, he cleared his throat and carried on with his announcement.

"As for the two who didn't suffer any losses, they are Issei from the Xiao Sect and Xia Qingyue from Frozen Cloud Asgard."

Once more, applause thundered in the air. After it had died down, Ling Wugou glanced at Ling Yuefeng out of the corner of his eyes. The Heavenly Sword Villa's Villa Master nodded back at him. Ling Wugou focused his attention on the audience once more. "First a match will be held between Xiao Luocheng and Ling Yun. Once the winner is decided, the match between Issei and Xia Qingyue shall take place. The one who wins the first match will be ranked third, and the one wins the second match will be ranked first."

Ling Wugou then narrowed his eyes. "However, in the case of Issei losing against Xia Qingyue, and Ling Yun winning against Xiao Luocheng, another match will be held between them to determine who can take the second place. Consequently, if Xia Qingyue loses against Issei, and Xiao Luocheng wins against Ling Yun, there will also be another match to determine the second place."

After he had announced the rules, Ling Wugou flew higher into the air and waved his hands towards the main Sword Discourse Arena. At the same time, Ling Yuefeng flew up into the air and also pointed at the same Sword Discourse Arena. From their hands, two beams of light flew out, falling on the protective barrier that surrounded it. Ripples spread out on its surface, and it suddenly turned visible. At the same time, it grew thicker in a speed visible to the naked eye.

After witnessing Xiao Luocheng's, Issei's and Xia Qingyue's devastating powers, Ling Yuefeng had arrived at the conclusion that if a battle were to take place between any of them, there was a chance the barrier wouldn't be able to support it. Therefore, he decided to personally step forward and strengthen it. Ling Wugou volunteered to help.

"This should be enough." Ling Yuefeng raised his head and nodded towards Ling Wugou, who nodded his head back at him. Then Ling Yuefeng flew back into his seat, whereas Ling Wugou flew down into the arena, taking the role of the judge.

"Xiao Sect's Xiao Luocheng versus Heavenly Sword Villa's Ling Yun!"

The instant those words left his mouth, a white streak of light flashed across the air, landing on the leftmost side of the stage. Once it dispersed, Ling Yun appeared, sword in hand. His stare was cold and hard as he stared at the Xiao Sect's area; there wasn't neither pity nor mercy in his gaze.

The day before, he had been courteous and welcoming, but after suffering a defeat at Xia Qingyue's hands, his father had warned him that no matter what it took, he had to beat Xiao Luocheng. After that, he was to beat Issei and at least acquire the second place. It would be a disgrace for them, Blue Wind's number one sect, to rank at the measly third place. Since they knew it was impossible to get the first place, they wanted to conquer the second place.

It was as if they had already taken Xia Qingyue's win for granted. That could be justified; after all, Xia Qingyue was of the Sky Profound Realm, and her exact level was unknown. Even though Issei constantly shocked them with surprises, they didn't believe he would be able to win. In their opinions, not even a miracle would make that possible.

In the Xiao Sect's seating area, Xiao Luocheng smirked. He could feel the ruthlessness seeping from Ling Yun's body.

He knew it would be a good battle. He couldn't wait.

"Alright, I'll be going now," he said. His eyes were glued onto the stage.

"Good luck, Master!"

"G-good luck, J-junior B-brother Luocheng!"

"Just do your best. If you can't beat him, it's fine. His cultivation base is much higher than yours."

Almost everyone, including Xiao Juetian, encouraged him. Issei, on the other hand, didn't speak a single word. He only stepped forward and patted his friend on the back as he looked at the stage. Then he turned his head around to look at Xiao Luocheng, and his friend did the same. Issei gave him a faint smile, and Xiao Luocheng nodded back at him, grinning.

Not even a single word was exchange between them, but to the silver-haired young man, that was more than enough. Without an ounce of hesitation, Xiao Luocheng jumped up, soaring into the air, then swiftly landing on the main Sword Discourse Arena.

On the stage, Ling Wugou glanced at Xiao Luocheng; his eyes thoughtful. Ever since he had seen the silver-haired young man's performance the day before, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something wrong about him.

Not only that, the name of the martial skills Xiao Luocheng had said that day, along with the cold, amethyst spiritual power, his silver hair and those purple eyes all reminded him of a legend he had heard a long time ago. Rumor had it that more than five hundred years ago, there was a certain demonic cultivator. According to the legends, he had silver hair, amethyst eyes and spiritual power of the very same color.

However, it was said that he didn't leave any successor, and nobody like him had appeared ever since his death. Even the Four Great Sacred Grounds came to investigate and assured the population that he was gone for good.

However, Ling Wugou still believed that the Xiao Sect's disciple carried some deep secret.

Ling Wugou wasn't the only one who had his suspicious. Ling Kun, the elder from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, had also started to pay close attention to Xiao Luocheng, and some of the Xiao Sect members were also aware of that matter.

In the Xiao Sect's seating area, Xiao Yi lightly tugged on her disciple's clothes. Then she lowered her head and spoke quietly. "Nan, the day before, wasn't that mark that appeared on Luocheng's forehead..."

Xiao Nan, who had been staring at the stage, trembled. Then she turned serious and solemnly nodded her head. "I thought the same," she said. "I even went to the graveyard a few times after that, but I couldn't find it. Moreover, Xiao Luocheng only changed like that… three days after I lost it." She then frowned. "However, how could Junior Brother fuse with that skull? It belonged to the Fourth Ancestor, the infamous Demonic Patriarch. Only a demonic cultivator could..." She trailed off, her meaning clear.

"I'm afraid that it's indeed the case." Xiao Yi sighed. "Xiao Luocheng… is most likely a demonic cultivator himself. And now that he fused with the Fourth Ancestor's skull, his powers have grown much stronger. That also explains how he was able to win that competition."

"It's all my fault." The bashful young woman lowered her head. "If I hadn't carried it with me when I went to pay respects to Father and Mother, this wouldn't have happened."

"You were only doing what you were told." Xiao Yi shook her head. "Your parents entrusted it to you, and warned you to never let go of it. You had to take the skull with you. As for losing it, it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"But… what should we do about Senior Brother Luocheng? He's a demonic cultivator… if others discover it, he'll end up just like the Fourth Ancestor..."

"Keep quiet about it. There's no definite proof it yet." The Martial Elder assured her disciple. "As long as he doesn't go overboard, there shouldn't be any problems. For now, let's just watch the match. If it truly reaches the point in which he's about to reveal it, I'll do something about it. Even if I can't do anything, I'm sure Juetian will take action."

Xiao Yi glanced at the Xiao Sect's Patriarch, and upon noticing his serious expression, she nodded to herself. "Yes, he'll do something," she repeated. "I'm sure of it." Then she turned her attention back to the stage and narrowed her eyes. "The match has started already. Pay attention."

Xiao Nan obediently nodded her head and turned around to look at the stage just in time to see Xiao Luocheng activating his martial skill.

Amethyst-colored spiritual power swirled around Xiao Luocheng, shrouding his body from sight. From it radiated an intense coldness, which caused the stage to be covered in a layer of frost.

In the following moment, the layer of amethyst-colored spiritual power wrapped around Xiao Luocheng's body, forming ethereal robes. Xiao Luocheng then waved his hands, and a colossal sword appeared.

What shocked the audience, and even Issei, was that Xiao Luocheng's aura was even stronger than it had been the previous day. And it wasn't by a little.

It was much stronger!

"Did he actually have a breakthrough after our battle?" Issei stared deeply at Xiao Luocheng and sighed. "No wonder he was so happy. He actually profited from that battle against me."

In the arena, Ling Yun narrowed his his eyes. "So you've gotten stronger…" He took out his other sword from his cosmos sack, and threw his current one into the air, where it transformed into his perfect clone, a doppelganger. "But that won't be enough to defeat me. Not by a long shot."

Xiao Luocheng grinned at him. Then he struck out with his foot. In the blink of an eye, he was right next to Ling Yun, who had widened his eyes in shock. The silver-haired young man's eyes flickered with a savage light as he slashed with his sword towards the stunned Ling Yun. "Don't get too full of yourself," he said.

Before anyone in the audience could take action, Xiao Luocheng's cut through Ling Yun's body, dividing his body into two parts. However, it was the silver-haired young man's turn to be shocked. "No blood…?" He widened his eyes. "Wait… this is the…."

"So you figured it out," said a cold voice from behind him.

Xiao Luocheng immediately spun his body around, his sword held in front of his body protectively. However, he had been too late; Ling Yun's attack heavily impacted on his sword, sending him flying through the air.

"Dammit!" Xiao Luocheng gritted his teeth, blood oozing from the corner of his eyes. He spun around mid-air and slashed out with his sword.

No one understood what was happening, but it became clear the next moment.

The invisible spiritual power around the stage activated, blocking his attack. He used it as a support; he struck out with his feet, causing his body to fly back into the stage and towards Ling Yun, the tip of his deadly blade in line with the Heavenly Sword Villa's youth head.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	150. Issei versus Xia Qingyue (1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 150 - Issei versus Xia Qingyue (1)**

* * *

A cruel smile bloomed on Ling Yun's face. His eyes, cold, watched as the sword came, the colossal sword cutting apart the howling air. The explosive, wild energy emanating from it was of such great power that it reached him before the sword even came into contact. Ling Yun acted fast and decisively; instead of bracing himself for the attack, he _embraced_ it.

The overwhelming force of heavily condensed spiritual power smashed against his body. His feet left the ground, and his body flung upwards like a kite in the wind. From above, he watched with apathetic amusement as Xiao Luocheng's deadly sword cut across thin air, missing its target.

The silver-haired youth raised his head up just in time to see Ling Yun's cold smile. "That cunning fox," Xiao Luocheng cursed under his breath. "To think he would use my own spiritual power to dodge..."

Xiao Luocheng took in a deep breath, and ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. He raised the colossal sword above his head, towards Ling Yun, and let out a low roar.

"Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement—Nine Amethyst Springs Tribulation!"

Nine bodies of water appeared around Xiao Luocheng, all of them a deep purple in color. They spun around the silver-haired young man, causing his energy to increase even further. The purple-colored water seeped out of the nine springs, fusing onto his body.

Up in the air, Ling Yun narrowed his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he snapped his finger, and his other sword flew back into his hand. With one sword in each of his hands, he slashed down while in mid-air.

"Mighty Heavenly Sword—Slaughter Emperor's Descent!"

His body plummeted down from the air, his swords positioned above Xiao Luocheng's head. The spiritual power of the third level of the Earth Profound Realm covered his swords, creating a deadly aura around it.

If it hit, Xiao Luocheng would definitely die.

The Xiao Sect's youth didn't even glance in Ling Yun's direction. He continued absorbing the water from the Nine Amethyst Springs, allowing his fleshly body and cultivation base to grow even stronger. It was only when Ling Yun's sword was about to reach him that he reacted. He raised his sword up into the skies, and his aura flared.

"Amethyst Soul Demon Refinement—Eternal Tribulation!"

Xiao Luocheng's sword suddenly increased in size and density. The ground beneath Xiao Luocheng's feet cracked, unable to support the swords massive weight. Despite that, the silver-haired youth kept holding it. The veins in his forehead popped out, and an unbelievable amount of strain was being put on his arms.

Nevertheless, he continued to persist. Gritting his teeth, he channeled even more spiritual power into his sword. His silver hair whipped about, disregarding the lack of wind. The amethyst crown above his head shone with an eerie light, and the crystal in the middle of his forehead appeared once more. Strange, purple-colored tattoos appeared around his arms and legs, each and every of them pulsating with energy.

Within his body, his spiritual power was crazily building up. The young man's body could be likened to a balloon completely filled with air, on the verge of exploding.

Then Xiao Luocheng's sword met Ling Yun's two swords, and all of the energy was released. The sound of thunderclaps resounded in the air as the entire stage was covered by a blinding light. Not the main Sword Discourse Arena, but the stage as a whole.

Even the audience had to cover their eyes to avoid being blinded.

Eventually, the light faded away. Everyone opened their eyes in expectation, anticipating the result of the mighty clash.

In the main Sword Discourse Arena, Xiao Luocheng laid prone on the ground, his back towards the skies. His body was devoid of movement, and from what the audience could see, devoid of life. In front of him stood Ling Yun, who had his two swords embedded onto the ground, supporting his body up.

Blood oozed from the corner of Ling Yun's mouth, and his eyes were hollow and listless. It was clear that he was supporting his body up by sheer willpower. Before Ling Wugou could come forward, Ling Yun widened his eyes and coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body swayed and trembled, but he managed to keep standing.

His cold, emotionless eyes stared at Xiao Luocheng's prone body, but there wasn't a hint of satisfaction on his sickly face.

"It was a draw," he murmured to himself. "In the very last moment, he held back. He knew that it wouldn't be wise to severely injure me. Before thinking of his victory, he first thought of the Xiao Sect." Ling Yun shook his head and sighed. "Your choice… was a wise one. I commend you on that. Therefore, I shall reward you… accordingly."

Ling Yun the turned his head towards Ling Wugou. "Elder, this match is my victory. However, I forfeit my next match, regardless of the opponent."

The Heavenly Sword Villa Elder stared at Ling Yun, shock evident in his eyes. Then he nodded solemnly and raised his hand. "Ling Yun wins this match!"

The Heavenly Sword Villa's strongest disciple then turned around to look at Xiao Luocheng. "Provide him the best of treatment, don't hold back on anything. After he awakens, reward him with seven Earth Profound Swords and an Earth Profound Talisman." He glanced at the stunned Ling Wugou out of the corner of his eyes. "This is a direct order from me, the Heavenly Sword Villa's Young Master. I'm sure that Father doesn't have any complaints."

Unsure of what to do, Ling Wugou glanced upwards, towards the Heavenly Sword Villa's seating area. His gaze met with Ling Yuefeng's. The Heavenly Sword Villa's Patriarch slowly nodded his head. With his cultivation base, he could clearly hear the conversation on the stage. He was giving Ling Wugou permission to carry on his son's orders.

Ling Wugou snapped his fingers, and a team of five medics jumped onto the stage and carried Xiao Luocheng's wounded body out.

Not too far away, the Xiao Sect's Patriarch narrowed his eyes. After a brief moment of deliberation, he flew out in the direction of the medics. Instead of blocking their path, he landed next to Xiao Luocheng and begun to transfer his spiritual power into the unconscious silver-haired young man. The reaction was almost instantaneous; Xiao Luocheng's battered and bloodied appearance began to heal at speed visible to the naked eye.

Ling Yun was also taken away by Ling Wugou so he could have his body checked. The Heavenly Sword Villa's strongest elder didn't find it surprising when the young man lost consciousness the moment they left the field of vision of the audience.

Half-an-hour later, Ling Wugou came back, and after announcing that both Xiao Luocheng and Ling Yun weren't in life-threatening conditions, he continued with the tournament. After all, there was a certain schedule he had to follow.

"Now it's time for the last match of the tournament," Ling Wugou declared. "Xiao Sect's Issei, Group A's winner, will be fighting against Frozen Cloud Asgard's Xia Qingyue. The winner shall be declared the champion of the tournament, whereas the loser will be the runner-up."

The Heavenly Sword Villa Elder then raised up his left hand. "Issei and Xia Qingyue, please come onto the stage within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

"Issei…." Xia Qingyue stared at the stage, her expression complex. She knew her power better than anyone and was sure that in a real battle, Issei had no chance against her. However, she didn't want to hurt Issei; in fact, she wanted to protect him. Alas, she was in a tournament, and even though she disagreed with the rules, she still needed to fight. Gritting her teeth, she made her decision.

"If you're planning on letting him win, then don't even bother coming back here." Chu Yuechan coldly stared at Xia Qingyue, knowing all too well what her junior was thinking.

Xia Qingyue halted her steps. "What?"

"Don't lose on purpose," Chu Yuechan said. "Otherwise you won't like what will happen. Not only that..." Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes in thought. "Knowing his personality, he wouldn't like it; he would be offended if you went easy on him."

Xia Qingyue stared at Chu Yuechan coldly. "Knowing… knowing his personality?" She took a step forward towards the veiled woman. "You only met him a few days ago, did you not? And you even attacked him then. How would you know anything about him?"

Chu Yuechan could feel the murderous aura that emanated from the young woman opposite of her. She frowned and stood up from her seat, causing a portion of her aura to flare out, overshadowing Xia Qingyue's own aura.

The surrounding Frozen Cloud Asgard Members retreated a few steps, obviously afraid of being caught up in their argument.

"Xia Qingyue," Chu Yuechan said coldly. "The only reason why I haven't reduced your body to dust yet is because you have potential. However, even I have my limits. Use that threatening tone with me again, and I'll show you true despair. As for what I do, and the people I know, it doesn't matter to you at all. Do as I say and battle the Xiao Sect's boy with all your strength. If you don't…" The veiled woman's aura grew even colder, "you won't be the only one to suffer."

Xia Qingyue clenched her hands but didn't say anything else. She turned around and quietly flew towards the stage, where Issei awaited her. She wasn't foolish enough to think she could beat Chu Yuechan in a fight of true power. Out of all the Frozen Cloud Asgard's disciples, she was the only one who knew Chu Yuechan's true power.

Meanwhile, on the Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area, Chu Yuechan sat down on her seat once more. She no longer stared at Xia Qingyue. The moment Xia Qingyue had left, her eyes had immediately locked onto Issei. The way she stared at him wasn't cold, but instead complex as if his existence alone was the reason for all her troubles.

She took in a deep breath. "Let's see," she murmured to herself, "whether you're truly worth the trouble. If you show yourself capable of beating her… I…. will ignore Master's orders… and… break the pact."

Chu Yuechan's cold behavior towards Issei… wasn't without reason. She had long since figured out her feelings for the young man, and regardless of how much she tried, she was unable to get rid of them. Even her heart, tempered by her Frozen End's cultivation, was unable to freeze the feeling of love that burned within her.

She was more than aware of the girls involved with Issei, but that wasn't the reason why she avoided him. Although she disliked it, she didn't care too much about that; it wasn't as if she hadn't seen harems before. They weren't uncommon at all in the place she had come from, so she had already grown numb to them. Her real problem was the order her Master had given her, and the pact she had made all those years ago in her homeland.

If she were to break the pact, then the one who would suffer wouldn't be her—it would be Issei. Therefore, she needed to see for herself whether Issei had enough power—or talent—to handle the consequences.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	151. Issei versus Xia Qingyue (2)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 151 - Issei versus Xia Qingyue (2)**

* * *

At the main Sword Discourse Arena, Ling Wugou looked back and forth between Issei and Xia Qingyue. "Are you both ready?" he solemnly asked.

Issei nodded his head, whereas Xia Qingyue kept standing motionlessly.

"Very well." Ling Wugou flew out of the Sword Discourse Arena. "Then the tournament's final battle..." he raised his hand into the air, "starts now!"

Unlike most of the past battles, neither Issei nor Xia Qingyue took the initiative to initiate the fight. They simply stared at each other, not speaking nor moving.

"So it came to his..." Issei said, breaking apart the silence. His voice was low and the words were said in such a way that nobody except for Xia Qingyue could hear. He sighed. "Three years ago, I said we'd meet again, but… I never expected it would be like this."

Xia Qingyue's gaze softened. "Issei…."

"Qingyue, I have hurt you," Issei interrupted before she could speak another word. "It's my fault; I admit it. You have every right to be mad or angry at me."

She shook her head, her hands held against her ample chest. Her appearance was no longer that of a cold woman, but that of a young girl comforting her beloved. "I'm not mad, I'm—"

"Wait," Issei raised his hand, "let me finish." He then took in a deep breath to regain his bearing. "Qingyue, I love you. I already said that before, and I'll say it again; I love you. And nothing will change that."

Xia Qingyue stared at Issei in shock. His confession was just too sudden, and she didn't know how to react.

"However, you're not… the only one I love." Issei sighed. His eyes were full of determination as he stared at the young woman he dearly loved. "I know it's wrong, but I can't help it. I'm weak to women; I fall in love easily. Too easily, in fact. There's nothing I can do about it. It's just my nature." He paused, giving her some time to digest his words. Then he shook his head. "Qingyue, I won't hide it anymore. I'm in love with your sister, along with other girls. That's a fact. They also love me back, just like you. And I… I can't part with any of them."

The veiled young woman stared at him in shock. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it, as she didn't even know what she was supposed to say.

"Qingyue, I don't want to hurt you any longer," Issei said. "Instead of keeping you in the dark, full of doubt, I'll tell you what needs to be said." He took a deep breath. "You… you have two options. You can either forget all about me and continue on with your life. I won't stop you. But… you can also continue with me. You can still be _my_ Qingyue. However, in that case… you'll have to tolerate the _others._ I'm not asking you to accept them, nor am I telling you to like them… All I want is for you to coexist with them. That's all I ask. That's all I need."

Xia Qingyue kept staring at Issei in silence. Her lips trembled, and so did her entire body. Her head hung low, causing her beautiful, onyx-black hair to plunge down her forehead, casting shadows over her eyes. Eventually, she raised her head, revealing bloodshot eyes.

"If you… if you defeat me," she murmured, "then… then I… I'll try my best to ignore them."

"And if I lose?"

"You'll… you'll have to give up on them."

Issei slowly nodded his head. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, they were cold and serious. A frightening aura surged out from Issei's body, causing his clothes to ripple in the air. "Very well," he said. "If I lose, I'll do as you say."

He wouldn't lose. He was sure of it.

He'd win, regardless of the cost.

Xia Qingyue widened her eyes in shock at first but narrowed them in the following moment. She had made her resolve; she'd give it her all. Even though she knew that Issei wouldn't be willing to part with those girls, she was aware that he wouldn't break his promise. Cultivators live a long life. She believed that as long as enough time passed, Issei would forget about them, and she'd have him all to herself. Even if it took hundreds of years, it'd still be worth it for her.

Of course, she wouldn't go back on her word. In case she truly lost, she'd truly do her best to coexist with the other girls. However, she didn't think… there actually was a possibility of her losing. It wasn't that she looked down on Issei, but she believed that with her cultivation base, along with her abilities, he wasn't her match. Not by a long shot.

She was in for a rude awakening.

…

…

…

"Mn? Is it going to start?" Xiao Juetian narrowed his eyes. For the past dozens of minutes, neither Issei nor Xia Qingyue showed any intentions of attacking, leaving the entire audience puzzled. In the end, they could only wait, wondering just what was happening.

Even Xiao Juetian, as well as the other Sky Profound Realm and Emperor Profound cultivators, were clueless. After all, Issei had used some unknown method to isolate his conversation with Xia Qingyue.

Needless to be said, the moment Issei's aura surged out, everyone grew excited.

What they had been looking forward to… was finally going to happen.

Ling Wugou narrowed his eyes, immediately growing cautious. After all, both Issei and Xia Qingyue were geniuses of unheard potential. Even if they weren't from his sect, he'd make sure they wouldn't be fatally wounded.

However, he wasn't too worried. He believed that with Xia Qingyue's cultivation base, the battle would end quickly. All he had to do was to step in and save Issei before a fatal blow.

That was also the general opinion of the entire audience. Even Ling Kun, who had more insight and more experience than everyone else there added together, believed that to be the case. Not even in the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would he be able to find someone who at the True Profound Realm would be capable of defeating those at the Sky Profound Realm. In his opinion, that was only wishful thinking.

On the main Sword Discourse Arena, Xia Qingyue steadied her breathing. Her aura surged out like waves, spreading in the air around her. The temperature in the atmosphere plunged, and a layer of ice started to form around the stage. Even the invisible spiritual barrier around the stage showed signs of freezing.

"Issei," she murmured. "I'm sorry, but for this battle, I'll go… all out."

Xia Qingyue then waved her hands, and dozens of icicles appeared around her. Each of them was dozens of meters in length, but extremely thin. They resembled giant needles made out of ice.

"Frozen Cloud Arts—Ice Needles!"

With a wave of her hands, those dozens of needles were sent flying in Issei's direction. Behind each of those needles was a frightening piercing power, and their speed was so fast they were practically undodgeable. And since there were so many of them, Issei had nowhere to run to.

However, Issei never planned on dodging on the first place.

"First Gate—Evil Soul!" He said, causing his aura to climb up. Without missing a beat, he exclaimed, "Second Gate—Burning Heart!" His aura surged even further, and his actual combat power was greatly enhanced.

A golden light flashed across Issei's eyes, followed by a blue one, and his cultivation base, for the first time, changed. Through the use of the Evil God's arts, what changed wasn't his cultivation base, but instead the quality and density of his spiritual power. However, because of the divine lightning, he was able to directly increase his cultivation base by two levels.

Issei then waved his hand down, and a crimson longsword appeared on his hand. An aura of sharpness appeared around Issei, and it was as if space itself has been slashed apart.

By this point, the dozens of ice needles were only seconds away from him.

"Heavenly Slash! Boost!" Without hesitation, Issei followed the instructions the Primordial Azure Dragon God had given him. He slashed out with his sword and activated Ddraig's boosting power at the same time. As the crimson sword cut apart the air, a colossal sword beam appeared. Just from staring at it, Issei knew that it was twice as strong as normal.

There was only a fraction of a second before the ice needles reached him. Taking advantage of that, Issei cried out once more, "Boost! Boost!"

The slash he had just thrown out suddenly quadrupled in size. It now covered the entire Sword Discourse Arena, and was almost piercing through the invisible spiritual barrier. The aura around it was overbearing, filled with the heretical and berserk attributes.

When the crimson slash and the dozens of needles impacted, a clear, high-pitched sound thundered in the air. All of the needles were instantly shattered apart, whereas the crimson slash kept flying forward, without any loss in momentum.

Xia Qingyue widened her eyes in surprise when she saw her attack being so easily broken apart. Despite that, she quickly regained her bearing. She narrowed her eyes in cold determination.

"Frozen Cloud's Ninth Realm… unseal! Frozen End's Rebirth!"

Like a windstorm, Xia Qingyue's spiritual surged out with unprecedented intensity. Even the veil was ripped apart by the sheer pressure, revealing an immaculately beautiful face. With speed visible to the naked eye, the onyx-black color of her hair faded away, giving place to long, silver hair. Xia Qingyue's skin turned even whiter, and her eyes, which had once been black, turned into an icy blue.

She also grew taller, and her figure grew even more alluring. Her blue-colored robe was replaced by a gorgeous white dress, which seemed to have been made by the purest of snow and the coldest of ice. However, nobody was paying attention to that, as an even more shocking change had taken place near her.

Two colossal, gigantic trees made out of ice had appeared in front of her, acting like a shield. Shockingly, the aura of the Sky Profound Realm could be clearly felt around those two trees.

Before anyone could voice their astonishment, the crimson slash collided against the two trees. It then exploded in a flash of crimson-colored light, temporarily blinding everyone present. When they opened their eyes again, they found Issei and Xia Qingyue standing in the same place they had been before, but with only one difference—neither the two trees nor the crimson slash could be seen.

Their powers had actually been on the same level.

Xia Qingyue widened her eyes at Issei, shocked by what had happened. "He actually managed to deal with the two Frozen Trees?"

However, before she could express more of her amazement, Issei struck out with his sword again. His deadly crimson sword seemed sharp enough to tear across everything under the heavens. The very wind howled as it was cut through, as if crying in pain.

"Heavenly Slash," Issei coldly said. Then he waved down his sword ten more times without stopping, causing a windstorm to spring up around him. Right before Xia Qingyue's eyes, ten crimson slashes, one in front of the other, appeared, all of them heading towards her. Issei's crimson sword pulsated and trembled, boosting the power of all of the slashes.

"Ten more of them?!" Xia Qingyue cried out in alarm. She had thought that with how powerful that slash was, Issei wasn't capable of using them consecutively. Not even in her wildest dreams could she have imagined he would be able to throw them out so easily. "Not good." She fell back, instantaneously putting up some distance between them. Then she waved her hands down, and dozens of trees were erected before her, making the arena look more like a forest made out of frozen vegetation.

Despite that, Xia Qingyue was unable to shake off the feeling of impending doom that loomed over her. After a moment of hesitation, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Frozen End… Domain."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	152. Issei versus Xia Qingyue (3)

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 152 - Issei versus Xia Qingyue (3)**

* * *

A massive amount of spiritual power surged out from within Xia Qingyue, covering the entire Sword Discourse Arena like a blanket. Boundless and cold, it flooded over the arena in waves, pulsating with each of Xia Qingyue's heartbeat.

Clouds formed atop the stage, just below the peak of the spiritual power barrier. A cool breeze washed over the stage, bringing along with it a deep, bone-chilling coldness. Snow and ice condensed all around the Sword Discourse Arena, which seemed to have become a separate world of its own. It was a world of white snow and of coldness.

Issei kept standing in the same place, seemingly ignoring the various changes in his surroundings. However, he was deeply shocked inside; each snowflake and each particle of ice contained a vast amount of cold spiritual power. It was as if he was submerged in an endless ocean of raw spiritual power. Even though Issei was unsure of what Xia Qingyue's limits were, he didn't believe she was able to produce this much spiritual power.

"This is the… Frozen End Domain?!" Jasmine stood up within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, shock and astonishment plastered all over her face.

"Jasmine?" Issei narrowed his eyes. For the haughty Jasmine to have such a reaction… he was sure that what had just happened wasn't good news. "You know what this is?"

"Yes," Jasmine slowly said. "This is one of the most fearsome Domains in the place where I come from… the Frozen End Domain."

"Fearsome? In the place where you come from?" Issei's mind reeled in shock. While making sure to pay close attention to Xia Qingyue, he continued to question Jasmine. "What's a domain?"

"A Domain is an ability that can be activated by those at the Emperor Profound Realm," she explained. "There are many types of them, and they can be learned just like martial skills. Their functions vary, but their main use is to give the caster a huge advantage… however, this Frozen Cloud Domain goes beyond that. Most likely, the Xia girl only learned that ability because that Chu Yuechan taught her. After all, it's the signature technique of the faction she comes from."

"What does it do?"

"Increasing the cultivator's strength, boosting the power of all martial skills and increasing the healing speed are some examples," Jasmine said. "You should be thankful, though. It's clear that she has only just recently learned it, and that her current power is far too weak to utilize its true power. Otherwise, everyone in this continent below the Sovereign Profound Realm would have lost their lives the moment it was activated."

Issei widened his eyes. "Continent…? The entire Profound Sky Continent?"

"If not more." Jasmine nodded her head. "If this domain was cast by even the weakest elder from _that_ faction, it wouldn't be unexpected if the _entire_ planet was frozen over in seconds. Maybe even the planets near this… or even the entire Mountain and Sea Realm! Not even those beyond the Saint Profound Realm would be able to survive for even a second within it."

"Mountain and Sea Realm..." Issei murmured, finding that name familiar. Then he remembered what the Primordial Azure Dragon had told him about something called the Nine Mountains and Seas. Back then, the Lord of the Divine Beasts had said he would explain it to him, but he didn't uphold his end of the deal. Now that he was reminded of that, his curiosity was rekindled. He had already made the decision that as soon as this tournament ends, he would make sure to ask Jasmine what's that all about.

However, he had a battle to fight, and he knew that it wouldn't be an easy one.

"Is there some way to break it?" Issei asked.

"As if I know!" Jasmine humphed, her haughty personality resurfacing. "Find it out for yourself." She then cut down their mental link, leaving Issei in the dark.

Since Jasmine wasn't willing to help him out, Issei decided to that he could only rely on himself in this situation. Eggy wouldn't be of much help, as her knowledge was somewhat limited, and Feng Xinyi wouldn't be able to help out with her sealed cultivation base.

Issei gradually spread out his consciousness throughout the Sword Discourse Arena, searching for some breach in the Frozen End Domain. His spiritual power covered his surroundings, and even his Spirit Power was being utilized to its fullest. However, it was of no use; he soon realized that before this Domain, his cultivation base was insufficient. He wasn't capable of discovering even one of its weak-points.

In the midst of his search, Issei narrowed his eyes. He immediately jumped to the side. Not even a second later, he heard a sharp, shrill sound. Turning his head to the side, he saw a giant needle deeply embedded in the place he had been standing at a few moments ago.

Issei raised his head up, and his pupils constricted. Above him, over five dozen ice needles hovered in the air, threatening to fall down at any moment. They were like stalactites, but deadlier. He then lowered his head, and his gaze fell on Xia Qingyue, who wore a concerned, yet determined expression on her face.

"She has the absolute advantage here," Issei murmured as he ran around the Sword Discourse Arena, dodging one ice needle after the other. "Even for me, it will be tough to defeat her within this domain. Her cultivation base is also higher. Much higher. If I want to win this battle… I'll have to destroy this Domain!"

After a moment of deliberation, Issei passed Ddraig over to his right hand, and allowed his left hand to fall down to the side of his body. Then, on the palm of Issei's left hand, a small, scarlet-colored flame appeared. It was extremely faint, and if one didn't look closely, they wouldn't be able to even notice it.

Then, next to that flame, a golden-colored one appeared. And next to that flame, a vermilion-colored one appeared. In total, three flames danced around within Issei's palm, flickering with the breeze. Even though they were small, their temperature was hot enough to make everything in existence tremble and shake. That was specially the case with the golden flame; it's presence alone caused the area around Issei's hand to turn a deep red.

When the first flame, the scarlet flame, appeared, Xia Qingyue didn't notice it, as she was too focused on aiming her giant needles at Issei. However, after the vermillion and the golden flames were summoned, the young woman felt a terrifying aura being emanated from within Issei's left hand. Following that, she realized how the snow around Issei had melted, causing her eyes to narrow. She knew the power of the Frozen End Domain better than anyone, which meant that she was also fully aware that not even someone of the Emperor Profound Realm would be able to melt her snow with ease.

In Frozen Cloud Asgard's seating area, Chu Yuechan suddenly rose to her feet, sending her chair skidding a couple of feet. Behind her rippling veil, her eyes were widened in shock. "What….? This… this is the signature aura of… three Divine Beasts!" When her gaze fell on Issei's hand, her eyes widened even further. With her cultivation base, she could clearly see those three flames. "One scarlet, one golden and one vermillion… don't tell me… he has the bloodline of the three Fire Divine Beasts?! How's this even possible?! Never mind they being unable to coexist within the same vessel, how did he even get his hands on all three of them?!"

The rest of the Frozen Cloud Asgard members stared at Chu Yuechan in puzzlement and confusion; they couldn't understand what had caused her to become so riled up.

Back on the Sword Discourse Arena, Xia Qingyue felt a sense of deadly crisis crashing upon her. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she felt as if those three flames held enough power to destroy her in both body and soul. Her instinct urged for her to turn around and get as far away as possible.

"Damn… this… isn't easy..." Issei clenched his teeth, his expression one of pain. He had already mastered the Phoenix Flames, but he could only barely control the Vermillion Bird Flames and the Golden Crow Flames. Bringing them out was already a huge strain on his body, and added to the fact that he was under both the Evil Soul and the Burning Heart effects, he could barely keep standing.

Mustering up what remained of his spiritual power, he used the Star God's Broken Shadow, allowing him to quickly reach the frozen spiritual power barrier. Then, without hesitation, he struck out with his hand, intending to hit the barrier.

However, at that very moment, an ice needle feel down from the skies. Gritting his teeth, Issei changed the trajectory of his hand, sending it upwards, towards the ice needle. The moment they entered into contact, a sizzling sound echoed out.

The ice needle was immediately reduced to dust. The heat had spread with such speed that before the flames could even spread across the needle, it had already been disintegrated. Issei's aura flared with a tyrannical power, causing the air to sizzle and crackle. The flames in his hands were like mad, primordial beasts, roaring out, thirsting for slaughter.

A wave of heat erupted from within Issei's hand, and all of the snow in his surroundings disappeared, turning into pure nothingness. Those three flames seemed capable of burning through everything. It was as if even gods and deities would have to prostate themselves before it.

Around Issei's left arm, an ethereal, phantom aura appeared. It was tangible, covering his right arm in an armor-like coat of spiritual power. Its color constantly alternated between scarlet, gold and vermillion.

Issei bit his tongue, drawing blood. A sharp, clear feeling spread across his mind, allowing him to to keep his consciousness. Then he once more struck out with his arm towards the spiritual power barrier, causing the three flames to come into contact with it. They flared out madly, and the illusory coat around Issei's left arm got even more solid.

Following that, a shrill, ear-splitting sound cut across the air as the three flames merged into a single one, which then began to devour the entire barrier. Along with it, the Frozen End Domain was also being eaten up. The audience could only watch in shock as the almighty Domain and the spiritual power barrier were destroyed in seconds by those maddened, famished flames.

Once all of the snow was gone, Issei turned his head towards Xia Qingyue. His left arm hanged lifelessly by his side; the ethereal, three-colored coat of spiritual power had already disappeared. The young woman stared back at issei with widened eyes, frozen in place. What had just happened had shocked her to her very core, leaving her speechless and unable to even move.

In slow, heavy steps, Issei slowly walked towards her. On his tenth step, Ddraig faded away from his hands on his third step, and the Golden and Blue Divine Lightnings went back into slumber on his tenth. When he took his twentieth step, he closed the first and second gate of the Evil God, causing his cultivation base to plunge down. Finally, on his thirtieth step, he reached Xia Qingyue.

He didn't say even a single word. After shooting her a calm, yet exhausted smile, he closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall down. Before he reached the ground, Issei felt soft and tender arms wrap around him. The corner of his lips curled upwards, and he lapsed into unconsciousness.

When Issei opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a white ceiling.

"You're awake?"

Issei turned his head to the side and found Xiao Juetian seating next to him. For a moment, he blanked, but then he remembered the scholarly man's question and nodded his head.

"How are you feeling?" the Xiao Sect's Patriarch asked. "Heavenly Sword Villa's best medic came to treat you, and various Sect Patriarchs came here to supply you with some of their spiritual power."

"I'm fine." Issei tried to lift his body from the bed, but Xiao Juetian raised his hand, stopping him.

"Don't. Rest more," he said. "Three days from now, we'll need you in top condition. It's better if you stay in bed these three days." Reaching that point, Xiao Juetian frowned. "I don't know what you did on the stage, but you managed to completely empty your spiritual power. Were it not for the fact that so many people came to help you, you would have remained unconscious for a much longer time."

Issei listened to the Patriarch's words in silence. Then, since he knew better than to quarrel with Xiao Juetian, Issei let his body fall back on the bed. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "The tournament… in the end..."

Xiao Juetian smiled his signature, scholarly smile. "You won. After you fell unconscious, Xia Qingyue forfeited before Ling Wugou could announce her the victor. Then she literally ordered Ling Yuefeng to bring his best medics to take care of you." Saying up to that point, the scholarly man smirked. "You should have seen it… A girl who's not even seventeen ordering the Heavenly Sword Villa's Village Master around… it was truly a sight to behold. What was even more amusing was that Ling Yuefeng couldn't refuse because of Lady Chu."

"Xia Qingyue… how is she right now?"

"She's fine." Xiao Juetian shrugged his shoulders. "Though, I must admit, you are something else."

"What?"

Xiao Juetian sighed. "You were unconscious for three days. And, for three days, Xia Qingyue never left your side. The only reason why she isn't here right now is because Chu Yuechan summoned her back a few minutes ago. I don't know how you did, but you somehow managed to capture Blue Wind's most beautiful young woman…."

Issei stared at Xiao Juetian in puzzlement. "Blue Wind's most beautiful young woman?"

"Yes. During the battle, her face was unveiled. It didn't take long for people to take notice of her… yesterday I received news that Xia Qingyue had been deemed the Blue Wind Nation's most beautiful young woman. Chu Yuechan also had her title changed to Blue Wind Nation's most beautiful woman." Xiao Juetian shook his head helplessly. "Right now, almost everyone knows that Xia Qingyue is somewhat related to you. My son… Kuanglei is extremely jealous of you. Were it not for Xiao Luocheng ordering him to not do anything, I'm sure that he would have done something by now..."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	153. Plan of Action

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 153 - Plan of Action**

* * *

Issei sighed; he was more than aware that those two titles could very well result in various problems in the future. However, he had too much on his mind at the moment, and couldn't bring himself to care about that.

"What about Xiao Luocheng?"

"He's better," Xiao Juetian said. "He woke up a few hours ago. He spent some time by your side, but apparently grew bored, and went out exploring with Kuanglei'er."

"I'm not surprised. It's good that he's back to normal." Issei nodded his head. He glanced around the room in thought. "Since I won the tournament… what about the reward?"

"Yuefeng said he'd fetch the Dragonscale Armor for you once you woke up," the Xiao Sect Patriarch's said. "However, his heart must be bleeding right now. From what I can see, that Dragonscale Armor was originally intended to be a gift from the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region to Yuefeng's son, Ling Yun. They just used the tournament as a cover of sorts." An uncharacteristic sly smile appeared on his scholarly face. "They didn't even consider the possibility of Ling Yun losing."

Issei shrugged his shoulders. "If they want to keep it, it's fine. I don't really need it."

Xiao Juetian widened his eyes, stunned. Then he narrowed them. "Issei, we're talking about a Sky Profound Artifact. Not even I have an armor like that."

"You can have it then."

In Issei's opinion, giving away the Dragonscale Armor was the smartest action he could take. That armor was useless to him, as his own body was probably stronger than it on its own. Instead of using that armor as decoration, he figured that strengthening his relationships with the old generation was a much more profitable transaction.

"No." Xiao Juetian shook his head. "I won't stoop so slow as to acquire the prize of someone of the younger generation, even if it's being given to me. Even if you don't want it, at least give it to someone who needs it."

A name appeared in Issei's mind. He smiled. "Alright. I'll be giving it to Mei then. She'll need the protection, considering her cultivation base."

Xiao Juetian slowly nodded his head. Then he discussed some other miscellaneous matters with Issei before excusing himself. According to him, he had spent too much spiritual power into aiding Issei in his recovery, and needed to replenish it. Before leaving, he also advised Issei not to do anything that could put strain on his muscles. Apparently, there was a certain event that would take place in three days, and Issei had to be in his best condition for it. He also told Issei that a medic would soon arrive to check on his condition.

Once Xiao Juetian had left, Issei sent out his Spirit Power. After making sure that nobody was around, he laid back on his bed and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a vast, endless corridor. On his left and right were walls that extended upwards beyond what his eyes could see. Orderly laid across those walls were various doors, each of them leading to a different room.

In silence, Issei made his way around the vast corridors, soon arriving in front of a room. He stretched out his hand, intending to grab the handle, but stopped when he was about to reach it. Then he turned around, and what entered his sight was a huge door.

Issei had been in his World Spirit Space numerous times before, but this was the first time he had actually taken notice of it. What puzzled him even more were the various chains that ran across the door's surface, as well as the ancient, atavistic markings embedded on its surface.

"Strange. This wasn't here before," Issei said. He walked forward until he was directly in front of the colossal door. "I would definitely have noticed something as big as this. But… the question is… what's in there?"

If he concentrated, Issei could feel a faint pressure surrounding that door. Even though it was barely noticeable, it was packed with endless ferocity, and seemed incomparably ancient. In some ways, it even resembled Eggy's aura. However, Issei felt as if it was even more obscure.

"It's similar to that of an Asura World Spirit, yet different." Issei closed his eyes, attempting to get a better idea of what he was feeling. "It feels more ancient… as if what's behind that door isn't an Asura World Spirit, but instead their ancestor. An existence that precedes them…."

Issei then opened his eyes. He stared at the door, deep in thought. Eventually, he sighed and turned around, heading back to Eggy's door. He wasn't foolish; he had an ominous feeling that if he tried to get closer to the door, or even touch it, something would happen. Something that he definitely didn't want to see.

"Most likely, it's something that Liang Ye left behind," Issei concluded. "After all, he was the one who helped me construct my World Spirit Space. It wouldn't be strange if he left behind some other surprise for me as his last parting gift. As for why I only noticed it now, it's not as if it matters."

Having reached a conclusion, Issei pushed all thoughts regarding that strange door to the back of his head. After clearing his mind, he pulled down the handle of Eggy's door, opened it, and stepped inside.

What entered Issei's field of vision was a boundless and vast landscape. Regardless of how many times he visited Eggy's room, he could never get used to the vast boundlessness contained therein. It was as if it was a separate world of its own.

"Issei?" Eggy took notice of him the moment he stepped inside. A wide smile bloomed on her face as she pounced on him, embracing him with all her might.

Issei smiled back at her, and hugged her back, albeit with lesser intensity. Eventually, Eggy released him from her hold and took a few steps back. She placed her hands behind her back, and slightly bent her body down, revealing more of her bottomless cleavage. She smiled sweetly at him, her eyes filled with tenderness.

However, when she saw Issei's face, she realized why he had come. Immediately, worry and concern appeared on her eyes. At the same time, she lost her cute, lovable behavior, assuming a more serious posture.

"It's time," Issei said. "Let's talk."

Eggy slowly nodded her head. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she sat down on the grass, and motioned for Issei to do the same. Once they were both seated, Issei took in a deep breath.

"Eggy, I'll cut straight to the point. During the time you were," Issei paused, grasping for the right word, "unconscious, I got involved with a few other girls. You already know about Mei and Qingyue. However, there's also Xinyi and Chu Yuechan."

"I know." Eggy nodded her head. Then she pursed her lips. "Issei… I already told you before that as long as I have a place in your heart, I can tolerate other girls."

"Even though there are more now?" Issei asked.

"I..." Eggy took in a deep breath. She sighed. "Yes. My words still stand. As long as you keep loving me, I don't care how many girls you love." She paused. "However, this does not mean I'll like them."

"Don't worry. Tolerating is all I ask," he said. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Issei smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure that that decision must have been difficult. This means a lot to me."

"I just don't want to see you suffering anymore." Eggy shook her head, her head waving alongside her movements. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy. That's all there is to it."

Issei continued smiling at her. He gently swept his right hand across her forehead, arranging a few loose strands. Then he brought his head closer to hers and lightly pecked her on the forehead.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Eggy blushed a deep red; even though she was usually daring and naughty, she was still weak to such display of affection. She bashfully lowered her head. Her eyes, however, never left Issei. "I know you will..."

"I love you," Issei said. He cupped her chin between his forefinger and thumb, then raised her head towards him. Eggy watched, dazed, as Issei claimed her lips. Intoxication flickered across her clear, watery eyes, which closed thereafter.

Eventually, Issei pulled his head back, and in a swift movement, pressed his lips against his forehead once more. Then he stood up. "I'll come back later," he said.

"I'll wait for you…." Eggy whispered, longing evident in her voice. Just as Issei was about to reach the door, she called out to him, "Issei!"

Issei halted his steps and turned his head towards her. "Eggy?"

"Can you… can you promise me something?" Eggy asked, her cheeks still rosy. "Lately, you… you haven't been progressing in your World Spiritist Techniques at all. Could you try to reach the Blue Cloak faster? I… I want to go out into the outside world too! I want to be out there with you all the time!"

Eggy's words were like a bolt of lightning, leaving Issei completely stunned. With all that was going on, he had been neglecting his practice of World Spiritist techniques. He had also completely forgotten that upon reaching the Blue Cloak, it was possible to summon World Spirits to the outside world.

He also realized that it had been years since he last provided Eggy with Source Energy.

It was at that moment he realized he had been neglecting Eggy too. Without Source Energy, which was acquired from other cultivators, Eggy's cultivation base would never progress. Since he hadn't killed anyone lately, he had completely forgotten about that.

After taking in a deep breath and organizing his thoughts, Issei nodded his head. "I promise." He turned around and placed his hand on the door's handle. "And sorry. I won't neglect you any longer."

Eggy silently smiled at Issei, watching him walk out of the room. Once outside, he closed his eyes and called his consciousness back. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the same bed he had been before.

Not even ten seconds after Issei had called back his consciousness from the World Spirit Space, the door opened, and an old lady stepped inside the room. When she saw Issei obediently laying in his bed, she smiled in satisfaction.

"Finally! A patient that actually follows my advice!" she exclaimed in glee. Then she walked forward and grabbed hold of Issei's pulse before he could even react. After a few seconds, she slowly nodded her head. "Good, good!" After feeling his pulse three more times, she raised head to stare straight into his eyes. "Child, I'll be sending my spiritual power into your body. Don't resist."

Issei slowly nodded, still puzzled by the behavior of the lively old lady in front of him. He was also surprised to notice that her whole body was full of the scent of rare medicinal herbs. Without a doubt, she was the medic Xiao Juetian had been talking about.

The moment he felt an alien stream of spiritual power flowing into him, he called back his spiritual power, allowing it to probe his body. However, Issei made sure to restrict the areas it could search, and didn't allow it to notice the sheer power of his fleshly body, and made sure it couldn't get near his profound veins and dantian. After all, there were just too many secrets contained within his body, including Xiao Huo, an essence flame of the highest grade possible.

After a few minutes of searching, the old lady called back her spiritual power and raised an eyebrow at Issei. "Kid, you are something else. To think you actually managed to conceal your profound veins and dantian from this old lady… well, that action alone means that your spiritual power is working just fine, so I won't question it."

Issei stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say.

Eventually, the old lady sighed. "I'll tell Yuefeng that you're alright now. Stay in bed for a few more hours, just to make sure. Also, for the next three days, avoid any hard activity; considering what you're going to do in a few days, it's best to be in top condition." Then she turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Although Issei hadn't met with many medics before, he had a feeling that this old lady was quite unusual herself. In the following moment, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head; there were still other things he needed to worry about.

"Alright," Issei murmured. "I've got the situation with Eggy and Xinyi covered. Since I won, I also believe that it should be much easier to deal with Qingyue now, although I find it strange why she let me win... Knowing her personality, she would have tried to achieve victory at all costs, even more so when considering that bet." He sighed, helpless. "After I confirm the situation with her, I'll talk with Mei. Once everything is settled, I'll confront Chu Yuechan and settle this matter once and for all."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	154. Forgiving and Forgetting

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 154 - Forgiving and Forgetting**

* * *

After three hours had passed, Issei got up from the bed and silently left the room. As a medic himself, he knew better than anyone the condition of his body. Staring at the pathways in front of him, Issei stood still for a moment before taking the left path. He clenched his hands and narrowed his eyes.

Since he'd have to settle it a way or another, he knew that it would be wiser to handle it as fast as possible.

Ten minutes later, Issei stepped outside of the corridors. A gust of cold air hit him, causing him to halt his steps. Then he gritted his teeth and continued walking towards the courtyard that had appeared before him.

Issei stopped walking once he was a dozen feet from the entrance. He didn't say anything, and calmly waited. Not even a few seconds later, the door to the courtyard opened, and a veiled woman stepped out. She didn't say anything, and only stared at him, her gaze colder than ice.

Already used to it, Issei stared at him passively. "Chu Yuechan," he said. "I've come to talk with Qingyue."

"I know." Chu Yuechan turned around and walked back into the building. "I'll call her. Wait here." She paused her steps. "Also, after you finish with her…."

Issei nodded his head. "Alright."

It didn't take long for another person to appear at the entrance. This time, the one who appeared wasn't Chu Yuechan, but Xia Qingyue herself.

"Qingyue." Issei softly smiled at her. "Can we talk?"

The young woman slowly nodded her head and walked out of the building, closing the door behind her. She stared at him deeply before turning her body to the left and walking away. "Follow me," she said.

Xia Qingyue led Issei to the courtyard's garden, where a small pond could be seen. She stopped near its border, her head lowered, and her unfocused, muddy eyes staring at the calm waters.

"Qingyue." Issei walked closer to her, stopping near the shore, right by her side. "How have you been?"

"Good." The young woman softly nodded head. She glanced at Issei out of the corner of her eyes. "What about you?"

"I've been better." Issei smiled ruefully. "Then again, I've been worse too."

A faint smile bloomed on Xia Qingyue's face. A soft chuckle was heard. She couldn't resist it; Issei's aura simply made her unable to control herself. Then she took in a deep breath and turned both her eyes away from the river, now gazing straight at Issei.

"Issei," she said, worry making her way into her tone. "How's your condition?"

Issei held back a smile. He knew that the barrier—the tension—that separated them was showing signs of breaking. Like old glass, it was slowly shattering. The young woman couldn't pretend to be indifferent any longer. "I'm almost healed up now. In two days, I should be back in peak condition."

"That's good." Xia Qingyue let out a sigh of relief. Even though she tried to hide it, she had been worried sick for Issei the past few days. The fact he had been unconscious for three days was enough to cause her to be unable to sleep.

"Indeed." Issei raised his head to stare at the sky and nodded. Then he lowered his hand, and his eyes met Xia Qingyue's. "Why did you let me win?" he suddenly asked.

Xia Qingyue averted her gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"You could have won," Issei said. "Had you not forfeited, the victory would have gone to you. Considering what was at stake, I can't understand your decision."

"I could have won?" Xia Qingyue chuckled dryly. "That last attack you used, you could have killed me with it. However, instead of targeting me, you attacked the barrier. You're the one who should have won, but you didn't."

Issei widened his eyes, then sighed. "So you knew?"

Xia Qingyue smiled. "If I couldn't even realize that, then I wouldn't be worthy of talking with you."

Shaking his head to the sides, Issei organized his thoughts. After a brief moment of silence, he said, "Nevertheless, you could have still claimed victory for yourself. That way, you would have won the bet."

Xia Qingyue shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. "But I would have lost you."

Issei widened his eyes. "What?"

"I know you." Xia Qingyue sighed. "You would uphold your end of the deal; I don't doubt that. However, you'd never be happy. You'd never show true affection towards me again. That's something I realized during the battle."

Issei continued to stare at her in silence, stunned.

Xia Qingyue smiled at him. Her eyes, on the other hand, were full of concern. "Issei, although I hate seeing you with other girls, I… I can't stand seeing you down either. If the only way for me to truly have you is to… is to share you, then I… I can only compromise."

Issei remained quiet for a long time. Eventually, he sighed, his gaze turning soft. "Qingyue, are sure?"

"I am." The young woman firmly nodded her head. "If it's for you, Issei, then I'm willing to put up with some competition."

After Xia Qingyue finished speaking, silence ensued. Issei deeply stared at her for a long time, thousands of thoughts crossing his mind. Then he took in a deep breath, and a smile bloomed on her face. He moved closer to Xia Qingyue and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him.

She didn't resist. She completely entrusted her body to him, falling into his embrace. Eventually, she also wrapped her around him, embracing him tightly.

Just like that, they stood. The stars shone in the sky above, reflecting on the lake's surface. The faint moonshine softly illuminated their bodies, casting large shadows over the garden. Around them, snowflakes started to fall. The ground beneath them was soon covered in white, but their clothes remained untainted.

"Issei," Xia Qingyue softly whispered. "I love you."

Issei lowered his head next to her ear. His warm breath sent shivers down her spine, accentuating the fiery passion that burned within her, amidst the coldness of her heart. "I love you too," he said.

The young woman gently moved her head away from his chest and instinctively closed her eyes. Issei smiled and pecked her on the lips. He could feel her entire body shivering under his touch. He smiled and pecked her once more, inciting another wave of pleasure from her.

"You're quite sensitive, aren't you?"

Xia Qingyue, whose face had already been red, blushed even further. She bashfully lowered her head, staring at him through a half-opened eye. "I… I can't help it…."

Issei smiled. He lowered his head to her ear again. "It's not as if I dislike it." He then moved his head closer and softly nibbled on the top her ear.

A soft moan escaped Xia Qingyue's lips. Surprise and intoxication flickered within her widened eyes.

Ignoring her reaction, Issei slight bent his neck, and his mouth moved over to her ear lobes. First, he slightly blew on it, then started nibbling it once more. Meanwhile, Issei's hands sprang into action. They slightly traced across her thighs, softly caressing it with his fingers.

By this point, the young woman's eyes had already grown unfocused and foggy. It was as if she had melted, and couldn't even think straight. She completely entrusted her body to him, putting up no resistance. This was the touch she had been longing for more than three years. This was she craved; what she desired.

Eventually, Issei pulled his head back. His first instinct had been to move over to her neck, but he held back and suppressed it. After all, they were in the open, and he was sure that quite a number of people could see his current actions.

In fact, Issei himself was unsure of what had led him to do that. It was solely by instinct as if it was completely natural to him. A natural reaction of sorts.

Sighing, the handsome young man took a few steps back, surprising Xia Qingyue. When she realized that he was distancing himself from her, she instinctively asked, "Why…?"

Issei slightly turned his head to the side, his eyes glancing in the direction of the Frozen Cloud Courtyard's main building. Xia Qingyue quickly understood what he meant. Taking a few deep breaths, she started to stabilize her mind. Even though she was still rather unwilling to stop at such a moment, she knew that neither the place nor the time was right.

"I'll visit you tomorrow," Issei said. "For now, either get some sleep or meditate"

Xia Qingyue initially wanted to convince him to stay longer, but after seeing the look in his eyes, she forced herself to nod her head. After giving him one last hug and excusing, she walked back into the main building.

Instead of heading back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard, Issei kept standing in his place, clearly waiting for something or someone.

Not even three minutes after Xia Qingyue had returned to her room, the door opened and Chu Yuechan walked out of the main building. This time, there was no veil covering her face.

She didn't greet him or even acknowledge his presence. Chu Yuechan simply walked over to the pond, stopping once she was next to Issei's side.

Issei opened his mouth to speak something but found himself unable to muster any words. In the end, even he was unsure of what his relationship with Chu Yuechan was. He had some feelings for her, and he was sure that she also had some for him. However, their relationship wasn't nearly as close as it was with the other girls, so he had no idea of how—or even if—he should begin.

Noticing the young man's awkwardness, Chu Yuechan sighed. Deep inside, she found it rather amusing. Not even ten minutes ago, she had clearly watched as this silent young man had completely overwhelmed her fellow disciple. Despite that, right now, the job of taking the lead had fallen upon her. However, she didn't truly care. Considering her background and power, she was more used to being the one in charge of the situation.

"Those powers you used," Chu Yuechan said. "Those three flames… they were the flames of Divine Beasts, weren't them? All three of them."

"What about it?" Issei asked, puzzled by Chu Yuechan's choice of topic.

"How did you get your hands on them?"

Issei stared at her blankly. "Chu Yuechan… what are you on about? You already know it, don't you?"

This time, it was Chu Yuechan's turn to be confused. "If I knew, I wouldn't ask you, would I?" she said.

"Wait." Issei widened his eyes. "You truly don't remember?"

At first, Issei had thought that Chu Yuechan had been fooling around with him, but after seeing her expression, he realized that the situation was more serious than he had thought.

"What are you talking about?"

"Back in the Primordial Azure Dragon's trials," Issei began, "in the third trial, you saw my past, didn't you?"

"Yes." Chu Yuechan confirmed his words with a nod. "But I don't remember seeing you getting the legacy of three Divine Beasts."

Her words turned Issei even more confused. He clearly remembered that, back then, his adventures in the Divine Fire Realm had been clearly shown. He even remembered Chu Yuechan's look of astonishment when she saw him receiving those three legacies with the aid of the Evil God.

Either Chu Yuechan was an unbelievably good actor or something big had happened.

"Then… do you remember someone named Jasmine?"

Chu Yuechan frowned. "No."

"What about a young girl named Feng Xinyi?"

"No." Her answer was the same as before.

Issei narrowed his eyes. "How many legacies do I have on me?"

"Aside from those three flames?"

Issei nodded his head.

"Nothing comes to mind," Chu Yuechan said.

"Are the names Sky Poison Pearl and Magic Cube familiar?"

Once more, Chu Yuechan shook her head.

"What about the Evil God?"

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes. "What are you even talking about?" A cold wind sprung up around them. "I thought you wanted to talk about something; why the questionnaire?"

It was clear that she was beginning to lose her patience.

Issei was at a loss. "What do you even remember?" he finally asked, as he didn't know what else he could do. Apparently, she had forgotten all of the core aspects of his life.

"Everything that was shown," Chu Yuechan answered in a matter-of-fact manner.

Issei stared at her blankly. He truly couldn't understand what was going on anymore.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	155. Mountain and Sea Realm

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 155 - Mountain and Sea Realm**

* * *

In the end, no matter how hard Issei thought about it, he was unable to come up with an answer. The only thing he was able to find out was that Chu Yuechan still knew about his past, but the important parts—which either involved the Higher Realm, Jasmine, Eggy, Divine Beasts or Gods—were all forgotten. Since it was clear he wouldn't acquire any information from Chu Yuechan, he decided to question Jasmine, who was more knowledgeable, later. Therefore, through use of his glib tongue, he managed to gradually turn Chu Yuechan's attention away from that subject, ultimately changing the topic of their conversation.

Even though much had happened, Issei hadn't forgotten the initial purpose of his visit.

"Anyhow, Chu Yuechan, let's just say that I managed to get my hands on those three Divine Beasts legacies due to sheer luck," Issei said, ending the past topic.

Chu Yuechan acknowledged his words with a nod. She wasn't dumb; it was clear that Issei was avoiding that topic for a reason. However, she also knew better than to dwell too much on it. There were also other matters that had to be discussed.

"Alright. What was your reason for calling me?"

She already knew the answer.

"Us," Issei said. "There's something between us. I want to confirm what that is."

"What do you feel for me?" Chu Yuechan suddenly asked.

Initially, Issei was stunned. Then he sighed. "I'm not too sure."

For the first time since they met, Chu Yuechan smiled.

It had happened so suddenly that Issei didn't have the time to prepare himself. It wasn't a wide smile, nor was it a happy one. No. It was a gentle, smile. Almost bashful, like a rabbit. It was also faint, yet clear. For short, it was mystifying.

The moment it appeared, it was as if the whole word had frozen. The stars above shone with burning blaze, but not even all of them compared could compare to her beauty.

It's said that with a smile, a beautiful woman could cause the world to stop.

Maybe…that wasn't too far from the truth.

Chu Yuechan had obviously planned for it; taking advantage of Issei's trace, she moved closer to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Before the young man could even react, his lips met Chu Yuechan's.

At first, Issei was dazed. He stared ahead in widened eyes, feeling Chu Yuechan's soft and juicy lips deeply locked with his own. However, he wasn't to be underestimated. His instincts quickly kicked in, telling him what to do. His two hands, which had been lifelessly hanging by his side, leaped into action. They wrapped around Chu Yuechan's back, bringing her body closer to his.

The young woman let out a startled gasp, but upon seeing the look in Issei's eyes, she relaxed once more. It was unsure if it was done intentionally or not, but her lips never left Issei's. In fact, her attack became even more aggressive.

Deep within him, Issei could feel something burning. His whole body, because of his pure Yang physique and the Fire Seed, was closely related to fire. Chu Yuechan, on the other hand, had a body that was as cold as ice. In fact, her physique was the opposite of Issei's; whereas he had a pure Yang body, she possessed a pure Yin body.

And, as they say, opposites tend to attract each other.

Eventually, Issei broke apart the kiss. Chu Yuechan also pulled her head back, feeling his action. Both of them stood there, deeply staring at each other's eyes.

"I don't mind other girls," Chu Yuechan said after a brief moment of silence. "I don't like them either, but in the place where I came from… such situations are commonplace. Therefore, I'm more used to it." She then smiled once more. "As long as you pay me the necessary attention, then I'll follow you wherever you go."

Issei gently nodded his head. Before going to Frozen Cloud Asgard's Courtyard, he hadn't been sure what their relationship was, but after hearing Chu Yuechan's words, he arrived at a conclusion. "Alright," Issei nodded his head. "I promise."

Chu Yuechan acknowledged his words with a smile. "Also, don't misunderstand," she said, her expression turning stern. "That doesn't mean I can't get jealous. The same applies to the other girls, I believe. So, avoid showing your…. 'affection'… in front of the other ones." She narrowed her eyes. "Like what you did with Xia Qingyue just now…."

In response, Issei could only helplessly nod his head. After exchanging a few more words, Chu Yuechan went back into the main building. Before leaving, she warned Issei to not hang around any longer; a random passerby would get the wrong idea if they saw him near their courtyard in the middle of the night.

"That… that was easier than I had imagined," Issei murmured to himself as his feet led him back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard. His thoughts then wandered back to his interaction with Chu Yuechan, causing him to sigh. "Though, Chu Yuechan was truly a surprise. She's completely different from the other girls..."

Issei let out a small smile. "Eggy pretends to be experienced and has a sultry facade, but once the real action starts, she turns incredibly bashful. The same can be said about Xinyi, but instead of being bashful, she's extremely naive. Xia Qingyue…" Issei frowned. "Well, she's more reserved, and doesn't pretend; she always stays true to herself. Most likely, she's even more timid than Eggy. As for Chu Yuechan… she's the real deal. I can clearly see that what happened before wasn't acting, but her true self. Finally, there's Xia Mei..." Issei paused his steps, his brows furrowing even further. "She's the last one, it seems… I should talk with her tomorrow."

After arriving at the Xiao Sect's courtyard, Issei stealthily walked into his room in order to not alert anyone of his arrival. Although he knew that almost nobody was sleeping, as cultivators would rather replace their sleep for meditation, he would rather excuse himself from the trouble of explaining why it had taken him so long to arrive.

Once inside his room, Issei laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was standing in a vast and seemingly endless flat land, which stretched beyond what the eye could see. Not too far away from him, a young, crimson-haired girl sat cross-legged.

Issei calmly sat down in front of her and waited for her to open her eyes.

After a few minutes, Jasmine's left eye slowly opened, revealing her deep-onyx pupil.

"What do you want?"

"Answers."

Jasmine closed her eyes once more, and silence ensued. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes once more. "You're bothering me. I'm meditating. Your presence disturbs this princess' concentration."

"Then just answers a few questions," Issei said. "I'll leave soon after."

Once more, Jasmine closed her eyes. Issei continued to sit there, calmly staring at her. He knew that she would eventually answer him. It was only a matter of time, and Issei had plenty of it.

After the time it would take for an incense stick to burn, Jasmine opened both of her eyes, annoyance flickering within them. "Speak," she said.

A faint smile appeared on the young man's face. "Alright," he said. "What's the Mountain and Sea Realm?"

Jasmine stared at him deeply before answering. "The Mountain and Sea Realm is one of the realms that make up the Middle Realm. It's the second most powerful one and is composed of nine mountains and nine seas. Around each mountain, there are four planets. This planet, Planet South Heaven, awfully nicknamed Blue Pole Star by you stupid mortals, orbits around the Ninth Mountain."

"Nine Mountains and Seas..." Issei murmured to himself, shocked. The concept of having a planet orbit a mountain felt extremely foreign to him. However, the cultivation word was full of mysteries and incoherence, so all he could do was to keep an open mind and accept it all. "If the Mountain and Sea Realm is the second, then what's the first?"

"The Martial Holy Lands," Jasmine answered. "Actually, the Martial Holy Lands aren't part of the Middle Realm, but doesn't belong to the Higher Realm either. It's actually an intermediary realm between them, where existences from both realms live." She paused, clearly considering if she could continue, but ultimately sighed. "Once a cultivator go beyond the Saint Profound Realm, they are considered 'Immortals'. Once that happens, they gain the qualification to enter the Martial Holy Lands. It can be said that the ones who live at the Martial Holy Lands are the most powerful experts from the entire Middle Realm. Some of them come from the Mountain and Sea Realm, but others don't."

Issei slowly nodded his head, quickly digesting that information. "You mentioned that cultivators from the Higher Realm live there. How does that work?"

After shooting him an annoyed glare, Jasmine humphed, but ultimately answered his question. "Cultivators from the Martial Holy Lands, upon reaching a certain realm, can enter the Higher Realm. Therefore, the sects and clans belonging to the Higher Realm build some branches there in order to keep in the look-out for talents. This way, they can rope in the talented ones in advance, increasing the overall power of their faction. As a consequence of that, almost all of the factions of the Higher Realm have their own branch in the Martial Holy Land, increasing the integration between the realms."

All of this was completely new to Issei. After Jasmine had finished speaking, Issei lowered his head in silence, slowly absorbing those words. Eventually, he raised his head to look at Jasmine. "Then, what about Chu Yuechan's sect?"

Jasmine frowned at his words, but still answered. "Knowing the name of the faction she comes from won't help you in anything. What I can tell you is that her faction is one of the strongest ones of the Higher Realm, and she's definitely one of the most outstanding geniuses from there."

Issei raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What about you, then? Back when I first met you, you were thirteen years old, but I'm sure your power went beyond the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm."

For the first time since their conversation started, Jasmine revealed a smile. That smile, however, was a dark one. "This princess… is special," she said. "In order to enter the Divine Profound Realm, cultivators must experience life-changing experiences; this was the reason why Chu Yuechan was sent here. As for me… this princess has been through a lot."

Jasmine then lowered her head and softly said, "There's also a difference between us…. Whereas she's a genius, I'm a…. sacrifice."

Those words had been spoken in an extremely faint tone, causing Issei to be unable to distinguish them. Considering Jasmine had spoken them like that intentionally, Issei decided against pressing on that matter.

Since the mood had taken a turn for the worse, he decided to quickly wrap things up.

"I've got one last question," he said, causing Jasmine to snap out of her daze. "Do you know the reason why Chu Yuechan can't remember those certain parts?"

Jasmine shook her head. "That's something that goes beyond even me. This wasn't the Primordial Azure Dragon's work, I'm certain of that. Most likely…" She narrowed her eyes at Issei, seemingly trying to look into his very soul. Or… maybe... what was concealed within it. "No." She shook her head. "It can't be that."

"That?" Issei's expression turned serious. He was sure that Jasmine was hiding something from him. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Jasmine closed her eyes. "You're better off not knowing."

"But—"

"You've already asked enough," Jasmine interrupted him. "I've put with your little game. If you continue to bother me, I won't be as forgiving anymore."

Issei still had other questions he wanted to ask, but he also knew that once Jasmine became like that, it would be futile to try to get any more information out of her.

Sighing, he glanced at Jasmine one last time before leaving the Sky Poison Pearl's Inner World.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	156. Sudden Awakening

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 156 - Sudden Awakening**

* * *

The following day was supposed to be an uneventful one. At least in Xiao Juetian's opinion. After all, his most treasured disciple had already woken up, Xiao Luocheng was also better, the tournament was over, and there was basically nothing that no mishaps would take place. He believed that the most that could happen was Ling Yuefeng visiting them to gift Issei his Dragonscale Armor.

In the end, he was right. Nothing out of the ordinary truly happened to him. However, the same couldn't be said about the others.

Issei had spent the entire night meditating. He had already made a habit of switching his sleep for cultivation. Every once in a while, he would sleep, but most of the times, he would spend the night cross-legged on top of his bed.

Cultivators rarely dreamed. It could be said that the higher their cultivation base, less likely it was to dream. Not only that, the rejuvenating aspects of sleep could all be obtained with a calm night of closed-door cultivation. This also saved quite a lot of time, considering Issei was able to sort out his thoughts while meditation, something that was impossible to accomplish in his sleep.

He was well-aware that destiny enjoyed playing tricks on him whenever it was possible. Thus, Issei made sure to plan his every step, lest he would meet with unfortunate circumstances. It had always been like that, which meant he had already developed a certain numbness towards it.

When he opened his eyes the next day, rays of light were already piercing through the window, illuminating his room. After taking a deep breath, Issei uncrossed his legs and got off the cultivation mat he had set up the day before. Once he had done a few stretching exercises in order to get the blood properly flowing through his limbs, he opened his room's door and walked out.

After sending out his Spirit Power, Issei discovered that The Xiao Sect's Courtyard's main building was rather empty. Aside from him, he could only feel a single presence, which was in the room opposite of his. This presence couldn't be any more familiar.

Obviously, Issei knew that someone had set the situation up for him. He was more than aware that such auspicious circumstances wouldn't naturally happen. He also knew that there was only a single person in the Xiao Sect who knew him well enough to carefully make the necessary arrangements.

"I've been in bed for three days," Issei murmured to himself. "It isn't surprising that he's already back at his feet. The Patriarch _did_ mention that he was better now."

Issei sighed helplessly, yet a smile could be seen on his face. "I guess I'll thank him later."

He then carefully organized his thoughts. Once he was certain that everything was in order, he walked forward and softly knocked on the door opposite of his. "Mei? Can I enter?"

"Come in."

The reply was almost instantaneous. Clearly, she had already been expecting his arrival.

He could also feel a slightly anxious tone in her voice, as well as faint, but perceivable quiver. Issei paused for a moment, wondering whether that was good or bad. In the end, he decided to continue with his initial strategy.

"Then I'll be intruding," Issei said as he slowly opened the door and walked inside. Upon entering, he immediately caught sight of Xia Mei, who stood by the window. Her clothes stuck tightly to her body, and small droplets of sweat trickled down her astonishingly beautiful face.

Had Issei been a normal cultivator, he would definitely be mesmerized by such enticing scene. Alas, he wasn't a normal cultivator—he was also a medic.

As an expert in the field of medicine, and the inheritor of the memories belonging to one of the most powerful medics to have ever existed, Liang Ye, Issei could easily see through Xia Mei's condition. That sweat wasn't the one caused by a breakthrough in cultivation or laborious exercise. No. It was caused by either nightmares or intense and acute pain.

Cultivators rarely dreamed, so the possibility of nightmares was slim. Not only that, he could also clearly see that although Xia Mei tried to hide it, she was under great strain. Standing up was already an extremely difficult action for her. The smile on her face tried to conceal her suffering, but Issei could clearly see the amount of pain she was in, or at least had been in only few moments ago.

That wasn't psychological pain. It was raw, actual pain. The one that stung.

Instantaneously, Issei forgot everything he had planned on saying. His instincts as a medic kicked in, while his concern and care for her shook him even more. Before Xia Mei could even open her mouth to speak, Issei used the Star God's Broken Shadow to appear next to her. He then gently—but quickly—picked her up and laid her down on the bed.

Xia Mei stared at Issei in shock and confusion, wondering what was going on. One moment she was standing by the window, and in the other, she was laying prone in her bed. This was too confusion for her, whose cultivation base could only be considered as shallow. "Issei…?" she asked, puzzled.

However, it was as if Issei's mind was elsewhere; he didn't even acknowledge Xia Mei's words. His eyes were darting around the room, clearly in search for something. Then his gaze fell on the nightstand near her bed, where a cup of water was placed. With a wave of his hands, the cup flew to his hands. Issei then ripped off a small piece of his robe with his other hand, and moisturized it with the water. After he was done, he placed it on top of Xia Mei's forehead.

In theory, the wet cloth wouldn't improve Xia Mei's situation. After all, it's only purpose was to lower the patient's body temperature due to the evaporation of the water. However, not many were aware of that, as cultivators never bothered with it, and most of them believed it to have pain-relieving properties. As a medic, Issei was well aware of that. However, he still did it, for there was a great chance of a placebo effect taking place.

Just as he had planned, the subconscious twitching of Xia Mei's body greatly decreased the moment her forehead came into contact with the cloth.

Xia Mei's eyes widened. If she couldn't understand what was going on by now, then she wouldn't deserve to call herself a cultivator. "How… how did you know?" she asked, shocked.

Issei ignored her question. He gently felt her pulse with his hand, checking for her heart-beat rate. "What are you feeling right now?" he asked. He stealthily glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, and upon noticing her hesitation, his gaze grew stern. "Don't lie to me. I want everything."

Xia Mei initially hesitated, but when she caught sight of those serious, stern eyes, she dropped all intentions of faking it. Originally, she had planned on hiding it, for she didn't want Issei to worry. However, it was clear that it had been for nothing; his eyes were just too sharp. Deep within her heart, however, Xia Mei felt deeply touched.

"Pain," she said. "All over my body. Specially in the area below my breasts."

Issei frowned. He knew what was in that area. "What type of pain? Can you describe it?" he inquired. Meanwhile, he continued to conduct his own examination on the young woman's body.

"There are two types," she explained after some hesitation. "One of them is everlasting. It doesn't stop. It feels as if there are thousands of ants crawling beneath my skin. As for the other one, it keeps coming in intervals. They are sharp, and sting, like needles."

Issei nodded his head. "Is today the first time this happened?"

Xia Mei's first instinct was to say 'Yes', but she couldn't bring herself to lie to him. "No. It happened a few days ago," she said.

"All the time?"

"No. Only in the morning. Right after waking up."

Once more, Issei frowned. The morning was the period of the day when the yang-attributed spiritual power in the atmosphere was at the very peak. To normal diseases, it didn't mean much, but upon considering the location where Xia Mei said the pain was the strongest….

This can't be anything good—that was the conclusion Issei had arrived at.

He knew he had to act fast. Although he wasn't sure what the problem was, the sooner it was diagnosed, the better. Issei's hands moved like lightning, landing in the space right beneath Xia Qingyue's breasts. The young woman let out a small cry of surprise, but showed no dissatisfaction. In fact, Issei feared that even if he were to grasp her breasts with her hands, she wouldn't even complain.

Alas, Issei didn't have the time to try out his theory at the moment.

Issei carefully traced his hand across the area, trying to feel any abnormalities. Once he discovered none of them, he turned his head to look at Xia Mei. "I'm going to send my spiritual power into your body. Don't resist."

In response, Xia Mei softly nodded her head, entrusting herself to Issei's skilled hands.

Soon after, Xia Mei felt a warm stream of spiritual flow into her body. At the same time, Issei closed his eyes; a part of his consciousness had accompanied that spiritual power inside Xia Mei's body. The first thing that Issei sensed was Xia Mei's profound veins and dantian. After all, Issei's hands were directly above their location.

Immediately after Issei sensed Xia Mei's profound veins, he felt an abnormality. Xia Mei's profound veins were already thicker than usual, but Issei discovered that their thickness had increased considerably since they first met. Currently, they were at least thrice as thick as a normal's person.

Not only that, they were madly pulsating and squirming. In reality, even a normal cultivator's profound veins would pulsate. However, it wasn't nearly that much, and definitely not at such intensity. Moreover, Issei could clearly feel that each time they trembled, Xia Mei's dantian would emit a faint, white light, while the spiritual power contained therein would increase in density.

Immediately, Issei thought back to something that had happened a long time ago. Back in the New Moon Profound Palace, Jasmine had told Issei that Xia Qingyue possessed a special—even mythical—type of profound veins, the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins.

However, Jasmine had also told Issei that because Xia Mei didn't thirst for power, her Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins were in a state of deep sleep. According to Jasmine, if nothing eventful took place in her life which made her desire for power, they would eternally remain like that.

Despite that, as Issei stared at Xia Mei's profound veins, he couldn't think of any other answer. He had already gone through all of the memories belonging to Liang Ye, but he was unable to find a disease or illness with similar symptoms.

"Could it be that they are awakening?" Issei murmured to himself. "But that doesn't make any sense. Why… why would she desire for power so much that her profound veins awakened? Jasmine mentioned an almost insane thirst for power…. How did this actually happen?"

In the end, Issei was unable come up with anything. Not only that, he wasn't even sure whether or not what was happening were really Xia Mei's Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins acting up. In the end, only Jasmine, whose knowledge far surpassed his, could provide him with an explanation.

After returning his consciousness back to his body, Issei assured Xia Mei that he would be able to find what was wrong with her. While checking for any more abnormal symptoms, Issei called out to Jasmine in his mind. "Jasmine?"

"What do you want?"

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

"What's happening right now—"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jasmine interrupted Issei. "With your so-called almighty knowledge, and yet you can't even realize something as simple as this without this princess' help." In the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, Jasmine crossed her arms. "Since this princess is magnanimous, I'll answer your foolish question. Indeed, this girl's Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins are awakening.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	157. Heaven Basin Secret Realm

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 157 - Heaven Basin Secret Realm**

* * *

"So it was really like that," Issei murmured to himself. Then he slowly nodded his head. After thanking Jasmine, he returned his attention back to Xia Mei, whose eyes had never left him.

"Mei," Issei said, "I know what's happening."

"Really?" Xia Mei asked, excitement flickering across her big, crystal-clear eyes. For the past few days, she had been quietly suffering. Although she tried to hide it, the pain she felt was far beyond what someone like her could support. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want the others to worry about her, she'd have already sought help a long time ago.

"Yeah," Issei confirmed. "However, it isn't a disease, or anything of the sort."

"No?" Xia Mei stared at him, puzzled. "Then what is it?"

"Your profound veins…." Issei paused, trying to come up with a proper way to say it. After all, he knew that it wouldn't be wise to reveal the entire truth to her. At least not at the moment. Not when she was so weak. "Are evolving," he finally said.

The young woman widened her eyes, temporarily ignoring the pain she felt. "Evolving? How?"

"It's complicated." Issei sighed. "And I can't reveal the entire truth right now. All I can tell you is that, after everything passes, you'll grow… extremely powerful." He beamed at her. "As for the pain… you can just look for me. Whenever you feel it, I'll be there to help you through it."

Even though Xia Mei hadn't completely understood the situation she was in, she still nodded her head. "If you say so, I'll believe it," she said.

"That's good." Issei smiled at her. After giving her another brief examination, he took a few steps back. "Alright, that should be about it." He paused. "Since we've already determined your condition, I think..."

Xia Mei smiled. "I know. You want to talk, right?"

Issei didn't try to hide it. "Yes."

A smile appeared on Xia Mei's face. She helplessly shook her head to the sides. "There's nothing to talk about," she said. "I'm fine with it."

"You… you are?" Issei widened his eyes. "Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?"

"You're talking about the other girls, aren't you?" Xia Mei asked.

"Yes."

"Then my answer stands; I'm fine with it," she said. "To me, as long as I can stand by your side and support you, nothing else matters."

Issei widened his eyes, completely shocked by her answer. After all, he hadn't imagined that it would have been so easy with Xia Mei. In his opinion, his talk with her proceeded more smoothly than when he talked with Chu Yuechan the day before.

In the end, Issei decided to not say anything. Giving in to his most primal instincts, he leaned over Xia Mei, startling the young woman, who widened his eyes at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but Issei placed his finger before her lips, shutting her up. Carefully, he traced his finger across her juicy, alluring and scarlet lips. Meanwhile, his other hand softly caressed her hair, gently trailing across her scalp.

Issei moved his head closer to the startled young woman, who continued to stare at him in a daze. His touch, his appearance and even his very presence felt entirely different to her. Before, although she could still see the care in his gaze, he was more like a medic than a lover. It was as if before him wasn't his woman, but a precious patient.

However, in her view, the current Issei was completely different. She could clearly see the passion that burned behind his gaze, and the sheer tenderness and affection that his every action seemed to emanate. His aura was soothing and warm; she felt as if she could spend her entire life like that, submerged in his presence.

Then it came.

Issei's lips… came into contact with hers.

A tremor went across her body, causing her eyes to widen. She stared in shock at Issei's closed eyes, completely overwhelmed by what was happening.

This was… the first time Issei had kissed her.

Thousands of emotions ripped what remained of her consciousness to shreds. She laid in her bed, dazed, as wave after wave of pleasure assaulted her. Her body trembled, twitched and shook. Issei's, on the other hand, was firm and steady. His lips continued to devour hers with passion and tenderness, sending her into hurricane of emotions.

Gone was her pain. Gone was her suffering. All that remained was a sweet ecstasy and rapture. It was as if his very touch had healing properties, capable of healing all her ailments and elevating her soul into a new, mythical realm.

Alas, all good things… must come to an end.

Eventually, he moved his head back. Xia Mei gasped for air. Her eyes were widened as she breathed in and out, trying to calm herself down. When she regained her bearing and raised her head to look at Issei, she found him softly smiling at her.

Later that day, Issei returned to his room. He had spent the greater part of the day with Xia Mei, keeping her company. He was well-aware that he had been neglecting her the past few months, mostly due to all the cultivation matters he needed to attend to.

Not only that, the kiss they shared practically established their relationship.

Before, because of Xia Mei's poor cultivation base, Issei never took the next step, leaving their relationship in a strange state, in which they were neither friends nor lovers. However, now that he knew that Xia Mei's Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins were slowly awakening, and she would soon attain unimaginable power, he was no longer afraid of her being unable to protect herself.

He also knew that Xia Mei's sudden thirst for power wasn't natural. However, he didn't ask about it; everyone had their own secrets. Issei himself had far too many of them, in fact. Therefore, he respected her privacy. When she wanted to talk about it, she would naturally come to him.

However, that didn't mean Issei was completely clueless about the situation. He did have some guesses as to what had caused her abnormal desire.

Once the rest of the Xiao Sect had arrived back at the residence, Issei immediately looked for Xiao Luocheng. Then, after talking with his old friend, he finally asked the question that had been plaguing his mind: What would happen in two days?

Xiao Luocheng obviously knew the answer. After mysteriously smiling at his friend, he answered. "Issei, after I woke up, the Patriarch told me that the true purpose the sects and clans battled so hard in the tournament… isn't for a high position on the rankings."

"What?" Issei narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it for?"

Xiao Luocheng grinned. "Apparently, there's something in the Heavenly Sword Villa called the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. If the Patriarch's words were correct, this Secret Realm is something created by an almighty expert long ago. Sealed within it are countless different treasures. You see, the _real_ reason why everyone fights so hard in the tournament is because the top four teams are allowed to enter it."

"So there was something like that..."

"Yeah." Xiao Luocheng nodded his head. "Anyways, that's all I was told. There's a chance the Patriarch may have been hiding something, but that's unlikely. What matters is that both the senior and the junior generation will be allowed to enter it. Obviously, whatever you find is yours, and not the sect's. Therefore, this is a perfect chance to get your hands on some good stuff."

All of a sudden, Xiao Luocheng shot Issei a lascivious smirk. "Talking about perfect chances… how was it with Xia Mei, eh? Did you guys… do it?"

Issei stared at his friend blankly before sighing. "Who do you take me for?"

"You..." Xiao Luocheng stared at him in shock. "You wasted such a perfect chance?! Screw you! I worked so hard to convince everyone to go out, and you don't even pop her cherry?! What is wrong with you?!"

"Luocheng, there's a proper time and place for everything. Not only that, _that_ doesn't happen like that. There must be a certain mood—"

"Bah!" The silver-haired young man stood up from his chair. "What do you even know?! Do you have more experience than me?! You surely don't!" After speaking what was on his mind, he forced himself to calm down. "Sorry. It's just that… you have such a beautiful girl. She obviously likes you, and the same can be said about you. And yet… and yet… you don't act. That's insane."

Issei sighed. "It's not as if you're worse than me. Almost every girl in the tournament had their eyes on you, you know? Your silver hair and purple eyes are especially eye-catching. Apparently, women like uniqueness."

"I guess." Xiao Luocheng begrudgingly nodded his head. In the end, he returned back to his room, deep in thought.

Two days later, a group of people reunited in a special are of the Heavenly Sword Villa. Those in that group were Blue Wind Nation's most outstanding cultivators of both the senior and junior generation.

Obviously, Issei and Xiao Luocheng were in that group. Xiao Juetian was also there, as well as Xiao Yang, Xiao Yi and her disciple, Xiao Nan.

Those were the members Xiao Juetian had picked to enter the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

Aside from the Xiao Sect's group, the members of Blue Wind's other Major Sects were present. Frozen Cloud Asgard's group was composed of Xia Qingyue, the other two disciples who had participated in the tournament, as well as Chu Yuechan and two other elders.

Once of the Frozen Cloud Asgard Elders present was Chu Yueli. Supposedly, she was Chu Yuechan's sister. However, that was only a cover that Frozen Cloud Asgard's Asgard Mistress had created to conceal Chu Yuechan's real background.

The ones Heavenly Sword Villa had sent were the three disciples who had participated in the tournament, as well as Ling Yuefeng, Ling Wugou, and another powerful weapon. As for the fourth group, it was the Burning Heaven Clan.

Even though none of the Burning Heaven Clan's disciples had entered into the top four of the tournament, in terms of overall performance, the Burning Heaven Clan was still superior when compared to the common clans.

Not only that, even if the Burning Heaven Clan's position had been lower, none of the other clans and sects would have dared to take their place in the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. In the end, nobody wanted to make an enemy of a clan as great as the Burning Heaven Clan, even if that meant giving up on the treasures hidden within the Secret Realm.

That was the sheer might and advantage a faction like the Burning Heaven Clan possessed.

Despite all of that, it was clear that the Burning Heaven Clan's members were in a sour mood. Even if they had been granted the opportunity to enter the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, that didn't change the fact that none of their disciples had been able to participate in the final round. Not only that, their most outstanding disciple had been practically crippled because of Issei's attack.

Even though more than three days had already passed, Fen Jin's current situation was still unclear. Even under the constant efforts of the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch as well as the many of the Heavenly Sword Villa's medic, nobody could be certain whether or not Fen Jin would be able to recover to full health once more.

There was a great chance that Issei's attack had permanently crippled him, ending his life as a cultivator.

As a consequence of that, none of the Burning Heaven Clan's members tried to hide the sheer hatred and loathing in their eyes as they stared at the Xiao Sect's members. Everyone present was aware of the enmity that existed between them, but they were aware that the chances of something actually happening were slim.

After all, they were still in Heavenly Sword Villa's territory, and not even the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch would dare to cause trouble at such place. From this, it could be seen how terrifying the Heavenly Sword Villa was.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	158. Snowy Plain

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 158 - Snowy Plain**

* * *

"Fellow cultivators, the Heaven Basin Secret Realm shall now be opened!" Ling Yuefeng announced once all of the cultivators had arrived.

Everyone solemnly nodded their heads, eagerly waiting for what was about to happen. Greed and avarice flashed in the eyes of those present. This was their opportunity to get their hands on precious treasures.

After making his announcement, Ling Yuefeng flew into the air, followed by Ling Wugou and the other Heavenly Sword Villa Elder. It was only until they that they were at cloud-level that they stopped their ascend. Then they scattered around in the air, creating what appeared to be a triangular formation. In their middle was a blank space, completely devoid of any sort of cloud. Even the spiritual power in that region seemed to be unnaturally thick.

"Pay attention to this," Xiao Juetian said. "I'm afraid this will be your only chance to see Ling Yuefeng using his entire cultivation base."

Xiao Luocheng, who was standing next to him, nodded his head. Beside him, Xiao Nan bashfully acknowledged the Patriarch's words with a nod, whereas Issei kept standing in the same place, taciturn. Occasionally, his gaze would fall in Frozen Cloud Asgard's group. Sometimes he would look at Xia Qingyue, and others his eyes would lock onto Chu Yuechan.

Above, up in the air, the three Heavenly Sword Villa elders stretched out their arms in front of them, their palms facing the center of their formations. A sword-like light flashed, and three swords flew out, one from each. Those three swords looked exactly the same, and even their aura was identical. They fiercely cut across the air, leaving behind a thick trail of spiritual power.

When the three swords reached the center of the formation, they didn't clash with each other. Surprisingly, they passed through each other, as if they were intangible. Then, a shocking scene took place right before everyone's eyes. When the three swords were half-way into one another, a sphere of light appeared in their intersection.

Originally, that sphere of light was barely the size of a grain of rice, but it started to grow the moment it came into existence. Before even a second could pass, it had already grown dozens of meters long, and over six meters wide.

The space around Ling Yuefeng rippled as his spiritual power madly exploded outwards. He rotated his cultivation base to its maximum, making use of all his power. Then he waved down with his hands, sending an attack towards the colossal sphere. Next to him, the two other Heavenly Sword Villa Elders also used their full power to attack the sphere of light.

When those attacks collided with the sphere, it shattered like broken glass. In its place, a large, archaic-looking door was revealed. Even though it was only half the size of the sphere of light, it was massive nonetheless, with a height of over ten meters.

After confirming that he had succeeded, Ling Yuefeng smiled. He then lightly tapped on the Cosmos Sack that hanged by his waist, and three pills appeared on his hands. Then he threw two of them towards the two other Heavenly Sword Villa Elders, and kept the third one for himself. The moment the pill entered his mouth, it dissolved into a warm stream of spiritual power, which fully replenished his cultivation base, and got rid of all his exhaustion. The other two elders also had their strength replenished.

"All of you, come on up!" Ling Yuefeng exclaimed, his gaze falling on the various cultivators who stood below them, on the ground.

"Let's go," Xiao Juetian said. With a wave of his hands, a gust of wind flew out, carrying the three Xiao Sect disciples into the air. Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi followed after them, using their own cultivation bases, which were at the Sky Profound Realm, to fly into the air.

"Humph!" The Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch coldly stared in the direction of the Xiao Sect members before flying into the air, bringing with him the three Burning Heaven Clan disciples he had chosen.

Finally, Chu Yuechan made her move, shooting into the air by herself. Xia Qingyue flew after her. She was already at the Sky Profound Realm; thus she didn't need any help. Chu Yueli and the other Frozen Cloud Asgard Elder exchanged glances before sighed helplessly. Then they used their spiritual power to carry the two remaining Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples with them, heading towards the large, ancient-looking door.

All of the cultivators flew towards the door. When they were directly in front of it, they stopped and turned their heads towards Ling Yuefeng, waiting for his words. In the end, he was still the one who had the final say when it came to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

Ling Yuefeng clasped his hands towards the cultivators reunited before him and smiled amiably. "Fellow cultivators, even though I'm sure many of you have already been to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, I must adhere to the rules and provide you with a brief warning," he said. "Keep in mind that the Heaven Basin Secret Realm is without end. Therefore, be careful not to wander around too far or get lost. Not only that, pay attention to your surroundings. There are many traps and powerful profound beasts slumbering there.

"If any of you find a treasure or some kind of mythical plant or medicine, it is yours to keep. Of course, you can also exchange it with us, the Heavenly Sword Villa, for an appropriate amount of spirit stones, or something of equal value. Finally, the Heavenly Sword Villa won't be held accountable for any deaths. Consequently, if any of you meets your end in the Heaven Secret Realm, be it in the hands of a cultivator, or because of some trap or profound beast, all you can do is blame your own bad luck."

Ling Yuefeng paused; his eyes constantly moved around, paying attention to each and every cultivator present. When he mentioned the 'killing' part, he clearly noticed how the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch expression flickered. Although he didn't show it, Ling Yuefeng secretly frowned. He knew that there the chance of something happening within there wasn't low.

"With all of that said, all that's left is to wish you, Fellow Cultivators, the best of luck!" Ling Yuefeng flew towards the door and placed his hands on its surface. "The Heaven Basin Secret Realm will stay opened for ten days. On the tenth day, make sure to be on an open space, and you will be teleported out, regardless of how far away you are from the entrance. However, if you were to find yourself in a closed area in the tenth day, the teleportation wouldn't work. In that case, I'm afraid your only option would be death."

A tremor ran through the bodies of most of the disciples present. Ling Yuefeng's grim words had a visible effect on them. However, there were exceptions. Issei, for example, kept looking on the door without any chance in his expression.

His heart, however, was beating extremely fast.

"This feeling…. I'm certain of it!" Issei thought, waves of excitement echoing within his body. "This is the same feeling I had when I first arrived, but much stronger! There is… there's something in the Heaven Basin Secret Realm! Something that can be extremely beneficial to me!"

Ling Yuefeng and the others had no way to know what was going through Issei's mind at the moment. After the Heavenly Sword Villa's Villa Master meaningful glanced at everyone present, he pushed the doors opened, revealing a completely black space—Heaven Basin's Secret Realm's dimensional portal.

"Remember, no matter what happens, find yourself an open space ten days from now!" Ling Yuefeng warned them. He then sent a glance towards Ling Wugou and the other Heavenly Sword Villa Elder before flying into the dimensional portal. The other members of the Heavenly Sword Villa quickly hurried after him. They were then followed by Burning Heaven Clan's and Frozen Cloud Asgard's group.

Seeing that they were the only ones remaining, Xiao Juetian sighed. After glancing at Issei and the others out of the corner of his eyes, he lead his entourage into the dimensional portal.

Once Issei came into contact with the portal, he felt a tremor run across his body. His eyes instinctively closed. For the next few moments, he felt as if his body had been thrown into space, in a situation in which he couldn't distinguish left from right and north from south. Then, all of a sudden, he felt solid ground beneath his feet. However, for some reason, the ground seemed to be strangely soft.

Opening his eyes, the first thing that entered Issei's sight was an endless landscape of white. There was snow as far as the eye could see, and in all directions. Far in the horizon were what seemed to be the faint silhouettes of mountains.

"A snowy plain…?" Issei murmured to himself, shocked. He then turned his head to his side, catching sight of the rest of the Xiao Sect members, as well as the Burning Heaven Clan and Frozen Cloud Asgard members. The Heavenly Sword Villa's cultivators, on the other hand, were nowhere to be seen.

Issei glanced at the Patriarch questioningly, wondering what their plan of action would be. Xiao Juetian stared far into the horizon, his eyes hazy and complex. Then he turned his attention back to the Xiao Sect members and cleared his throat.

"Now that we're here, I'll give you guys two options. You can either follow with us elders and explore the Heaven Basin Secret Realm under our protection, or you can go off on your own."

There was no need to wait for an answer. Issei, along with Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Nan, all answered that they would rather search on their own.

In the end, the dangers of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm weren't that many. Even though Xiao Juetian knew that the Burning Heaven Clan was secretly plotting against his sect, he wasn't too worried; although Ling Yuefeng had warned them about killing, he knew the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch wouldn't dare to act rashly. Not only that, he had had also decided that he would pay close attention to the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch and elders to make sure they wouldn't try anything funny. Therefore, the Xiao Sect's Patriarch didn't feel too worried about letting his disciples wander on their own. He was also sure that the chance of they coming across treasures and precious plants was higher if they were separated.

After glancing in the direction of the other Xiao Clan Elders, Xiao Juetian flew off towards the east, followed by Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi. Following that, the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch and elders also flew out. Finally, Chu Yueli departed, followed by the other Frozen Cloud Asgard Elder.

In the end, only those from the younger generation remained.

"I guess I'll be going," Xiao Luocheng said. He turned his head to look at Issei. "Do you want us to go together, or…?"

"No need." Issei shook his head. "I'm sure we'll both be fine on our own."

"Got it," Xiao Luocheng said, secretly winking at Issei. Then he turned around, towards a random direction and started walking away. Xiao Nan excused herself soon after, and after choosing her own path, left. The Burning Heaven Clan members lingered around for a few moments, as if unsure of what to do. Then, after viciously glancing at Issei, they also left.

In the end, all that remained was Issei, along with the three Frozen Cloud disciples and Chu Yuechan. Alas, the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples didn't stay for long. After glancing at Chu Yuechan once more, both of them left, rushing in the same direction. Clearly, they had decided to explore the Heaven Basin Secret Realm together.

In the end, only Issei, Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan remained.

Immediately after the others left, Xia Qingyue walked towards Issei, a rare smile on her face. Since the others were gone, she didn't have to hide it any longer. "Should we explore together?" she asked.

"Up to you," Issei said. "Though I think it would be better. I have a feeling that this place is far from simple." He then turned his head towards Chu Yuechan. "What about you? What do you think?"

"I'll be going with you," Chu Yuechan plainly said. "I don't believe there's any interesting treasure here. If there's anything, then it'll be dangerous. Considering your cultivation base, it would be best if I go along with you."

"Alright," Issei said. "Thanks."

Xia Qingyue watched their interaction in silence. She wasn't dumb; far from it, she was extremely clever. Judging from that interaction, along with how familiar Chu Yuechan seemed to be with Issei, she had figured out that Chu Yuechan was one of the 'other girls' Issei had mentioned.

"Then I guess all three of us will be going together," Issei said. He then glanced at Xia Qingyue for conformation, who nodded back at him.

"Which direction?" she asked.

"There." Issei pointed towards the west, which happened to be the only direction nobody had taken. "There's something there. I'm certain."

"Alright."

Both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan nodded their heads. Their group of three then left, heading towards the west. Issei walked in the middle, flanked by Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan on both sides.

If Xiao Luocheng had been there, he would have cursed his friend to death out of jealousy.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	159. Dangerous Flower

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 159 - Dangerous Flower**

* * *

As Issei walked across the snowy plain with the two girls, he came to realize that unknowingly, a rather awkward situation had formed.

Neither girl would take the initiative to talk, while Issei just didn't know how to start a conversation. Consequently, they walked in a tense, awkward silence.

At that moment, Issei realized that bringing both girls with him… hadn't been his smartest idea. Back then, he had been too focused on the feeling he felt, so he hadn't really thought the situation through. That was a mistake, he realized.

Alas, since the situation had already developed to such a point, he had no means of somehow going off alone. He was afraid that without his presence, something awful would take place between the two girls.

They had promised they would tolerate the others, but Issei wasn't so foolish as to believe they would immediately follow through their pledge.

His problem wasn't Chu Yuechan. Issei was aware that she was more mature, and could handle herself better. Not only that, he was certain that her feelings towards him were of passion and love; she had yet to develop an unhealthy obsession with him. Not only that, she had told Issei that harems were common in the place she had come from, which meant she had a resistance to them.

The real problem was Xia Qingyue. Issei knew how she was. With the exception of Chu Yuechan, all of the other girls were obsessed with him, but Xia Qingyue's feelings towards him went beyond the realm of obsession, reaching an unheard level. In his opinion, only Feng Xinyi had managed to reach that same level. As for Eggy, she was close, but not exactly there.

Issei was certain that Jasmine was sneering at him from the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

Since nothing came to mind, Issei decided to just go about it as calmly and casually as he could.

"So… how's Frozen Cloud Asgard?" he asked.

"Cold."

"Boring."

"I see…." Issei ruefully smiled. He hadn't expected that they would be so taciturn. Sighing, he turned his head towards Xia Qingyue. "Qingyue, that ability you used in our fight…."

The young woman, who had kept a cold expression on her face since the beginning, brightened up the moment Issei spoke directly to her. She immediately quickened her pace, decreasing the distance between she and Issei. The young man could only stare in shock at her complete change in personality.

"Are you talking about the Frozen End Domain?" she asked. "Or the Frozen End's Rebirth?"

"Either of them, really. I'm curious about both." That wasn't a lie. Issei truly felt interest towards both skills. After all, the Frozen End Domain was something that made even the almighty Jasmine feel fear, while the Frozen End's Rebirth had completely changed Xia Qingyue's appearance and aura. To him, they were both equally intriguing.

"I guess I'll talk about the Frozen End's Rebirth first, then." Xia Qingyue happily smile. She moved even closer to Issei, trying to seem as natural and possible. A few meters ahead of them, Chu Yuechan frowned. "The Frozen End Arts, the most powerful version of the Frozen Cloud Arts, have different realms. The higher the realm, the stronger the boost. The one I used, Frozen End's Rebirth, was the ninth, and last realm."

Issei felt even more interest. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes!" Xia Qingyue cutely nodded her head in affirmation. "Though… I shouldn't be able to use it. According to master, Frozen End's Rebirth, as the very peak of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, can only be used by those at the Tyrant Profound Realm."

"Nine Profound Exquisite Body." All of a sudden, Chu Yuechan's cold and apathetic voice rang in their ears, startling them. "That's why." She paused for a moment. "There's also your Heart of Snow Glazed Glass," she said.

Xia Qingyue's expression turned cold. "What are you talking about?"

"Your powers. Two years ago, you asked me what made you special. Well, here's your answer."

"You…." Xia Qingyue stared at Chu Yuechan in shock. Two years ago, she had indeed asked her why she was able to learn techniques that shouldn't have been possible with her cultivation base, but all she had gotten was a cold and stern stare. She couldn't understand why Chu Yuechan would suddenly tell her all of a sudden.

Issei, noticing the situation had taken a turn for the worse, cleared his throat. "Alright. Then, what about the Frozen End Domain?"

He already knew what the words Nine Profound Exquisite Body and Heart of Snow Glazed Glass meant. Therefore, he didn't dwell on that subject. Currently, his biggest worry was to keep the conversation going.

"The Frozen End Domain?" Xia Qingyue turned back to look at him, and her cold expression melted into one of tenderness. Once more, Issei was shocked at how fast she could change her mood. "The Frozen End Domain is—"

"If you don't know, then don't say anything." Chu Yuechan coldly interrupted. "The actual name isn't even Frozen End Domain." She then turned her head to face Issei. "Frozen End Domain is just a fake name I create to use it as a cover. It isn't even part of the Frozen End Arts. It's on a completely different level; it's part of the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon'. As for the name, it's the Ice Phoenix God's Domain."

Xia Qingyue coldly stared at Chu Yuechan. "How was I supposed to know that?" she asked. "You told me it was the Frozen End Art. What even is this 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon' you speak of?"

"As if you'd know something like that." Chu Yuechan coldly harrumphed. "The 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon' is the originator of the Frozen End Arts. The difference is that it doesn't….."

Issei could only stare in shock as the two girl's bickered. What was happening was clear—they were each trying to get all of his attention for themselves. It was only at this moment that Issei realized that Chu Yuechan… wasn't as mature as she thought herself to be. It was unknown whether she was doing it knowingly or unknowingly, but she was clearly attempting to ascertain her superiority over Xia Qingyue in front of Issei.

Chu Yuechan's actual cultivation was at the almighty peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm. If she were still like that, then nobody in the entire Profound Sky Continent would be her opponent. However, she was currently at the middle stages of the Emperor Profound Realm. Even though Xia Qingyue was only at the Sky Profound Realm, in terms of actual combat prowess, they would actually be evenly matched; Chu Yuechan only head a slight advantage.

After all, Xia Qingyue had her Nine Profound Exquisite Body, which enabled her to use abilities far beyond her cultivation level. Chu Yuechan, on the other hand, could only use secret arts and abilities that didn't surpass the Emperor Profound Realm, which put her at an advantage. It could be said that unless Chu Yuechan unleashed the bloodline that slept within her, she would still be able to win against Xia Qingyue, but it wouldn't be easy.

That was just how powerful Xia Qingyue had grown in the past few years.

"The way this situation is going… a fight will break out soon." Issei frowned. This was definitely the last thing he wanted to see. It was situations like this that made him realize that the only way he could avoid dangerous situations with these girls would be for him to grow more powerful than them. That way, he would be able to keep that in check should any problems arise.

Issei desperately moved his eyes around, trying to find something in this vast, desolate landscape of ice that could possibly put an end to this situation.

And it was then that Issei caught sight of a flower in the distance. At the same time, the Sky Poison Pearl's mark appeared on the back of his left hand, covering it in a faint, green-colored glow. Issei widened his eyes. He knew what was happening; it was one of the functions of the Sky Poison Pearl. Whenever it was near some kind of precious treasure or medicinal plant, it would start shining.

The two other girls were extremely sensitive, and immediately noticed Issei's sudden chance in expression. They momentarily stopped discussing and turned their heads towards him.

"What's wrong?"

"Issei? What happened?"

Issei pointed at the at the flower in the distance. Both girls turned their heads towards it. Xia Qingyue looked at in puzzled, whereas Chu Yuechan's eyes widened.

"This aura… could it be… a treasure medicinal plant?!" Chu Yuechan exclaimed, causing Xia Qingyue's eyes to widen.

Issei nodded his head. "I'm certain of it. Whatever that plant is, it's extremely special."

Chu Yuechan nodded her head. "There's no mistake. I'm not sure which medicinal plant it is, but it's aura matches that of precious plants." She turned her head towards Issei. "That Villa Patriarch… Yuefeng or something… mentioned that all kinds of treasures could be found here. Should we get it?"

"Yes—"

"No!" All of sudden, Xia Qingyue stepped in front of Issei, blocking his path. "I can feel it… it's certainly dangerous! We shouldn't go near it!"

"Feel it…?" Issei narrowed his eyes. "Could it be… the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass?"

Issei clearly remembered how Jasmine had told him that side from increasing a cultivator's comprehension over all kinds of Daos and abilities, the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass also granted its host the ability to sense danger and see through treachery.

Chu Yuechan, who had been about to go forward and grab it, stopped in place. Obviously, she also knew of the power of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass. Even if she couldn't be sure whether or not this was truly Xia Qingyue's power of detecting danger in action or if it was something else, she didn't dare to act rashly after hearing her words.

"Dangerous?" Issei inquired. "Do you know… how dangerous?"

"Extremely," Xia Qingyue said. "We can't go near it. Under no circumstance." She then glanced at the immobile Chu Yuechan. She instantaneously turned cold. "However, if it's you, then go ahead."

Chu Yuechan coldly stared at Xia Qingyue. Despite that, she didn't say even a single word. In some aspects, she was indeed more mature than the younger woman; Chu Yuechan was aware that it wasn't the time to continue their little discussion.

"What should we do?" Chu Yuechan turned her heads towards Issei. "Should we try or avoid it?"

Chu Yuechan may be more powerful than him, but he was still considered the leader of the group. Whatever decision he made, she would support it. The same could be said about Xia Qingyue. Even though she had advised them not to attempt to snatch the flower, she would still willingly get it if Issei asked.

"Let me think," Issei said. At the same time, he secretly asked Jasmine, "Jasmine, how tough is the situation? Is it truly as dangerous as Xia Qingyue claims?"

"I'm not sure. My power isn't fully recovered, so I'm unable to fully make use of my sensing abilities," she said, surprisingly being cooperative. "However, there's something I can tell you."

"What?"

"That plant… is closely connected with one the Evil God's Seeds!"

Issei widened his eyes. "Are you serious?!"

"Would this princess play around in such a situation?" Jasmine harrumphed. "I'm certain of it. Acquiring that plant will be akin to getting one of the Seeds of the Evil God."

Issei forced himself to calm down. After some thought, he frowned. The situation could be extremely dangerous, and could very well put Xia Qingyue's and Chu Yuechan's lives at risk, not to mention his. On the other hand, the enticement of a seed of the Evil God… was far too big to ignore.

Because of Jasmine's words, Issei understood that that feeling of longing he had felt when he first arrived at the Heavenly Sword Villa, as well as the feeling he had felt upon coming close to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm… was all due to the Evil God's Seed!

This was far too big of an opportunity to give up on, but Issei couldn't afford to let Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan go through any life-threatening situation.

At that moment, he realized what he needed to do.

He would get that flower, and he would do it alone!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	160. Peril

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 160 - Peril**

* * *

Once he had made his decision, Issei informed the others. "For now, let's head to a different path. I don't think it's worth it to risk it."

"Alright." Xia Qingyue smiled. She was clearly pleased with his decision. Chu Yuechan, on the other hand, faintly frowned. Although she knew a cultivator had to be cautious, risks had to be taken once in a while. She may not have known Issei for long, but she didn't think that Issei would be on the cautious side. From what she had seen so far, she believed Issei to be a person who would do whatever it took for more power.

She wasn't wrong. She just didn't realize what he had in mind at the time.

Issei lead them towards a different direction from the flower; they didn't even go near it. After a few hours of constant walking, they had yet to find anything worthwhile. Aside from a few, low-class treasures laid across here and there, nothing else appeared in their path. He had already tried to use his World Spiritist Compass, but it didn't work. Apparently, since this place was a Secret Realm, its normal functions couldn't be used.

Eventually, Issei sighed and stopped walking. "Let's stop to rest," he said.

"Rest?" Chu Yuechan looked at him questioningly. "Why?"

Xia Qingyue looked just as puzzled.

"We've already been walking for more than ten hours," Issei said. "It would be for the best if we rested for some time before continuing."

Chu Yuechan continued to look at him strangely. "You aren't tired, are you?"

"No." Issei shook his head, a calm smile on his face. "But we've been searching for the past few hours without stop. Even if we're cultivators, it's better to let the mind cool down a little."

After hearing his words, Xia Qingyue nodded her head. Even if she felt that Issei's suggestion felt strange, she still considered his opinion above everything else. To her, whatever he said would be the most irrefutable fact. That's just how much she trusted him.

Chu Yuechan, on the other hand, wasn't as easily convinced. She wasn't as reliant on Issei, different from the other girls who had fallen for him. His opinion carried a lot of weight, but she couldn't ignore her rational side, which told her that something was wrong.

She had only recently fallen for him. Although he had already claimed her heart, it would still take more time for it to reach the level of obsession. Her feelings for him could be likened to that of a wife's to a husband. She was more headstrong when compared to the other girls.

However, in the end, she complied. She thought that maybe it had to do that her cultivation base was much above Issei's, and his stamina wasn't nearly as high as hers. She knew that sounded ridiculous; after all, it was clear that Issei's power couldn't be measured by his cultivation base. Alas, she couldn't think of any other reason that could justify Issei's strange behavior.

Ultimately, Issei found them a small cave where they could rest in. It was at the foot of a small mountain; a place that could shield them from the endless snow. Not that it mattered, actually. Neither Chu Yuechan nor Xia Qingyue were actually bothered by the snowfall. After all, the cultivation techniques they practiced brought forth a feeling thousands of times colder than what that snow caused. As for Issei, because of his pure Yang body, the bloodline of the three Fire Divines Beasts and his very own Flame Essence, his body temperature would always be warm, regardless of the environment.

Nonetheless, a cave was still a much better place to rest when compared to the open-air, endless landscape of ice and snow.

"Let's rest here for now," Issei said as he set foot inside the cave. Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan followed after him. Issei then waved his hands, and three cultivations mats appeared inside the cave. Those were some of the ones he had found in the Xiao Sect, and had decided to bring along should he need them.

Chu Yuechan shook her head. "Too low quality," she said. Then she waved her hands, and two of the three mats disappeared. In their place, two, icy-colored ones materialized out of thin air. "These are much better," she said. "They have mind-clearing properties, and increase the cultivation speed."

After a brief moment of confusion, Issei regained his bearing and nodded his head. However, he soon noticed a problem—Chu Yuechan had only brought out two of them. If he was unable to figure out why she had done that, then he wouldn't be worthy of calling himself a cultivator. Despite that, he feigned ignorance. "How come there are only two of them?"

Chu Yuechan stared at him strangely. "That's all I have. Why?"

Xia Qingyue sneered coldly. "You don't have to try so hard," she said. "I wouldn't have accepted anything from you anyways." She then sat down on the cultivation met Issei had brought and smiled in satisfaction. "This one's perfect! Thank you, Issei."

Those words were said with a smile on her face, but they struck at Chu Yuechan like cold, deadly daggers. The amount of contempt they carried was far too big to be measured.

There was an invisible war going on before him, and Issei knew it. He frowned, but there was nothing he could do. He could only hope that the situation would grow better with time.

Chu Yuechan shot Xia Qingyue a cold, stern glare. Then she proceeded to ignore the slightly younger woman and sat down on her own, icy-colored cultivation mat.

Issei let out a helpless sigh. After glancing at Xia Qingyue, who had already closed her eyes, he glanced back at the cultivation mat Chu Yuechan had taken out for him.

He knew that it wouldn't be wise to refuse it, as that would offend Chu Yuechan, but to use it would also anger Xia Qingyue. Once more, he didn't know what he should do. Not even he, who would find a way out for almost all situations, could figure out what step to take.

All of a sudden, a thought crossed his mind. Issei realized that this… was the opportunity he was waiting for!

"Yuechan, Qingyue," Issei said. They opened their eyes to look at him. "I'll be going out for a moment."

Chu Yuechan stared straight at him. "Wasn't it you who suggested the rest?"

"It was," Issei nodded his head, "but I think I can sense a treasure near here."

"Sense?" Xia Qingyue's interest was perked. "What do you mean?"

"It's difficult to explain." He smiled at her. "I'll explain once I'm back, alright?"

"No need." Xia Qingyue stood up from her cultivation mat. "I'll be going with you."

Issei shook his head. "You see, I'm not too sure of the treasure either. I don't want to make us walk for nothing. Just wait here for me. I'll be back soon enough."

"Issei…." Xia Qingyue looked as if she wanted to protest, but then her gaze fell on the cultivation mat at the ground, and realization struck her. After a moment of hesitation, she sat back on her mat and nodded her head. "Alright then. Watch out for yourself."

"I will," Issei assured her. He then turned his head towards Chu Yuechan. "I'll be going."

"You…." Chu Yuechan continued to stare at Issei, doubt clear in her eyes. She had also noticed the matter of the cultivation mat, like Xia Qingyue, but she wasn't so easy to fool. She believed that Issei's sudden need to go out… wasn't completely due to the complicated situation she was in. However, she knew that it wouldn't be right for she to be so distrustful of him. In the end, she closed her eyes and nodded her head.

Just like Xia Qingyue, she was worried and concerned for him. However, she also knew better than to restrict his actions.

"Then I'll be going." Issei turned around, and after glancing at both Xia Qingyue out of the corner of his eyes one last time, he stepped out of the cave and into the vast world of white. At the moment, what he was worried about the most wasn't the potentially difficult situation he was about to face, but what would happen if he let Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan alone. Alas, he simply couldn't let the opportunity of acquiring another Evil God's Seed pass.

In the end, he could only hope that no big conflicts would take place in his absence.

The walk back to the mysterious flower was a peaceful one. This time, Issei covered the distance between the cave and the flower in one-tenth of the time it had taken to walk to the cave. Previously, although he wasn't exactly strolling around, he wasn't running either. Currently, however, Issei was employing all of his power to boost his speed.

He even went as far as to use the Lightning Incarnation mode. Even if he had already far passed the level in which it could be useful in battle, and would only boost his speed slightly, a boost was still a boost. He knew he needed all the speed he could get.

"Careful." All of a sudden, Issei heard Eggy's voice. "You're about to reach that flower thing."

Ever since Issei had entered the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, Eggy had been eagerly looking for opportunities to help Issei, but either he didn't require any help or he would ask Jasmine, whose knowledge far surpassed hers.

Eggy didn't blame Issei. After all, he had no reason to call her, and the Heaven Basin Secret Realm wasn't exactly the time for some leisure chatting.

However, when Eggy realized that Issei wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings, and Jasmine didn't seem like she would provide him with any warnings, she immediately took the chance.

"Thanks!" Issei immediately slowed down his speed, glad that he had Eggy with him. He had been too immersed in his thoughts and failed to notice that he had already reached the mysterious flower's vicinities. In fact, when Issei looked around, he realized that the mysterious flower… was barely twenty feet away from him.

Eggy's warning had indeed come at the right time. Had it been even a second later, this distance that separated him from the flower would have been closed in a fraction of a second, considering his speed.

Issei cautiously looked around, and it was only after confirming that he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary that he started edging closer to the mysterious flower. He took one step at a time, always paying attention to any change in his surroundings.

Alas, nothing happened.

Even when he was only an arm's length away from the flower, nothing had actually happened.

"Could it be that Xia Qingyue was wrong?" Issei murmured to himself, deep in thought. However, he didn't believe it would be as simple as that. As of that moment, he also had the feeling that there was something wrong.

In the end, logic won over instinct. Even though he had a feeling that getting the flower could very likely result in a disastrous situation, since he couldn't see anything strange, he decided to risk it. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the stem of the flower.

"Oh? Issei? Where are you?"

Just at that moment, Issei heard Feng Xinyi's voice ring in his head. It was slightly husky, and had a sultry edge to it, completely different from her child-like, high-pitched voice. This is what happened after she regained her original voice. However, Issei didn't have the time to pay attention to that; he was worried about something else. Feng Xinyi would normally sleep all day while inside her separate space, and would seldom wake up. Normally, only extremely unusual situations or objects could cause the sleeping beauty to grace the world with her presence.

Issei frowned. He knew that something had happened.

"Why do you ask?" he carefully asked.

"I just felt a strange aura… a really strong one," Feng Xinyi said. "Probably at…" she paused. "What do you humans call it? Tyrant… Tyrant Profound Realm? Is that it?"

Issei widened his eyes. "What?!"

Before Feng Xinyi could say anything, Issei heard Jasmine's cold voice.

"Get away from there! Right now!"

Never before had Jasmine's voice been so deadly serious. That settled it for Issei. Something had definitely happened the moment he grabbed the flower.

Alas, Jasmine's warning had come too late.

The ground beneath Issei started to shake and rumble. Just as he was about to release the flower and run away, the ground strongly shook. He lost his balance and fell down. In the next moment, he felt a strange sensation, as if his body was being lifted. Then he caught sight of the ground. For some reason, the vast plains of snow… seemed to be far away. Even the mountains on the horizon seemed to be rather small.

And as for the ground beneath him, because of the constant quivering, the snow on it had fallen off, revealing what seemed to be white-silver fur.

Fur. Not dirt, not stone and not earth. It was fur, and the messy, thick type of it.

It was also at that moment that Issei realized his worst fear, what he dreaded the most, had come true.

He had screwed up. Badly.

 ** _Read & Review~!_**


	161. Great Effort

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 161 - Great Effort**

* * *

Issei had been through many dangerous situations in his life. Just his initial cultivation method, which involved basically destroying his body and having it heal itself, was already considered suicidal. He had also ventured inside the cave of an Emperor Profound Realm dragon while only being at the Elementary Profound Realm himself, and even dared to fight an army of Sky Profound Realm soldiers.

Despite that, he believed that his current situation was undoubtedly the most dangerous one so far.

Regardless of how hard he thought, Issei was unable to think of a situation that was more dangerous than standing on the head… of an angered Tyrant Profound Realm beast.

In the beginning, Issei didn't actually realize what was happening, but after he noticed his distance from the ground, and how the snow beneath him had given place to thick fur, it had become obvious to him. Moreover, if he stretched his head out, he could see two gigantic arms waving around, causing the air to ripple and twist.

As for the flower, Issei was still holding on to it. And it seemed to be growing out of that Tyrant Profound Beast's head.

Issei knew that it was only a matter of time until the Tyrant Profound Beast would realize that the human who had awoken it from its slumber was actually resting on its head.

And, when that happened, Issei knew that he would be doomed.

"Issei! Get out of there!" Eggy exclaimed in his mind. She was standing up within the World Spirit Space, her eyes filled with fear. Not for her, but for Issei.

"What's… what's going on?" Issei heard Feng Xinyi's voice again. "Issei… why are you on the head of a Tyrant Profound Beast?"

Issei, however, ignored all of their comments. He knew very well that if he tried to run away, he would definitely be spotted by the Tyrant Profound Beast. After all, beasts of such cultivation level were normally smarter than an average human.

In this situation, he believed that the only one he could truly rely on was Jasmine.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"Depends," Jasmine said. Surprisingly, her voice wasn't nearly as perturbed as before and was rather calm. "Do you truly want to get your hands on that Evil God Seed?"

Issei didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes."

"Then it's easy," Jasmine said. "Jump out, get caught by him, and get swallowed."

Issei widened his eyes in shock. "You don't mean…."

"Exactly. The Evil God Seed… is within its stomach. The only way for you to acquire it will be to be eaten."

"Issei, don't even think about that!" Eggy exclaimed, her eyes widened because of Jasmine's words. "Listen to me, forget about the crazy red-haired brat. Do not get caught! You'll definitely die! That Seed or whatever can't be more important than your life!"

"Seed…?" Feng Xinyi asked, puzzled. "What Seed? Evil God? You mean that nasty old guy? What does he have to do with this?"

Under this constant barrage of words, Issei couldn't even hear his own thoughts. He gritted his teeth and did his best to think about what he should do, ignoring everything else.

The Seed was located within the Tyrant Profound Beast's stomach. He knew that getting in there would be easy. The problem would be getting out.

Regardless of how brave or rash he was, Issei wasn't about to dig his own grave and lay down on it. He definitely wouldn't dare to throw himself to the Tyrant Profound Beast if he didn't have a way of getting out.

Not only that, there was still a chance that the beast wouldn't even eat him. It was very likely it would just crush him under its hand as if he was a bug.

In the end, Issei took in a deep breath, and while making sure to keep himself in place, he asked, "Jasmine, how healed up are you?"

The reply only came after several seconds. "You dare! Do you actually want this princess to save you?! Don't you know that the poison will act up if this princess acts?!"

"Your life is my life," Issei said. "If I die, you die. I think it wouldn't be too bad to exchange a rebound of the poison for your life _and_ another Seed of the Evil God. I'll also be putting my life at risk here."

Before Jasmine could answer, Eggy once more barraged him with countless warnings. However, they all fell deaf on Issei's ear. He knew that his next action completely depended on Jasmine's response.

However, even after waiting for several minutes, Issei didn't hear anything from Jasmine. The shaking of the Tyrant Profound Beast kept getting rougher, and Issei was afraid that it wouldn't take long for him to be discovered.

Just as Issei was about to ask again, he heard Jasmine speak.

"This is the last time," she said. "This princess won't help you again. Even if you die, causing my death, this princess won't care."

"Alright—"

"This princess's not done!" Jasmine interrupted Issei. "You'll also need to reach the Sovereign Profound Realm sooner. I'll give you twenty more years."

Issei, who had been about to open his mouth, hurriedly closed it. It was clear that Jasmine was deliberately making the situation difficult for him. However, considering the position he was in, he didn't have the time to haggle over the conditions.

"Alright! I agree with your terms!"

"Then speak," Jasmine said. There weren't joy or happiness in her voice for having her conditions accepted. It was as if that meant nothing to her. "What do you want this princess to do?"

"You'll see in a while."

Issei then turned his head to the flower, which he was still grasping. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled it up. The ground beneath him trembled; it was clear that the Tyrant Profound Beast had noticed.

Acting quickly, Issei threw the flower into the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. He could identify it later. Immediately after, Issei jumped to the side. In the next moment, the Tyrant Profound Beast's colossal hand waved by in the place had just been at.

Issei thrust out with his empty hands towards the Tyrant Profound Beast's arms. Ddraig materialized in his hands just in time to pierce through the Sky Profound Beast's arm. The scarlet blade instantaneously shredded apart the protective barrier that surrounded the colossal limb, then deeply embedded itself into the fur-coated arm.

The Tyrant Profound Beast sucked in the air of the vicinity like a vacuum, then let out a deafening roar. The ground quacked, and all of the snow in the vicinity was blown away. The roar echoed again and again, spreading out towards the entire Heaven Basin Secret Realm. Issei's entire body trembled and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His hands, however, never left Ddraig's hilt. He grasped it as if his life depended on it.

Issei continued to hold on as the Tyrant Profound Realm waved its arm down. Issei watched through narrowed eyes as the rest of the beast's body was revealed. It was faintly humanoid in shape, with a body covered in fur. Bulky and massive would be the best words to do describe it.

Under Eggy's frantic cries and Feng Xinyi's words of astonishment, Issei did his best to concentrate on the task at hand. His eyes looked straight towards the Tyrant Profound Beast's mouth, paying close attention to the flailing movement of the arms.

All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed. He had found his chance.

Currently, the Tyrannical Profound Beast was waving its arms in an upward arc, attempting to get rid of the bug that had gotten stuck on its arm. Issei, taking advantage of that, had Ddraig retreat back into the Sky Poison Pearl. With nothing to hold on, Issei's body was thrown upwards, carried away by the air gust generated by the beast's movements.

Issei shot through the air, his eyes sharp and deadly. In his hands, Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb appeared. The long, midnight-black spear had its point towards the Sky Profound Beast's forehead. Issei waited, calculating for the correct moment. Just as he was about to reach the same level as the Tyrant Profound Beast's mouth, he threw the spear towards the colossal beast's forehead.

The dark Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb literally cut apart the air. Behind it, a faint trail of darkness was left behind in the form of dark smoke. Just like Ddraig, it easily cut apart the Tyrant Profound Beast's protective spiritual power barrier as if it was butter, deeply embedding itself on the beast's forehead. Normal weapons wouldn't be able to do that, but Ddraig and Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb… were far from normal weapons!

From afar, he could clearly see as the beast's eyes widened, pain flickering within them. It then opened its mouth and sucked in the air in front of it. In that process, Issei was also sucked inside the beast's mouth. At that exact moment, Issei ordered Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb to return back to him. The spear on the beast's forehead disappeared, but the pain it felt didn't lessen.

Once inside the beast's mouth, Issei immediately summoned Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb again. He then struck out with it, piercing through the side of the beast's mouth. In the following moment, the beast once more let out its deafening roar.

A tyrannical wind heavily impacted on Issei's body, but he continued to hold onto the spear. This continued for various seconds. It was only when the beast finally closed its mouth that Issei loosened his hold on the spear's shaft.

The hardest part was over.

Now that he was already inside the mouth, although Issei couldn't exactly relax, he wasn't as tense as before.

After placing Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb back in the Sky Poison Pearl, Issei rushed towards the beast's throat. Without hesitation, he jumped down.

The fall wasn't a short one.

Issei believed that the inside of the Tyrannical Profound Beast's was much bigger than it appeared to be on the outside. It took several seconds before the beast's stomach entered his sight. Thankfully, Issei had used Ddraig at the last moment to pierce through the beast's esophagus, greatly decreasing his falling speed.

However, when he finally reached the stomach, he realized that it looked like anything but a stomach.

Unlike the rest of the Tyrant Profound Beast's inwards, which at least seemed _organic_ , the stomach was hard and cold. It wasn't fleshy, or anything like that. Its surface was solid like rock and cold to the touch. After a quick inspection, Issei realized that not even Ddraig could easily pierce through it. Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb, on the other hand, was still capable of easily slashing it apart.

Issei had never been inside a stomach before, but he had Liang Ye's medical knowledge and various years of experience in dissecting bodies. He knew better than anyone how the inside of a stomach looked like. In his opinion, the place he was in was more like a cave made out of rock than an organ.

The only reason why Issei was sure that he was still inside the beast's body was because when he looked up, he could still see the exit of the beast's esophagus, which was made out of flesh. Otherwise, Ddraig wouldn't have been able to pierce through it.

"This place should be where the Seed of the Evil God is…" Issei murmured to himself. Despite that, he didn't immediately begin to look around. Just like the rest of the beast's body, the stomach was massive in size, and he believed that it would take some time to find something as small as the Evil God's Seed, even with the help of his instincts.

First, he would rest. After all, he was still a cultivator who had yet to reach the Emperor Profound Realm. There was a limit to his endurance and stamina. Moreover, the actions he had taken just now looked easy, but involved a great deal of effort on his part. Calculating the right moments, holding onto the weapon with all his might and braving the howling wind—none of that could be easily accomplished, not even for someone as powerful as Issei.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	162. The New Seed!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 162 - The New Seed!**

* * *

In the amount it took for an incense stick to burn, Issei managed to considerably better his condition. Once he had reached the state in which he could freely walk around, Issei decided it was time to begin searching.

His footsteps echoed within the strange, cave-like stomach. The sound was sharp and clear, pleasant to the ears. He also noticed that even though the Tyrant Profound Beast was in constant movement, the stomach was completely static, as if frozen in place.

Most likely, this stomach was like the Heaven Basin Secret Realm—a separate realm of its own. That very thought would have sounded insane to anyone else. After all, how could a different realm exist within a living being? Issei, however, was certain of it.

He didn't believe that the Tyrant Profound Beast had enough power—or reason—to create a secret realm in the place where its stomach should have been. Issei guessed it was because of the presence of the Evil God's Seed.

"Jasmine," Issei said, "you should already begin to ready yourself. As soon as I finish absorbing the Seed, I'll need your help."

"You want this princess to blast open the beast from the inside?"

Issei nodded.

A slight paused followed. Jasmine then sighed. "Very well. This princess shall aid you this time. However, keep in mind the conditions."

"Issei, this is still crazy," Eggy commented. "You shouldn't have done this. It was too dangerous."

"But it worked out, no?"

"You could have died," Eggy sternly pressed on. "Nothing in this world is more valuable than your life."

Issei chuckled. "That's not right."

"Then what is?"

"Your life."

Eggy didn't speak any further. Issei's words had their desired effect. The impact they had on her could only be imagined. In this entire world, only Issei could move Eggy this much.

He may have said those words on purpose, but he meant them. That was something both he and Eggy knew. Issei was the type of person who would easily sacrifice his own life for his loved ones without a second thought.

"What about me?" Feng Xinyi invited herself into their conversation, clearly unhappy of being left out.

Issei smiled. "Yours is just as important."

"Great!" Feng Xinyi squealed in delight. Her husky voice added a different charm to her words, creating a paradox between sultriness and naivety. It was truly an extremely complex situation.

Even though Feng Xinyi's bearing and appearance had changed, her heart was still that of a naive young girl. She had somewhat matured personality-wise, but it wasn't enough to match the advancement her body suffered. In the end of the day, she was still the same old Feng Xinyi who Issei cherished and loved.

While casually chatting with both girls, Issei continued to search around the Tyrant Profound Beast's stomach. Had he been alone, it would have a tedious process, but with Feng Xinyi's and Eggy's company, Issei never grew tired or bored.

Feng Xinyi even went as far as to leave her separate dimension and help Issei with his search. At least that's what she claimed she was doing. In reality, all she did was to follow Issei around wherever he went, stuck to him like glue.

Eggy was clearly envious, but when she thought she would be able to do the same when Issei became a Blue-cloak World Spiritist, her envy would be replaced by anticipation. She couldn't wait for the time she would able to travel around with Issei throughout the world by his side.

Time slowly flew by. The stomach was even bigger than what Issei had presumed. By this point, he was certain that it was some kind of Secret Realm. Otherwise, even if the stomach of more than a thousand Tyrant Profound Beasts were to be put together, it still wouldn't be as big as the stomach he was in.

No matter how hard Issei searched, he never found anything. With each step he took, the feeling of longing within his body get stronger, indicating he was getting closer, but even after a few hours, he had yet to find anything. His only assurance that he wasn't walking around in circles was the fact that the feeling kept getting stronger.

"Issei! Look! There's a light there!" All of a sudden, Eggy stretched out of her arms towards the right. Issei immediately turned his body around, and what entered his line of sight was a small crevice, within which was a small, blue-colored stone.

"That's the Seed!" Jasmine exclaimed before Issei could even open his mouth. This entire time, she had been secretly searching for it alongside Issei. That was the reason why she hadn't spoken anything.

Issei didn't hesitate. He rushed over like lightning, quickly reaching it. He then struck out with his hand and pried it off the small crevice. Holding it in his hand, he found it hard, yet soft to the touch. Just from touching it, Issei felt a bone-chilling cold spread within his body.

"Just like the Fire Seed…." Issei murmured. He stared at the Seed in deep fascination and amazement. Previously, when he had first seen the Fire Seed, his cultivation base and insights had been too poor, so he hadn't found anything unusual. However, now that his cultivation base was deeper, and his insights on the natural laws of the world—the Daos—was much deeper, he understood it much better.

This seed… was basically the physical manifestation of the Dao!

However, this wasn't Issei's own Dao. Even though there was only one Dao for each element, each cultivator would have a different understanding of it.

What Issei held in his hands was the Evil God's understanding of an elemental Dao. Because of that, by absorbing it, Issei's own Dao wouldn't progress, but he would gain the powers related to it.

In other words, this meant that the Evil God had reached the very pinnacle of the elemental Daos!

Dao Physical Manifestation! Physical Manifestation of the Dao!

This was a Seed!

A Seed… of the Evil God!

Which meant that what Issei held in his hands… was a Dao Seed!

Issei now understood it all. However, he also knew that what he had just seen—what he had comprehended—was only the tip of the iceberg. His cultivation base was still too shallow, and his knowledge wasn't enough to see through the various intricate mysteries that surrounded the Evil God's Seed.

He believed that it was only when he reached the very pinnacle of cultivation that he would finally be able to understand… the true nature of the Evil God's Seeds!

"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Jasmine, who had appeared next to Issei, harshly rebuked him. "This isn't the time to fall into a daze! Absorb the Seed already and get out of here!"

"Hey, don't be so mean!" Feng Xinyi stepped in between Issei and Jasmine, standing protectively in front of the young man. She crossed her arms under her plentiful chest, while her phoenix-like eyes stared straight at Jasmine, hostility flickering within them. "Who are you, anyways?"

Jasmine stared at Feng Xinyi in shock. She hadn't imagined that the almighty Phoenix would actually do something like that. She wasn't a fool. Even though Feng Xinyi had her original power sealed, she was still _the_ Phoenix. In this world, there weren't many existences that could induce fear in her, but a Divine Beast, never mind one as mighty as the Phoenix, was too much of a deterrence.

"I'm Jasmine," she said. "Issei's master."

Jasmine was well aware that Feng Xinyi knew who she was. After all, Feng Xinyi had been there when the Primordial Azure Dragon revealed all of Issei's memory. Nonetheless, she still introduced herself.

"Master?" Feng Xinyi raised an eye-brow, unconvinced. "But you're so weak!" she exclaimed. For the first time, Issei could sense scorn in her voice. "What are you? You're not even in the Dao Realm! And yet you want to be his master? I'm the one who's teaching him the World Ode of the Phoenix, am I not? What have you taught him? What gives you the right to call yourself his master? Shouldn't I be his master? Don't tell me you have more qualifications than me, the Phoenix!"

Never mind Jasmine, even Issei was taken aback by Feng Xinyi's sudden outburst. Since the very beginning, Feng Xinyi had never been afraid to speak her mind. She was always direct, and didn't hide anything. And now that she saw Issei being verbally abused, she had stepped out to defend him.

Jasmine glanced at Issei out of the corner of her eyes. Issei saw within them something he had never seen before—helplessness.

It was at that moment that Issei understood that even Jasmine… didn't know what to do when faced with Feng Xinyi.

Issei's first thought was to cherish that moment, but he knew better. After all, he was sure that he would need to rely on Jasmine in the future. She was his personal walking Encyclopedia, after all. In his opinion, Jasmine already hated him enough. Issei believed that if Feng Xinyi annoyed her, she would take it out on him, as she was unable to do anything to the Phoenix.

Since that was the case, Issei unhesitatingly stepped forward. "Xinyi, don't worry," he said. "Jasmine has taught me plenty, and she didn't mean the words she said."

Jasmine swallowed her pride and nodded her head. "That's right," she said, doing her best to make her voice seem as friendly as possible. "I didn't mean that."

Feng Xinyi wasn't convinced. "That doesn't change the fact that she's too weak! She isn't worthy of being your master."

"Then what about you becoming my master?" Issei quickly suggested. "You're already teaching me the World Ode of the Phoenix; technically, you're also my master. How does that sound? With that, I'll have two masters, you and Jasmine. Wouldn't that be fine?"

"What about that old man from the Xiao Sect? Isn't he your master too? You can't have three masters, can you?" Feng Xinyi inquired.

Feng Xinyi was unnaturally persistent. Normally, it would only take one word from Issei to turn her into a harmless and bashful little girl, but it seemed that the subject of his 'master' was extremely important to her. In fact, this was the first time she had stood against Issei ever since they first met. This clearly showed how much she valued the position of Issei's 'master'.

Issei rushed to fix the misunderstanding. "Xiao Yang isn't really my master," he said. "That's only a cover." Then he used his trump card. He stared straight at Feng Xinyi. "Alright, Master?"

This time, Feng Xinyi finally reacted to his words. She blushed a deep red, and bashfully lowered her head. Her gracious face now had a different charm from before. Even though she didn't seem sultry any longer, she was just as alluring. This was a completely different, yet equally potent charm!

Jasmine saw her opportunity and took it. After meaningfully glancing at Issei, she retreated back into the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

As for Feng Xinyi, she continued to stay next to Issei, but was unnaturally quiet. In her mind, she constantly replayed the moment in which Issei called her his master again and again.

Just as Issei had guessed, the position of his 'master' truly carried a lot of meaning to Feng Xinyi. Just like the other girls, she was constantly fighting for his attention. Therefore, aside from being his beloved, she wanted to go beyond that, and occupy yet another position in his life. When she heard Jasmine saying she was Issei's master, she immediately realized what she had to do. In other to get ahead of the other girls, she claimed the position of Issei's master for herself.

This way, she guaranteed for herself an advantage over the other girls.

Feng Xinyi may be naive, but should certain situations arise, she could temporarily invoke her original personality, and become incredibly cunning and crafty. If it was for Issei's love, attention and affection, she was willing to go to any length.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_

 ** _My internet is like the stock market. It rises and falls randomly. Yesterday was a horrible day Internet-wise—it completely crashed. That's why I didn't post a chapter yesterday. I'll make it up to you guys with a double release in a couple of days._**


	163. The Nature of the Evil God!

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 163 - The Nature of the Evil God!**

* * *

Once the situation between Feng Xinyi and Jasmine had been settled, Issei resumed his observation of the Evil God's Seed. It didn't take him long to figure out which possible elements it could represent.

At first, Issei was in doubt, wondering whether it was the Water Seed or the Ice Seed. After all, he didn't know whether or not the Evil God's Seed were restricted to the five elements—Fire, Water, Wood, Metal and Earth. As far as he was concerned, the Evil God could have very well created all types of Seeds. For example, an Ice Seed, a Sand Seed, or even a Wind Seed.

Not only that, he also didn't know if the Evil God had only created elemental types of Seeds. Maybe there was a Spiritual Power seed, a Spirit Power Seed, or even a Physical Seed. There was even a chance of a Sword Seed existing.

The Evil God's Seeds were the physical manifestations of the Evil God's comprehensions regarding the various Daos. Considering there were thousands of Daos, the same amount of Seeds could be created. In the end, the amounts of Seeds all depended on how many Daos the Evil God had mastered.

After coming to that conclusion, Issei couldn't help but grow excited. He knew what that implied. As long as the Evil God had managed to create a Seed for every and each Dao, and he absorbed all of them, he would basically become omnipotent. In the entire world, there wouldn't be a single power capable of harming him.

However, Issei didn't believe that to be the case. Had the Evil God been so powerful, he definitely wouldn't have lost his life in the heavenly war between the gods. This meant that the Evil God was far from omnipotent. In Issei's opinion, just having a seed for each of the five elements was already incredibly power. In fact, he would be satisfied with that alone. That said, if the Evil God had indeed created even more Seeds… Issei definitely wouldn't complain.

The more power, the better.

Eventually, Issei reached the conclusion that he couldn't comprehend anything else from the Seed in his hands. But he wasn't dispirited. He had finally begun to understand just what the Seeds were, after all.

As Issei stared at the seed, he tried to understand which element it represented. It was extremely cold, which made his opinion lean towards Ice Seed, but Issei believed that it could also be the Water Seed, since ice was essentially water at an extremely low temperature.

"I guess the only way to find out will be to absorb it," Issei concluded after much thought. He turned around to look at Feng Xinyi. "Xinyi, step back a little. There's a good chance the area around me will get extremely dangerous."

This time, Feng Xinyi acted like her usual self. She didn't hesitate to follow Issei's words, and immediately took a few steps back, increasing the distance between them. Issei could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't even paying attention to the situation. Apparently, she was still in her own little world, continuously replaying that certain scene and relishing in the feeling it brought forth.

Issei had an idea of what was happening, but he didn't pry too deep into it.

Once Feng Xinyi had walked enough to create a considerable distance between them, Issei sat down on the ground. Then he brought the mysterious Seed to his mouth and swallowed it down.

At first, nothing happened. Issei was confused. He remembered that the Fire Seed had reacted almost immediately after being swallowed down.

Alas, his worries were for naught. Soon after the Seed reached Issei's stomach, it broke apart.

The Dao… had been freed!

A wave of tyrannical, boundless power erupted from within Issei's body. It spread out within his body like fire on oil. Within seconds, Issei's entire body, from the feet to his head, had been encompassed by that sudden burst of maddened spiritual power.

Issei felt as if his entire body was submerged in water. It wasn't a feeling like drowning, but as if he was simply laying there, one with his surroundings. It was a soft, yet strong feeling. The best way to describe it would be versatile. It twisted and wrapped around his body, engulfing him in a deep and pleasurable sensation.

Water wasn't as violent as fire, nor was it as lively as earth, as resistant as metal, or as handy as wood. No. Water was versatile, adaptable. At times, it could be extremely violent, possessing boundless destructive force. Then it could become steady and hard like stone, or even become soft and calm, with healing properties. Water could adapt to any and all circumstances.

Water didn't have a specialized field of its own, but it was second to none in all of the others field. It was the jack-of-all-trades of the elements!

At this moment, Issei realized that there wasn't an Ice Seed. That was because… the Water Seed itself already included the Ice Seed!

The Evil God had gone a step further than he had originally thought. Instead of creating a Seed for each Dao, he had gone as far as to create a Seed with many different Daos! For example, the Water Seed included both the Dao of Ice and the Dao of Vapor.

While Issei came to that realization and continued to deepen his understandings regarding the Evil God's Seeds, shocking changes were happening to his surroundings.

The air around him rippled and twisted, and the ground beneath him shook. Surrounding his body, the air had turned thick and heavy, incredibly dense. It was as if an invisible wall of water had formed around Issei, shielding him from the outside world.

Feng Xinyi stared at Issei and the changes around him calmly. She had seen way too much in her entire life, and had even seen the Evil God in action. At the moment, she still found the memory of Issei calling her his master much more attractive. Closing her eyes, she continued to relish on the feeling that memory brought her. After all, it was clear to her that there was nothing she could do to help Issei at this moment.

The process of absorbing the Water Seed wasn't a short one. For the next few hours, Issei continued to seat in cultivation, continuously merging with the Water Seed. His cultivation base rapidly grew, quickly advancing through the levels.

Without the help of the Lightning Beasts, Issei's actual cultivation was only at the eighth level of the True Profound Realm. This time, even though his strength didn't suffer an explosive increase like what had happened when he absorbed the Fire Seed, it grew at a slow, yet steady pace.

When the process of absorbing the Water Seed ended, Issei discovered that his cultivation base had reached the first level of the Spirit Profound Realm. Immediately after, he checked his dantian, and realized that once more, one of the Divine Lightning Beasts had disappeared. Issei then discovered that flowing in his veins, alongside the Blue and Golden Divine Lightning Beasts, a Purple Divine Lightning Beast could be found.

This meant that once Issei unleashed all three Divine Lightning Beasts, his cultivation would reach the fourth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

However, this change was only minor when compared to the others. Issei could clearly feel that after absorbing the Water Seed, he had a deep affinity with water, and any of its forms. It was as if he had been reborn anew. Even his very cells had changed.

Previously, the cells in his body had a slightly scarlet hue because of the Fire Seed, but after absorbing the Water Seed, next to the scarlet hue, an azure hue appeared! Those hues weren't superimposed, nor were they contradicting one another. They were actually coexisting, and even increasing each other's power!

Even Issei's profound veins and dantian, which were slightly scarlet, now contained hints of an azure color!

According to the natural laws of the world, fire and water couldn't exist together. They were the opposites of each other. Because of that, a cultivator that cultivated a water-related cultivation skill would never be able to use a fire-related cultivation skill! The same couldn't be said about the opposite. A fire cultivator wouldn't be able to use water skills!

This was something that not even gods and deities could ignore! There were some exceptions, but they were far too few!

And the Evil God wasn't a normal deity! He wasn't one of those exceptions, for he went above and beyond all exceptions! He was someone who dared to defy the wills of the Heavens itself. He was someone completely random and tyrannical, who would do whatever he wanted.

The Heavens?! The Gods?! The Universe?! World Laws?!

To the Evil God, none of that meant anything!

If he wanted to do something, he would do it!

If the Heavens wanted to stop him, he would just destroy the Heavens!

This was the Evil God's nature. An unruly nature, bound by no rules or fetters!

The Evil God's Seeds were the very proof of that! It could be said that those Seeds were likely the most heaven-defying powers to have ever existed!

With the Seeds of the Evil God, a cultivator could go above the laws of the world! With the power of the Seeds, a cultivator could shred apart common sense and create their own reality!

As of that moment, Issei was the second cultivator since time immemorial to have perfect affinity with both fire and water!

After absorbing the Water Seed, no forms of water would ever be able to bring Issei harm. At the same time, he had also acquired perfect affinity towards all forms of water! If Issei were to practice a water-attributed martial skill, nobody would be able to compare to him. Even if it was an ice-attributed or a mist-attributed cultivation skill, he would be second to none!

Issei was now the sovereign of both water and fire!

This was the ultimate power the Evil God's Seed granted him!

As Issei stared at his surroundings, everything he felt was different. Not even a few hours ago, just being within the Tyrant Profound Beast's stomach would cause his body to go stiff with cold, but after absorbing the Water Seed, all he felt was a pleasurable, mild sensation.

Just like warm temperatures couldn't harm Issei because of the Fire Seed, cold temperatures meant nothing to him. Even if he were submerged in the coldest ocean of the entire universe, he would still feel the same pleasant sensation.

Issei's gaze fell on his left hand. With a single thought, a small body of water appeared above his left palm. He then glanced at his right hand, and a small flame appeared on top of it. He then brought both hands together, causing the fire to come into contact with the water.

The water didn't turn into vapor, nor was the fire extinguished. The water continued to flow and the fire continued to burn, as if nothing had even happened. Even though they were directly touching each other, they were capable of coexistence.

This was something that shouldn't have been possible, but the Water and Fire Seeds made it happen!

After making a few experiments, Issei turned his head to look at Feng Xinyi. He found her staring straight at him with a smile on her face. From what he could see, she had already gotten over whatever she had been doing.

"How are you, my disciple?" she joyfully asked.

Issei, who had been about to walk towards her, halted his steps and blinked. "What?"

Feng Xinyi stared at him innocently, her slender and graceful eyes watching him in amusement. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

At that moment, Issei realized what had happened. Feng Xinyi had truly accepted him as her disciple. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry in such a situation. In the end, he sighed. "Do you really have to call me as Disciple?"

"But you _are_ my disciple, no?" Feng Xinyi asked.

"Yes, but…." Issei trailed off.

Feng Xinyi tilted her head to the side, puzzled. "Then why should I not call you as such?"

"It feels weird…."

"Then what should I call you?"

"I thought that just 'Issei' was alright, no?" Issei asked, confused.

"No." Feng Xinyi shook her head. "I want to give you a special name." She paused. "How about… Darling?"

Issei widened his eyes. "You can't be serious."

"Oh?" Feng Xinyi licked her alluring, scarlet lips. "I'm very serious, _darling."_

Issei stared at her shock. His first impulse was to continue discussing with her, but in the end, he realized that it would be futile. Judging from Feng Xinyi's current behavior, she was hell-bent on either calling him darling or disciple.

In the end, Issei decided that between 'disciple' and 'darling'… the latter did indeed sound better.

Sighing, he gave up. "Alright. Darling it is then."

Upon hearing his words, Feng Xinyi beamed at her. She happily skipped over, her arms opened wide, and tightly hugged him. She had already done this countless time while in her child-like form, but this was the first time she had done that in current body. Consequently, Issei was able to once more experience how full and elastic her breasts were.

Eventually, Issei broke apart the hug. Even though he had already absorbed the Water Seed, he couldn't relax just yet. After all, he was still inside the stomach of a Tyrant Profound Beast.

His first priority was to get out as soon as possible.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	164. Worry and Concern

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 164 - Worry and Concern**

* * *

"Jasmine," Issei said after Feng Xinyi had retreated back to her separate dimension.

It was time to make his escape.

"I know," Issei heard Jasmine say. In the following moment, Jasmine materialized to him. Her flowing scarlet hair rippled behind her like a bloody ocean. She stared at Issei coldly. "Now?" she asked.

"Yes," Issei said. He then pointed towards one of the walls. "If you destroy that one, what would happen? Considering this place is a Secret Realm, I mean."

"I'm not sure," Jasmine coldly stared at her surroundings, "but since this princess is going to release her power anyways, there's a great chance this entire Secret Realm will collapse. If you're afraid this princess's power isn't enough, then you're in for a rude awakening."

Instead of taking offense, Issei calmly smiled. "I surely hope so."

Jasmine's eyebrow faintly twitched. Clearly, his calm response hadn't been to her liking. Aside from that, Jasmine showed no other reaction. After coldly staring at the walls for a few moments, she turned her cold eyes towards Issei.

"Use 'Sealing Cloud Locking Sun'," she said. "The ability of the Burning Heart realm. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety."

Issei nodded and took a few steps back. He then took in a deep breath and opened the first and second gates of the Evil God Arts. His power erupted, increasing by thirty-six times. In the next moment, an invisible yet tangible barrier formed around him.

This was the special ability of the Burning Heart realm—'Sealing Cloud Locking Sun'. In the same way that the first realm, Evil Soul, gave Issei the extremely powerful attack—'Falling Moon Sinking Star'— the second realm, Burning Heart, gave Issei the opposite, an extremely powerful defensive skill—'Sealing Cloud Locking Sun'.

Once Issei had finished activating it, Jasmine's body disappeared, only to reappear once more right next to one of the walls of the Tyrannical Profound Beast's 'stomach'. She then lightly tapped on it with her left hand. Despite being such seemingly harmless action, everything started to tremble in the next moment.

Chunks of the walls started to fall off, and cracks on the ground appeared.

Jasmine frowned. "Was that not enough?" She hesitated for a moment, then lightly tapped on the wall four more times.

This time, the rumbling was incredibly intense. Fissures appeared all around Issei, and even air started to tremble. However, it still wasn't enough—the Secret Realm hadn't been destroyed yet.

The red-haired girl gritted her teeth. "If that's what you want, very well! This princess shall grant your wish!" This time, she didn't tap on the wall. She literally struck out with her fist.

Jasmine's hands were tiny and delicate, but when they came into contact with the wall, a shocking scene took place. The entire wall disintegrated into thousands of little fragments. If one looked through the crater created, they would see a world of snow on the other side.

Jasmine could already feel the poison acting up again. She knew that in a few minutes, she wouldn't even be able to move. The faster she got back inside the Sky Poison Pearl, the better.

Completely silent, Jasmine did a grasping motion with her left hand, causing Issei to shot towards her. She then grabbed his collar and literally threw him through the gap in the Tyrant Profound Beast's body.

Whether Jasmine had thrown him with such strength was for revenge or by mistake, Issei wasn't sure. All he knew that he had never flown at such a fast speed. He sailed through the air faster than any kind of bird, almost tearing apart space. His speed was so fast that even if he turned his head to look back, the colossal Tyrant Profound Beast would have seemed to be only a small dot in the distance.

And this was because only a few seconds had passed since Jasmine had thrown him out.

As for Jasmine, she calmly watched Issei disappear over in the distance, and even though the Absolute God Slaying Poison was already beginning to burn her body from the inside, she smiled in satisfaction. Once Issei was no longer visible, she closed her eyes and disappeared. When her eyes opened again, she was back in the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

Immediately after returning, Jasmine closed her eyes once more, crossed her legs, and proceeded to use the energy of the Sky Poison Pearl to fight back against the Absolute God Slaying Poison.

Meanwhile, Issei continued to fly through the air at breakneck speed. Even though several seconds had already passed since Jasmine had thrown him, he was still flying at the same disturbingly fast speed. By this point, he was even afraid that everything that he had done so far had been for naught. After all, if he hit into something while being in such a fast speed, the only outcome would have been him being reduced into a meat patty.

Thankfully, when he finally hit something, it wasn't anything hard, or even relatively so. It was a great agglomeration of snow in the form of a small mountain, which absorbed a great part of the impact. After Issei checked his condition, he was glad to realize that only a few bones had been broken. Aside from that, only small bruises were left as the reminder of what had just happened.

"That was dangerous," Issei murmured to himself as he jumped out from the middle of the snow, which had splattered all around him. Once he was out, he turned his head around a few times, checking his surroundings. Once he had ascertained that nothing dangerous could be found in the area near him, he sat down on the ground and began to meditate.

Above his forehead, a small, silver-colored pagoda appeared. However, if one looked closely, they would see that on the surface of the silver pagoda, dark-purple markings could be seen. This time, Issei was making use of his most powerful body-cultivation skill, the 'Great Way of the Chaotic Virtuous Buddha'. Originally, the 'Great Way of the Buddha' already terrifying healing properties, but after it had fused with Issei's 'Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians', it's power had doubled.

Five hours later, Issei opened his eyes. Most of his wounds had already healed, and even though he was still unable to fight with his full power, he was more than capable of walking around in these snowy plains.

For the next two days, Issei continuously walked towards the north. Jasmine had indeed overdone herself—it had already been more than two days of constant walking, and Issei had yet to reach the position Jasmine had thrown him off from.

It was only on the third day that Issei finally caught sight of the Tyrant Profound Beast again. No. It would be more correct to call it the Tyrant Profound Beast's carcass. Currently, it laid sprawled across the ground like a large mountain range, blocking Issei's path. Even the beast's fingers were big enough to be considered as small mountains.

"Jasmine's blow actually killed it," Issei said, shocked. When he remembered how all Jasmine had done was to punch it, he couldn't help but shiver. "A monster. She's truly a monster."

"That girl is too excessive," Eggy commented. "Look at the mess she caused. Couldn't she have just made a small hole to help you escape?"

"You should know her temper already." Issei sighed. "Most likely, she was annoyed because she couldn't destroy it with a simple tap, so she went overboard."

"At the cost of the poison getting even stronger?" Eggy asked, incredulous.

Issei shrugged his shoulder helplessly. "You know how she is."

As he chatted with Eggy, Issei made his way around the Tyrant Profound Beast. While gazing at the colossal body before him, he wondered if the presence of the Water Seed is what had caused it to grow so much. Even if it was a Tyrant Profound Beast, Issei didn't believe it would be able to reach such a size trough natural means. Moreover, the presence of the Secret Realm in the place of its stomach spoke volumes.

When Issei was about half-way through his trip around the beast's body, he caught sight of a figure over in the distance. Before Issei could even identify who it was, the figure suddenly rushed towards him. Its speed was so fast that the snow behind it actually burst apart, scattering in the air.

Issei widened his eyes. Just as he was about to take out Ddraig and prepare himself for a battle, he caught sight of the figure's robes.

It was Frozen Cloud Asgard's signature clothes. Icy in color, long and graceful. He could recognize it anywhere.

"Chu Yuechan?" Issei murmured to himself. Then he shook his head. "No. Judging by the size and form, it's…. Xia Qingyue!"

"Issei!"

An excited cry reached his ears. In the next moment, a blue light flashed in front of him, and his body was thrown into the ground. On top of him was Xia Qingyue. Her arms were tightly wrapped around his back, and her face pressed against his bosom.

"I… I thought you had died," she said through sobs, her voice meek and frail. Issei could tell, just by looking at her, that her body's condition was far from good. At least it wasn't nearly as healthy as it had been three days ago.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Issei tried to comfort her with as smile. However, when he remembered that it was his fault that he didn't warn her, and how she must have been desperately searching for him for the past few days, he sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't disappear again."

Xia Qingyue finally moved her head away from Issei's chest. Her face was pale and thin and her eyes puffy and blood-shot. Clearly, she had also been crying the past few days. "What… what even happened here?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"A lot of things," Issei said softly, using one his hands to caress her hair. He paused. "Why did you think I was dead?" he asked.

"When you disappeared… shortly after, I heard a roar. I started to worry. Then, when I saw you weren't coming back, I…." Xia Qingyue took in a deep breath. "I came here to search for you, but all I found was this gigantic corpse. This was also the position where the flower had been, and since I couldn't find you, I…." Xia Qingyue shook her head and smiled wryly at it.

It's said that a woman is most beautiful when under extreme emotions; either crying or extremely happy. When Issei looked at the current Xia Qingyue, he couldn't help but admit that that saying… was true.

"I'll explain it all once we get back," Issei said. He then moved his head to the sides then moved his head back to her questioningly. Xia Qingyue got the message.

Her expression flickered for a moment before she replied. "We separated to search for you," she softly said.

"Alright." Issei faintly nodded his head. From the look of things, no fights happened in his absence. Then, without an ounce of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Xia Qingyue's back, bringing her closer to him, and allowing her to continue laying for a few more moments. After all, it was clear to him that it was his fault that she suffered so much. He needed to make it up to her. Moreover, as a medic, he could also see that she was tired. Incredibly so. She needed to rest, and he knew it.

Xia Qingyue didn't resist. She let her body fall on top of his. Eventually, the exhaustion of the past few days hit her. Initially, she tried to fight against the fatigue, but under the effect of Issei's soothing words and his warmth, she gave in to her tiredness.

The last thing she saw before darkness took over her vision was Issei's warm smile. A smile so warm, so peaceful, that even the coldness of her soul was melted away in an instant, giving place to a blissful sensation.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	165. A Tyrant Profound Beast's Core

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 165 - A Tyrant Profound Beast's Core**

* * *

It was only after Xia Qingyue had fallen into a state of deep sleep that Issei got up from the ground. While holding the beautiful young woman in his arms, he continued his walk around the Tyrannical Profound Beast's body. He still had to meet with Chu Yuechan.

While walking, in order to increase Xia Qingyue's healing process, Issei activated the 'Great Way of the Chaotic Virtuous Buddha'. This time, instead of using the healing power to regenerate his own body, he channeled it into Xia Qingyue, greatly increasing her healing speed.

After a few minutes of walking, Issei spotted Chu Yuechan in the distance. She also noticed Issei but didn't rush to him like Xia Qingyue had done. She kept standing in the same place, waiting for him. As Issei wasn't in a hurry, he walked at a leisure place, and since the distance between them wasn't too great, it didn't take long for him to reach her.

"You're alive," she commented dryly once he was close enough.

Issei chuckled, unfazed by her lack of reaction. "I guess," he said.

Chu Yuechan's gaze fell on Xia Qingyue, who slept soundlessly on his arms. "So she found you first," she stoically said. Even though she tried to hide it, Issei could sense faint jealousy in her voice.

He nodded. "Yes. It wasn't even an hour ago."

"Should we head back?" Chu Yuechan asked after some thought.

"To the cave?"

Chu Yuechan gave him a curt and cold nod.

Issei nodded at her. "Then yes."

They then turned around and started their walk back to the cave. For the first few minutes, neither of them said anything. Eventually, however, Chu Yuechan couldn't hold back any longer.

She motioned her head towards the Tyrant Profound Beast's corpse. "Was it you?"

"What?" Issei asked, feigning innocence.

"Who killed the Tyrant Profound Beast," she said.

Issei shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "How?"

Issei smiled at her. "It's a secret," he said.

Chu Yuechan shot him a deathly glare, then moved her head away. Once more, silence ensued.

Then it was broken yet again by the same person not even a few minutes later.

"I… I was worried about you…" Chu Yuechan said in a low, barely audible voice.

"What did you say?" Issei asked. He wasn't faking it; he hadn't paid enough attention to hear it.

Chu Yuechan froze. After taking in a deep breath, she said, "I was worried."

"You sure don't seem like it." Issei turned his head towards her. Then he saw her lowered head and chuckled. "You have superb acting skills then."

A faint rosy hue appeared on her cheeks. She avoided his gaze by turning her head to the side. "I'm serious," she said.

"I know you are," Issei softly said, startling Chu Yuechan. When she turned her head to look at him, she found him smiling at her. "You don't need to pretend to be strong," he said. "You _are_ strong. And even those who are strong need to give in to their emotions sometimes. It's not good to hold everything in. One day, it will all get out. You definitely don't want that to happen."

"What… what are you talking about?" Chu Yuechan averted her gaze, the blush on her cheeks reddening. "I wasn't _that_ worried. Just a little."

Issei smiled. He glanced towards the lower part of her body. "Then why are your hands shaking so much?"

"What?" Chu Yuechan widened her eyes. She lowered her head to look at her hands, and just as Issei had said, they were trembling.

"See?" Issei said. "At least your body is truthful."

Chu Yuechan's faint, rosy blush deepened into a full scarlet. She opened her mouth to rebuke him, but nothing came to mind, leaving her with her mouth agape, yet with no sound. In a situation like this, she really didn't know what she should do.

"I've cried before," Issei suddenly said.

"What?" Chu Yuechan stared at Issei, puzzled. She hadn't expected those words.

"Do you remember the time after the disaster at the Heavenly Might School? When I got down on my knees and cursed the Heavens?"

Chu Yuechan nodded. She clearly remembered seeing that scene in the Primordial Azure Dragon's trial.

"What was your impression of me then?" Issei asked.

She continued to stare at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Issei sighed. He stopped walking, standing in front of her, his back facing her front. "When you saw that scene, did you think of me as weak?"

"No." Chu Yuechan shook her head decisively. "Definitely not."

"And yet I cried like a little girl," Issei said, a wry smile on his face. He raised his head to stare into the skies and sighed. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness. Neither is worrying. Only those who are truly strong can do something that is normally perceived as an act of weakness… and still be capable of standing tall and proud afterward."

He then turned his head back towards her and smiled a smile filled with melancholy. "Open up. Believe me, it feels better later."

Chu Yuechan stared at him in shock for a few moments, then lowered her head in silence. For a long time, she didn't say anything. Issei frowned. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak again, a hand flashed past his eyes, heavily slapping his face. Issei's head was thrown to the side because of the impact. In the place the hand had hit, a big, palm-sized red mark could be seen.

Shocked, Issei slowly turned his head to look at Chu Yuechan and found her staring at him with tears welling up in her eyes. She no longer looked calm and composed. At that moment, she was trembling and filled with anger.

"What's wrong with you?!" she exclaimed, her voice overflowing with all kinds of emotions. "How could you just disappear and go back to the get the flower? Didn't we agree to not pursue it? Wasn't it you who said to leave it alone?! Then why did you go back alone?!"

Issei stared dazedly at Chu Yuechan's sudden outburst, unsure of what to do. Such was his shock that he almost loosened his grasp on Xia Qingyue, whose body still rested in his arms.

Chu Yuechan continued to rebuke him through tears. "Do you know how worried I was when I realized you weren't coming back?! And what about the moment when I saw the Tyrant Profound Beast?! It's a Goddamn Tyrant Profound Beast!"

Gradually, Chu Yuechan's anger transformed into sadness and grief.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why did you go alone? I could have helped you. You could have died, and don't you dare tell me you didn't know it. A relationship is built upon trust!" She stared straight at Issei's eyes. "Why did you go alone? Do you not trust me? Why? Why?!"

Issei stared at her softly. He took in a deep breath and sighed. "I… I didn't way to put your life at risk."

"Then you shouldn't have risked yours either!" Chu Yuechan continued to rebuke him. "Why did you even go in the first place?! Is that plant that important?! So important you disregarded your own life?!"

Issei lowered his head. He had an answer for that question, but he didn't believe Chu Yuechan would like it.

Realizing that he didn't intend to answer, Chu Yuechan sighed exasperatedly. "Did you at least succeed?" she asked. "Did you get what you wanted? Or was it all for naught?"

Issei nodded. "I did."

"At least," Chu Yuechan said. Then she sighed and turned her head away. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have said so much."

"No." Issei gently shook his head to the sides. "You were right. It wasn't right of me to just go away. Just as you said, I could have died."

Chu Yuechan slowly turned her head back to him. After meaningfully staring at him, she turned her gaze away and sighed. "Just promise you won't do that again."

"I can't," Issei said. "But I can try to avoid it."

She bit her lower lip. "That's the most you can do, isn't it?"

Issei nodded his head helplessly. "Exactly."

"Then," Chu Yuechan took in a deep breath, "when this happens again, promise to take me with you. I can handle myself."

"Chu Yuechan..."

"No." She firmly shook her head. "You have to promise. I won't allow this to happen again. I need to make sure you won't lose your life for nothing."

Issei sighed. "Alright then." He stared straight into her eyes and smiled. "I promise."

Chu Yuechan nodded in satisfaction, and they continued their walk in a now pleasant silence.

Eventually, the Tyrant Profound Beast's body disappeared in the distance. If one looked closely, they would see that there was a small hole in the middle of its chest. It was missing its heart, or, since it was a Profound Beast, its core.

Issei glanced at the small orb in his hands, satisfied. "Well, that's one. Now two more to go, and I'll have all the three Tyrant Profound Beast Cores Jasmine demanded. Though it's a pity that Eggy's cultivation is too low and she can't absorb it's Source Energy..."

"You are full of mysteries," Chu Yuechan said. "A weapon that managed to so easily cut apart the hide of a Tyrant Profound Beast… I believe not even a Sovereign Profound Weapon can do it so effortlessly. Just what is that spear you used?" she asked.

When they were walking around the Tyrant Profound Beast's torso, Issei had asked her to wait for a moment. She had seen with her own two eyes as he cut a hole inside the Tyrant Profound Beast's body with a strange-looking spear, and returned back with the core in his when she considered Issei had been holding onto Xia Qingyue's body the entire time, it was clear he had barely exerted any strength to accomplish such mighty feat.

"Demon Soldier Lonely Tomb," Issei said. This time, he didn't conceal anything.

"I've never heard of it."

Issei shrugged his shoulders. "I thought as much," he said. He then concentrated a little, and the Tyrant Profound Beast's core, which had been in his hands, disappeared into the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

"Oh. I've just remembered something," Chu Yuechan suddenly said.

Issei turned his head to look at her questioningly.

"After you left, I got into a little argument with the brat," Chu Yuechan motioned towards Xia Qingyue, who soundlessly slept in Issei's arm, "and she claimed you had unsealed all of her profound entrances."

"Ah." Issei wanted his head. "I would have already mentioned it, but considering it's you, I believe you don't need my help, right?"

Chu Yuechan stared at him in shock. "So you knew?"

Issei nodded his head. "I have a keen eye for this sort of thing," he said. "Were yours opened naturally or postnatally?"

"I was born with them like that," she said. "Even in the place where I come from, it was quite unusual." She paused. "What do they call it here? Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins?"

Issei nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I presume you have also opened yours?" she asked. Then she frowned. "How do you even open all of them, anyway? According to what my master had taught me, the method of opening all of them has been lost since a long time ago."

"Well, I have opened all of mine. As for the method of opening them… well, a good medic never reveals his secrets." Issei smiled at her, purposely changing the original idiom to fit his needs. "Though, it could be said that my profound veins are quite unusual."

"Why is that?" Chu Yuechan asked. Even though she was annoyed Issei was unwilling to reveal the truth, Issei's last sentence had caught her interest.

"I have more profound entrances than usual."

"Really?" Chu Yuechan asked, interested. She had never heard of such a thing before. "How many?"

"Roughly eight hundred and sixty-four."

Chu Yuechan halted her steps, her expression flickering with shock. "Don't kid with me," she said after a while.

"I'm serious." Issei revealed an honest expression. "That should be around eight-hundred and then more than usual."

"How… how is that even possible?"

For the umpteenth time that day, Issei shrugged his shoulders. "I've got no idea."

Chu Yuechan stared at him in shock before lowering her head, shaking it to the sides, and sighing. When she raised her head to look at him, her normally cold expression displayed helplessness. "You're truly full of secrets, aren't you? How come I didn't see anything of that when looking at your memories? The three bloodlines, that weapon and that mind-blowing amount of profound entrances..."

"Most likely the owner of the trials did not reveal them intentionally," Issei lied, avoiding he knew would be a long discussion.

"Cunning," Chu Yuechan commented. She then turned her head back to the distance and caught sight of the cave they had chosen for themselves. "We're here," she said.

"Alright." Issei nodded his head, and they to cross the small distance that separated from the cave.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	166. Demon Sealing Ritual

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 166 - Demon Sealing Ritual**

* * *

In the end, Issei's group didn't find anything else within the Heaven Basin Realm. Even though they did come across some buried weapon and slightly rare medicinal plants, nothing caught their interest. Considering their background, that was to be expected.

Not even a Sky Profound Artifact, the Dragonscale Armor, had been enough to get Issei's attention. He couldn't care less for the pitiful treasures that were laid across the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

However, that didn't mean Issei didn't get them. Even if it was a miserable Elemental Profound Weapon, he would still store it away inside the Sky Poison Pearl. After all, they were all worth money. Issei may not care for them, but he wasn't the type to let those various money-making-materials laying there so other people could get them.

One time, Chu Yuechan had admonished his miser-like behavior, but when she realized Issei hadn't been paying her any attention, she gave up.

Eventually, ten days passed since they had entered the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

In the tenth day's dawn, Issei, Xia Qingyue, and Chu Yuechan found a completely empty space and sat down. It didn't take long for a gravitational force to weigh down on them. They were then thrown into in the air, after which they disappeared.

When Issei opened his eyes, he found himself sitting cross-legged on the ground. Next to him, both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan sat with their legs crossed. After confirming that both of them were alright, Issei raised his head, and what met his eyes was a gigantic structure that floated above in the sky. They were right below the entrance to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

Not too far away from the were the other groups, amongst which were Xiao Luocheng, Xiao Nan and the rest of the Xiao Sect members. When Issei saw Xiao Juetian, he frowned. The scholarly man's expression was pale and ghastly, and bloodstains could be seen on his clothes. Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi were in similar states.

Issei then turned his head towards the other side. There, the members from the Burning Heaven Clans rested. Issei's eyes widened in surprise when he caught sight of the elders and the Patriarch. One of the elders wasn't present, the other one had his left eye closed, a thick cut running across it, and the Patriarch was missing one of his arms.

He immediately understood what had happened. Ling Yuefeng, who had also just arrived, came to the same conclusion. He frowned, but didn't say anything. Since this matters didn't pertain to his Heavenly Sword Silence, he had decided to turn a blind eye to it.

Ling Yuefeng allowed everyone a few peaceful moments of silence. Then he stood up, attracting everyone's attention. He briefly glanced at those reunited before him and realized that aside from one of the Burning Heaven Clan's elders, two of the three Burning Heaven Clan disciples were missing. From what he could see, the Burning Heaven Clan suffered the most in the Heaven Basin Secret Realm.

They were also the only faction with casualties.

The Heavenly Sword Villa's Villa Master clasped his hands and forced himself to smile, despite the tense situation. "I'm glad that most of us have been able to come back safely." He paused and glanced towards the Burning Heaven Clan. "As for those that lost their lives, my Heavenly Sword Villa is willing to conduct a funeral ceremony for them. If their faction wishes, that is."

His eyes then fall on the members of the junior generation. "Soon, the Demon Sealing Ceremony, which I previously mentioned, will commence. All of you juniors are invited. However, keep in mind that it isn't obligatory. It's merely an opportunity to watch Mighty Heavenly Sword Region's Elder Ling Kun in action."

He paused. "However, before that takes place, I must ask all of you something." Ling Yuefeng's expression turned serious. "Those that entered the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, I'm certain you all heard various howls during your stay. I, along with the rest of the Heavenly Sword Villa's elder, attempted to investigate it, but we found nothing. Do any of you know what had happened?"

Everyone, including Issei and his groups, claimed to not have seen anything. Ling Yuefeng frowned, but since he had no way of finding out the truth, he let the matter go. In the end, many unusual events had taken place in the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. It would be foolish to dwell on them every time they happened.

"Very well." Ling Yuefeng solemnly nodded his head. "Those of the junior generation that wish to gaze at the Demon Sealing Ritual follow me. As for the various seniors and elders present, you may return back to your residences." He then turned around and started to walk away.

Ling Yun, along with the other two Heavenly Sword Villa's disciples, immediately stood up and followed after the Villa Master. The remaining Burning Heaven Clan disciple hesitated, but after the Burning Heaven Clan Patriarch shot him a glance, he took in a deep breath and followed after them.

Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Nan were quick to follow. On the other hand, the Frozen Cloud Asgard members all glanced at Chu Yuechan, waiting for her command.

Chu Yuechan, who had already donned her veil once more, turned her head towards Issei. "Are you going?" she whispered.

Xia Qingyue, who stood next to Issei, also looked at him.

Issei stood up and calmly nodded his head.

"Alright." Chu Yuechan turned her head back to the Frozen Cloud Asgard members. "I'll be taking Junior Xia Qingyue with me to spectate the Demon Sealing Ritual. You may all return to our residence and wait for us."

All of the Frozen Cloud Asgard members immediately stood up, and after bowing towards Chu Yuechan, they walked away. They didn't show it, but all of them were curious why their fellow disciple and the mysterious Chu Yuechan had appeared next to Issei. Some of them even believed to have seen Chu Yuechan asking Issei something but didn't dare to say it out-loud.

Chu Yuechan was an existence that even the Grand Asgard Mistress, the ultimate power in their Frozen Cloud Asgard, treated with utmost respect and reverence. They couldn't afford to offend someone like that.

While following Ling Yuefeng to the Demon Sealing Ritual's area, Issei purposefully distanced himself from Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan. He was aware that many people had taken notice of how close they were when they arrived. If they walked away from each other, their arrival could have been a mere coincidence, but if they stuck too close, it would become obvious to the onlookers that there was something going on.

Considering Xia Qingyue's and Chu Yuechan's reputations as Blue Wind's most two most beautiful women, he knew that it wouldn't be good to reveal their relationship to public yet. Only when he had enough power to avoid any all and problems that might come his way would he not care about how he acted around others.

Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue understood that. Therefore, even though both of them were rather reluctant to separate from Issei so soon, they knew that it was needed. They didn't care for their reputation of what others thought of them, but they knew that the current Issei wasn't strong enough, and it could bring him countless problems. Not only that, they knew it was only temporarily, so they tactfully distanced themselves from him.

Leading the group, Ling Yuefeng walked with his head held high. He led those behind him through various corridors until they arrived at an extremely wide area. The ceiling was unnaturally high, separated from the ground by dozens of meters. In the middle of the room, a gigantic sword was deeply embedded on the ground.

The sword was completely white in color and completely wrapped in dark, thick chains, which hanged from the ceiling. All kinds of ancient sealing runes were inscribed on the sword's surface, each of them glowing with a faint light. In the place around the area where the sword connected with the ground was a deep, seemingly bottomless crevice.

Standing next to the sword, staring into the gigantic fissure was Ling Kun, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region's elder. His expression was solemn and calm, like that of a proud and lofty expert.

Even after Ling Yuefeng had entered the room, Ling Kun didn't turn his head away from the sword. Clearly, their presence meant nothing to him. At that moment, in the entire Blue Wind Nation, Ling Kun was one of the few cultivators who could completely disregard Ling Yuefeng's presence and not suffer any consequence.

Ling Yuefeng glanced at Ling Kun and politely bowed. Then, noticing that the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region's elder showed no signs of responding, the Villa Master helplessly sighed and turned around to take a look at who had followed him.

When Ling Yuefeng caught sight of Chu Yuechan, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. He hadn't expected that the mighty Chu Yuechan would be interested in something like a Demon Sealing Ritual. Those that Ling Yuefeng had invited were the ones from the junior generation, which made Ling Yuefeng quite helpless.

Chu Yuechan was only eighteen this year. Judging by her age alone, she was of the junior generation. However, in terms of power, Ling Yuefeng was certain that she was a senior. In fact, not even he dared to claim he could defeat her.

Three years ago, she had been at the seventh level of the Sky Profound Realm. Now that three years had passed, Ling Yuefeng had no idea to see how much she had grown.

There was even a chance she had already surpassed him, which filled him with dread.

Therefore, even if he felt that Chu Yuechan had practically invited herself, he didn't dare to say anything. In the end, might makes right. In front of those of unfathomable power, the weaker ones could only comply.

Eventually, Ling Kun turned his head away from the colossal sword. He ignored those from the younger generation and directly looked at Ling Yuefeng. "Is everyone here?" he asked.

Ling Yuefeng solemnly nodded his head. "Yes."

"Then I shall start."

Ling Kun stepped back and waved his left arm down. A gust of wind sprung up, carrying everyone towards the back of his room. He didn't use too much strength, so they weren't thrown back, and only gently carried. Even Ling Yuefeng had been affected. Chu Yuechan, on the other hand, kept standing in the same place. The veil that covered her face didn't even ripple.

Ling Yuefeng, as well as Ling Kun, stared at her in surprise. She ignored both of them, turned around, and walked back to Xia Qingyue's side, completely unfazed. Ling Kun stared at her meaningfully for a few moments, then faintly shook his head, sighed, and turned his attention back to the colossal sword.

He slashed down with his arms, and the various runes embedded on the sword started to shine, while the chains that covered it rattled.

The Demon Sealing Ritual had begun!

Ling Kun's arms whipped about wildly. Wind sprung up around him in waves, his aura billowing into the skies. His expression was sent into one of deep concentration, beads of sweat trickling down his head and into the ground. Meanwhile, the colossal sword pulsated with a faint light. The chains that were wrapped around it kept growing even tighter. An overbearing aura appeared around it, weighing down on whatever was contained within that bottomless crevice.

Issei stared at it all in amusement. In his opinion, that was no Demon Sealing Ritual. As part of the League of Demon Sealers, he knew that much. He could sense that whatever was contained below that crevice wasn't a demon or anything of the sort. Issei was extremely sensitive to that sort of stuff. He could clearly sense that contained deep within that crevice… was actually a human!

"Demon Sealing Ritual…." Issei murmured to himself. For some reason, he found that name rather offending. It was as if it was mocking the league of Demon Sealers. He frowned. "Regardless of how wrong that name is, there's something else here that doesn't seem right. How come they are sealing a human?"

Eventually, the ritual finished. Nothing eventful had happened. It could be said that it had been done perfectly.

Ling Yuefeng then led the group way. Many of those present had awe-struck expressions, amazed at Ling Kun's power. Only Issei, Xia Qingyue, Chu Yuechan and a few others weren't fazed by it all. As Ling Yuefeng lead the way back, Issei continued to think that something was wrong.

"There's nothing I can do right now," Issei concluded. "But once I have enough power, I'll definitely come back here and see just what's happening."

Issei glanced one last time in the direction of the Demon Sealing Ritual's room. Then he closed his eyes and pushed all thoughts related to that to the back of his head. That was something he would deal with later. Instead of worrying about the future, he had to worry about the presence.

Once he had made his decision, Issei sighed and continued to follow after Ling Yuefeng, who lead them back to the area below where the entrance of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm had been.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	167. Proposal - Frozen Cloud Asgard

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 167 - Proposal - Frozen Cloud Asgard**

* * *

"What happens now?"

On their walk back to their residence, there was no longer anyone around them— as the Xiao Sect's and Frozen Cloud Asgard's were the only one on the Heavenly Sword Villa's leftmost area—, so Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue dropped their acting and moved closer to Issei.

"What are you talking about?" Issei asked Xia Qingyue.

Xia Qingyue sighed. "Now that all the matters related to the Profound Ranking Tournament are over, all of the clans and sects will depart in the course of the next few days. And that includes Frozen Cloud Asgard." She paused. "Do you get it now?"

Issei frowned. "You're right. As you're part of Frozen Cloud Asgard, you're supposed to go with them… as for me, I'm part of the Xiao Sect." Issei lowered his head in thought. "We just met… I don't want to separate so soon."

"Neither do I," Xia Qingyue softly said. "But we must think of something.

"Why don't you just join Frozen Cloud Asgard?"

Issei's eyes widened. He then turned his head to stare at Chu Yuechan, shocked. "What did you say?"

"You can just join us," she repeated. "Leave the Xiao Sect. It's not as if you have any deep ties with them, right? And I don't think anyone in Frozen Cloud Asgard will try to impede your entrance. After all, I'm the one inviting you."

"Wasn't it woman-only?" Issei asked.

"It _is_ woman-only," Chu Yuechan corrected. "Apparently, there hasn't been a male disciple in this country's Frozen Cloud Asgard ever since it was founded. In other words, it has always been a sect of females." Chu Yuechan paused. "However, if it's me, I can easily make an exception for you."

"This..." Issei's brows furrowed, thousands of thoughts crossing his mind. Just as Xia Qingyue had said, he indeed didn't have deep ties with the Xiao Sect. Not only that, he believed it would be much more fitting to join Frozen Cloud Asgard, considering both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan lived there, and he had been in need of a water-related cultivation skill ever since he absorbed the Water Seed a few days previous.

However, Issei couldn't make a decision just yet. Although he didn't care much for appearances, not even he believed it would look good if he just left the Xiao Sect just like that. After all, he had been living there for the past few months and had made use of their resources. Even the higher echelons had already placed a deep importance on him.

Even if Issei was heartless, he wasn't capable of crushing their dreams with no apparent rhyme or reason. There was a certain limit to how shameless he could be.

Chu Yuechan noticed his inner struggle. Instead of insisting on that matter, she softly sighed, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "I'll give you some time to decide. Regardless of what you chose, I'll support you. Just remember that my Frozen Cloud Asgard shall depart in two days, so you must give me an answer before then."

Issei gently nodded his head.

"But what if you can't?" Xia Qingyue asked, worried. "What would happen if you decide not to leave the Xiao Sect?"

Chu Yuechan shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I would leave Frozen Cloud Asgard."

"You would?" Xia Qingyue widened her eyes, surprised. "But I thought it was important to you."

"The only reason I'm still there is because I can't be bothered to go anywhere else," Chu Yuechan said. "Truth be told; I don't have any obligation to stay there. Not only that, my presence is far from appreciated."

She turned her head towards Issei. "I'll be waiting for your answer." Then she turned around and started walking in the direction of Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyard.

"I should be going too." Xia Qingyue sighed. "If I took too long, they would start worrying, even more so when considering Chu Yuechan would have already arrived."

Issei smiled at her. "Alright. See you soon."

Xia Qingyuebeamed at him. "Sooner than you think," she said. Then she threw herself into his arms and softly pecked him on the lips. Following that, she turned around, and after waving at Issei while blushing, rushed back to her courtyard. In the way, she looked back at him a few times, as if still unwilling to part.

Once she was out of sight, Issei turned around and continued his walk back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard.

"That girl is too clingy," Eggy commented, annoyed. "I don't like her."

Issei couldn't help but smile. "Look who's talking."

"I'm not _that_ clingy!" Eggy tried to defend herself, indignant. Then, before Issei could answer, she paused. "Well, maybe I am, but I have more right to be like that. I have known you the longest!"

"Not exactly." Issei shook his head. "Don't you remember? I met Xia Mei before you. Out of all the girls, she's the one who has known me for the longest time."

"And I'm his Master!" Feng Xinyi suddenly exclaimed, cheerfully entering into their conversation. "Isn't that right, Darling?"

Issei sighed. "I guess."

Feng Xinyi pursed her lips, resisting the urge to appear in the real world. "What's with that unmotivated response?" she asked.

"I'm just tired..."

This time, it was Eggy's turn to intrude. "Of what? Spending the entire time with other women?"

Sensing the sheer jealousy on her voice, Issei frowned. "Eggy, we have discussed this already."

"I know." Eggy nodded her head. "I won't do anything, but that doesn't mean I have to like them. It's just unfair! They get to spend the entire time with you, whereas I can only be with you in this damnable World Spirit Space! Issei, get to the Blue Cloak already! I want to go out!"

"Alright, alright. I promise to get to that level as soon as possible."

"Then what about my Spirit Source?" Eggy asked. "Either kill some people or visit a graveyard already! I'm a World Spirit! I need Spirit Source to live!"

Upon hearing Eggy's words, Issei frowned. Indeed, it had been a long time since he had last killed, which was in the Divine Fire Realm. Not only that, Eggy was asleep back then, so even though Issei had absorbed the Golden Crow Soldier's Spirit Source, it was all used up in the process of improving Eggy's condition. Therefore, it could be said that it had been almost three years since Eggy last absorbed Spirit Source.

It could be said that Issei was a failure as a World Spiritist. Despite being trained by Liang Ye, an unfathomable expert with astonishing World Spiritist powers, he was still a White-cloak World Spirit. Not only that, he had been neglecting his very own World Spirit.

If other World Spiritists got wind of that, they would definitely curse Issei to death.

"I'll find some chance to kill someone later," Issei said. "But you know that at the moment, my options are rather limited. Killing others here won't be easy. Wait for me to get away from here, and I'll find some despicable bastard that's better off dead to kill."

"As long as you understand, everything is fine."

Issei nodded and continued his walk back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard.

When he finally arrived, he first greeted the Patriarch, then immediately rushed to Xia Mei's room, finding her sitting cross-legged on top of her bed. Xiao Nan, who had been cultivating on the other bed, silently left the moment Issei entered, escaping into her Master's room.

Xiao Nan may be bashful, but she wasn't oblivious. She knew the relationship between Issei and Xia Mei. Because of that, the shy and timid girl left the room in order to give them some space.

As for Xia Mei, she didn't seem to notice Issei's arrival. It was only ten minutes after Issei had arrived that she opened her eyes and caught sight of him. Her two big, clear and crystal-like eyes widened in surprise.

"Issei, you're back!"

The young woman then jumped out of her bed and threw herself on top of Issei. Her slender arms tightly wrapped around his neck, her body pressing close to his. Then she raised her head and passionately kissed him on the lips.

Issei returned the kiss with the same amount of ardor. They only separated when Xia Mei pulled her head back to breathe.

"I missed you," she said.

Issei smiled. "I missed you too."

He then brought her back to the bed, and carefully laid her down. He sat down on the bed, right next to her body, and gently caressed her head, pulling back the strands that covered her face. His expression was one of concern.

"How have you been?" he softly asked.

Xia Mei's expression froze. "What do you mean?"

Issei sighed. "You know what I'm talking about."

She hesitated. "It… it hasn't stopped. In fact, it's only getting worse," she eventually admitted. Just a few seconds before, she had tried to hide the aftereffects of the constant burst of pains she would feel by kissing him by surprise, but she hadn't been able to fool Issei's trained eyes.

Issei frowned. He placed his hand on the area under her chest and softly pressed on it. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "How much is a little?"

"In a scale of one to ten?"

Issei nodded his head.

"Three."

Issei's brows furrowed even further. Even if he didn't know the specifics about the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins, he didn't believe it was supposed to hurt this much.

"Jasmine, what do you think?" Issei asked.

"This princess isn't sure either," Jasmine admitted. "As I told you before, the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins are extremely rare. This girl's case is even more special, as she's a woman. Throughout history, I believe the amount of woman with Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins can be counted on one hand. Not even this princess knows anything about that."

Issei sighed. Just as he was about to thank her, he heard Jasmine speak again.

"However, if you ask this princess, then I must admit that this situation seems quite uncommon," she said. "From the cases of Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins recorded in history that I read about, I can say with almost certainty that it isn't such a painful process. If anything, the awakening is extremely overbearing and puts a lot of strain in the person's body. However, there weren't any mentions of pain on the records."

Issei slowly digested that new piece of information in silence. Then he sighed and nodded his head. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Jasmine coldly harrumphed. "This princess told you because she wanted. What are you saying 'thank you' for?" she asked. "Anyways, don't disturb this princess for the next few days. This princess shall now enter an important phase of her recovery."

Issei nodded his head and turned his attention back to Xia Mei, who stared at him expectantly. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do," he said. "Considering what you have isn't an illness or even a curse, I have no way to deal with it."

Xia Mei forced a smile. "Don't worry," she softly said. "As long you're by my side, everything's fine. Since you said that it'll eventually pass, I'll believe in you and resist it."

Issei couldn't help but smile. "I promise that once this is over, you'll believe it to have been worth it," he said. "I can't tell you much right now, but you've always believed that your sister was more talented than you, right?"

Xia Mei nodded her head, somewhat confused.

"Then I promise that after the pain passes, your talent… will be no lesser than hers!"

"Really?!" Xia Mei exclaimed, her face full of joy and shock.

She had always known that the biggest difference between she and Issei was the large difference in power between them. She believed that as long as it could be surpassed, they would be able to truly be together. Even though they had already almost settled their relationship, she wanted to go even further.

Originally, Xia Mei had believed that to be an impossible dream, but if Issei's words were truly correct… then it wouldn't be a far-fetched thought any longer!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	168. Kidnapped

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 168 - Kidnapped**

* * *

Two days later, the early sun found Issei walking across long corridors, heading towards a certain area. After two turns left, one turn right and walking in a straight line for over two minutes, he arrived in front of Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyard.

Outside, Chu Yuechan was already waiting for him. Not too far away, Xia Qingyue sat on the ground, her eyes closed in meditation.

Chu Yuechan's eyes flickered with joy when she saw him. "Issei," she smiled at him, "have you decided?"

Xia Qingyue immediately opened her eyes upon hearing Chu Yuechan's words. Seeing that Issei had indeed arrived, she smiled and stood up, rushing forward to greet him.

"Issei!" she joyfully exclaimed, wrapping her arms around on his own. She raised her head and stared straight into Issei's eyes, her own, clear eyes shining. "So? Did you decide?" she asked.

Issei smiled, then nodded. "I have," he said. "I'll be going with you."

Chu Yuechan took a step forward and smiled. Her eyes, on the other hand, flickered with concern. "Even if I believe that to be the best decision, I still must ask you if you're certain of it." She frowned. "Isn't there a possibility of the Patriarch—I think his name was Xiao Juetian—stopping you?"

"Not necessarily," Issei shook his head, "I already talked it through with him. He'll allow me to head over to Frozen Cloud Asgard under the condition that my status as a Xiao Sect disciple is kept, and I'll be representing them on tournaments or conferences, and not Frozen Cloud Asgard."

Chu Yuechan frowned. "Wasn't that too easy?" she asked.

Xia Qingyue also looked puzzled.

"Well, I did give him a good reason." Issei smiled mysteriously. "As a matter of fact, after I explained it to him, even if I didn't to go, he'd be forcing me to move over to Frozen Cloud Asgard."

"And what is it?"

Issei smiled. He leisurely raised his free arm and stretched it out in front of him. In the palm of his hand, a small body of water appeared. Above it was a thick fog, and next to it was a shard of ice.

Chu Yuechan widened her eyes, while Xia Qingyue stared at Issei's hand in shock.

"Water manifestation?" Chu Yuechan murmured. She slowly raised her head to look at Issei. "Since when do you know any water-attributed cultivation skills?" she asked.

Issei's smirk widened. "I don't."

"Then… doesn't this mean..." Chu Yuechan widened her eyes in a mix of shock and disbelief. "That you're directly condensing spiritual power into water? Without any medium?"

"Precisely."

"But… how is this possible?!" Chu Yuechan continued to stare at Issei, disbelief apparent in her features. "Natural water manifestation is something that only those with an extreme affinity with water can do. And yet… your affinity with fire is already mind-blowing! It's impossible to have an extreme affinity towards both water and fire!"

"I'm an exception," Issei said. He paused. "Now, can you guess why the Patriarch allowed me to go to Frozen Cloud Asgard?"

Xia Qingyue, who wasn't nearly as a surprised as Chu Yuechan, nodded her head. "It's so you can learn our Frozen End Arts, right? Or at least something similar."

"Exactly."

"Wait!" Chu Yuechan exclaimed, staring at Xia Qingyue. "Why do you not seem surprised? Did you already know about his dual affinity beforehand?"

"No," Xia Qingyue said. "But Issei is Issei. Common sense doesn't apply to him."

Issei stared at Xia Qingyue in shock. "What?"

"Did I say something wrong?" Xia Qingyue asked innocently.

Issei wanted to say that she had, but upon thinking again, he had to admit that indeed, she was correct. His life was full of moments that would have normally been impossible. It could be said that his very existence was an impossibility.

It wasn't wrong of Xia Qingyue to think that way.

"She knows what she's talking about," Eggy commented. "You're truly something else, Issei."

"Of course! He's my darling and my disciple, after all!" Feng Xinyi proudly claimed. Ever since Issei had given her permission to call him 'darling' and accepted her as his master, she had been flaunting it whenever she could.

Issei dryly chuckled, a wry smile on his face. He then turned his head back to Chu Yuechan, who continued to stare at his hand in a daze. "Anyways," he said, "it's just as Qingyue said, the reason why Xiao Juetian allowed me to go to Frozen Cloud Asgard was because I'd be able to learn ice-attributed cultivation skills." He smiled at her. "Would it be possible for me to learn the Frozen End Arts?"

"Absolutely not!" Chu Yuechan declared, snapping out of her daze.

Issei stared at her blankly, startled. He didn't think she would actually refuse. Xia Qingyue was just as puzzled as him. Considering Chu Yuechan's status, she could easily arrange for him to learn it. As a matter of fact, Chu Yuechan could teach it to him herself. Even Xia Qingyue could do it.

"Why?" he asked, puzzled.

"Learn that crappy thing?" Chu Yuechan humphed. "As if I'd let you learn that kind of trash. Considering your affinity with water, having you learn the Frozen End Arts will be a complete waste!" Reaching that point, she proudly puffed up her bountiful chest. Her large, plentiful bosom practically burst out of her robes. "Instead of that crappy, trashy Frozen End Art, I'll teach you the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon'!"

Before Issei could reply, Jasmine, who supposedly was in a critical state of dealing with the Absolute God Slaying Poison, suddenly opened her eyes. "Issei!" she exclaimed. "No matter what, don't let this opportunity go! You must absolutely learn that!"

Startled by Jasmine's cry, all that Issei could manage to say was: "What?"

Chu Yuechan's proud smile widened. "The 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon', as I mentioned back in the Heaven Basin Secret Realm, is the originator of the Frozen End Arts. However, they can't even be compared. Not even ten thousands of Frozen End Arts could compare to one ten-thousandth of the 'Ice Phoenix Investiture Cannon'! Not even the difference between Heaven and Earth can suffice to demonstrate how large the gap between them is!"

She then took in a deep breath. Her eyes practically sparkled as she stared at Issei. "So? What do you think? Should I start teaching your right now?"

"Calm down for a moment," Issei said, still taken aback. He could clearly see the immense proudness that shone within Chu Yuechan's eyes. It was clear that the words she had said came from the bottom of her heart. Towards the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon', she held utmost faith and fervor.

"What?" Chu Yuechan asked, slightly annoyed. Once the thought of teaching Issei had entered her mind, it wouldn't go out. The cultivation skill she loved the most in the world—the one she considered to be the most beautiful and sublime—, and the man she loved more than anything; she believed that if she could get the two of them together, it would be absolutely perfect.

Not only would she be able to personally teach Issei, she would be able to see him using the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon'! She couldn't wait to see how amazing and powerful he would be.

"What's this 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon'?" Issei asked. "Aside from being the predecessor of the Frozen End Arts, I mean."

A bright light flickered across Chu Yuechan's eyes. "The 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon' is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the most powerful ice-attributed cultivation skills in existence, if not the most powerful! It covers every area, ranging from defensive and offensive abilities, domains, area attacks, all the way to healing abilities! It's absolutely tyrannical, and dominates the battlefield! My Snow Song Realm Sect became incredibly strong just because of it!"

"Snow Song Realm Sect?" Xia Qingyue stared at Chu Yuechan in puzzlement. "What's that? Could it be the mysterious, unfathomable (Sect?) the Asgard Mistress said you came from?

Chu Yuechan's expression immediately changed the moment Xia Qingyue spoke. She stared at the girl, whose age was only lesser than her by two years, in coldness. "Why do you want to know? It won't change anything to you." She then turned her head back to Issei and brightly smiled. "Oh! You probably don't know what the Snow Song Realm is! Should I explain it to you?"

Bewildered and stunned, Issei could only wryly smile in response to Chu Yuechan's words. He could clearly see what she was planning, but if he claimed to already know what the 'Snow Song Realm' was, she would definitely think that he was hiding something. At that moment, Issei already had far too many things to handle; he definitely didn't want more troubles coming his way.

Chu Yuechan's sudden memory loss was nothing short of a blessing. Issei knew how dangerous his secrets were. If Chu Yuechan knew them, and one of Issei's enemy got wind of it, the result wouldn't be pretty. When it came to secrets, it would be better to not let the girls know his.

Just as Issei was about to open his mouth to answer, he heard Xiao Luocheng's voice, coming from the corridors behind him.

"Issei?! Where the hell are you?!"

Immediately, both Xia Qingyue's and Chu Yuechan's expression froze. The younger woman quickly released Issei's arms and took a few steps back, her eyes narrowing and her signature, icy aura and bearing coming back to life. Chu Yuechan suffered the exact same changes, but in her eyes, aside from the icy aura, mock and scorn appeared.

In the next moment, Xiao Luocheng rushed into Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyards. Surprisingly, he ignored both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan and rushed towards Issei.

"Trouble!" the silver-haired young man exclaimed. "Xia Mei went missing!"

Issei widened his eyes. "What?"

"I'll tell you on the way!" he said. "We need to head back to the Xiao Sect's courtyard right now!"

He didn't wait for Issei's answer. Before Issei could even reply, he had already rushed back into the corridor.

A cold light flashed across Issei's eyes. "I'll be back shortly," he said. Then he turned around and disappeared into the corridor, his heart fiercely beating against his chest.

"Xia Mei?" Chu Yuechan murmured. "Who's she?"

"My sister," Xia Qingyue said.

"Oh? Aren't you concerned then?" Chu Yuechan asked plainly. There wasn't even an ounce of empathy on her voice. "Your sister apparently disappeared."

"What's there to worry about?" Xia Qingyue sighed, then shrugged her shoulders. "Did you see Issei's expression? Even if God or Buddha had been behind her disappearance, I dare say that she'll be back safe and sound soon enough. You know how he is."

Chu Yuechan merely nodded. Then she turned and walked back to her residence. She believed that with Issei's power and status, this matter would be resolved soon enough. Xia Qingyue was right. Even if it had been the Heavens itself who had captured her, if she was truly important to Issei, then not even the Heavens itself would live to see the next day.

"I should probably start preparing," she murmured. "Since I'll be teaching Issei the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon', I need to prepare the ritual."

At the same time, Issei rushed through the corridors, employing his fastest speed to arrive at the Xiao Sect. When he finally arrived, he saw Xiao Juetian outside the main building, frowning.

"What's the situation?" Issei rushed over to the Xiao Sect's Patriarch and asked. "Did Mei really disappear?"

Xiao Juetian nodded his head. "Sadly, yes."

"Who was it? Do you know?"

"Yes," Xiao Juetian said. "The one who kidnapped her… was the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch, Fen Duanhun!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	169. Burning Down the Burning Heaven Clan

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 169 - Burning Down the Burning Heaven Clan**

* * *

An icy, deadly area suddenly condensed around Issei. The temperature plummeted as if signalizing the descent of a Death God.

"What… did you say?" Issei asked, his eyes cold. He spoke slowly, word after word. "The Burning Heaven Clan… kidnapped... Xia Mei?"

Xiao Juetian solemnly nodded his head. "When I came back, she was already gone. At the time, all of us Xiao Sect members were talking with Ling Yuefeng. By the time we arrived, all that was left in her room was a jade-slip."

The Xiao Sect's Patriarch handed Issei a small, amber-colored piece of jade. "This one," he said.

Issei coldly stared at it, then sent his spiritual power inside. In the following moment, he heard Feng Duanhun's deep and cold voice. "We've got the girl," Issei heard. "We know she's precious to the little demon. If you want her back, hand over the Dragonscale Armor."

"Dragonscale Armor," Issei murmured darkly, his head held low. "They capture her… for the Dragonscale Armor..." He then raised his head to stare at Xiao Juetian.

"Issei, about this… I can't personally take her back," Xiao Juetian said, then sighed. "Considering my status as the Patriarch, I can't go there. This would start an entire war between the Xiao Sect and the Burning Heaven Clan. Even if my Xiao Sect is powerful, the Burning Heaven Clan has thousands of years of foundations. We wouldn't lose in a fight against them, but we would have to pay a steep price. And that's something we can't afford. They know that. That's why they acted."

Xiao Juetian then handed Issei a small, inconspicuous Cosmos Sack. "The Dragonscale Armor is here," he said. "In about one hour, we'll depart to the Burning Heaven Clan and exchange it. Even if it's a Sky Profound Artifact, it's still yours, and I'm sure—"

"Patriarch," Issei interrupted. "There's no need."

"What?" Xiao Juetian looked puzzled. "Then what will you do?"

Issei closed his eyes and deeply pondered over his options. Eventually, he turned around and started walking away in silence.

Mid-way through his walk, Issei halted his steps. "Patriarch, I'll be going to the Burning Heaven Clan right now. After I get Mei back, I'll immediately head over to Frozen Cloud Asgard. Say goodbye to the others for me. I don't know when we'll see each other again."

"Issei… are you sure?" Xiao Juetian asked, concern and shock flashing in his scholarly face. "It's the Burning Heaven Clan! No matter how powerful you are, you shouldn't be able to defeat all of them, right? There's also that old monster there..."

A cold, vicious smile bloomed on Issei's face. At the same time, the temperature dropped even further. "I'll make their name a reality," Issei said. His head slightly turned towards Xiao Juetian, revealing his deadly, murderous smile. "I won't defeat them. I'll make the Burning Heaven Sect… _burn_!"

Issei then left the Xiao Sect's courtyard and once again stepped inside the corridors that connected the Heavenly Sword Villa together. This time, he didn't rush. He walked slow, steady steps. The aura around him grew even colder and deadlier, demonic even.

When Issei arrived at Frozen Cloud Asgard's courtyard, he didn't stop and directly walked to the main building. Before he could open the door, Chu Yuechan appeared in front of the doorstep. The moment she caught sight of his murderous aura, she frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'll need your help," Issei said plainly. "I need to reach the Burning Heaven Clan. The sooner, the better."

She immediately understood what had happened. "So turns out it was them..." she muttered to herself. Then she stopped to think, and eventually nodded her head. "Alright. I'll take you there."

Issei stepped to the side, and she walked out of the doorway, then heading towards the small pond. Issei watched in silence as she waved her hand. A small piece of jade flew out from her sleeve and landed on the pond. It then absorbed the water, after which it transformed into an azure-colored cloud.

She jumped into the cloud, soon followed by Issei. They rose into the air, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared into the distance.

"What's the plan?" Chu Yuechan asked as they whistled through the air.

Issei closed his eyes. "You take me there. Wait by the entrance for the around one hour. I'll come back with Xia Mei. Then we go to Frozen Cloud Asgard."

Chu Yuechan raised a brow. "You don't need my help?"

"I'm more than enough."

"They have an Emperor Profound Realm powerhouse."

"In a few hours, that will no longer be the case," Issei said plainly.

"But—"

Issei opened his eyes and gave Chu Yuechan a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," he said. "If worse comes to worst, I'll call you."

Satisfied with his answer, Chu Yuechan finally complied. "Then it's fine." She suddenly paused. "You mentioned going back to Frozen Cloud Asgard… does this mean that after you finish with the Burning Heaven Clan, you'll immediately move to Frozen Cloud?"

Issei nodded. "I've already talked with Xiao Juetian."

"Then I'll inform the others to go without me," she said. She then closed her eyes, and sent a message through spiritual power to the other Frozen Cloud Asgard members that she had something to take care of, and would head back to Frozen Cloud Asgard later. They were ordered to immediately depart.

After sending the message, Chu Yuechan made a few attempts to start a conversation with Issei, but it soon became clear to her that Issei wasn't in a mood for talking. In the end, she sighed and moved closer to Issei, resting her head on his shoulder.

Together they whistled through the air, getting closer to the Burning Heaven Clan with each passing second.

…

"We're here."

All of a sudden, Chu Yuechan opened her eyes and waved her hand. The cloud immediately came to a stop. Soon after, Issei stood up from his cross-legged position. From his estimation, it had taken less than half an hour to go from the Heavenly Sword Villa to the Burning Heaven Clan.

He had made the correct decision in asking for Chu Yuechan's help. He believed that in the entire Blue Wind Nation, there wasn't a treasure that could possibly compete with her azure cloud in terms of speed.

"Where are we, exactly?" Issei asked.

"Less than half a mile away from the Burning Heaven Clan's entrance."

Issei nodded. "Alright. Land it."

Chu Yuechan waved her hand down, and the azure cloud began its descent. In a matter of seconds, they reached a height of only a few feet away from the ground. Issei took that opportunity to jump off the cloud. "Wait for me here," he said to Chu Yuechan. "I'll be back shortly."

He then turned around and rushed into the distance. Chu Yuechan hadn't told him the correct direction, but because of the presence of the Fire Seed, he could sense placed with deep concentration of fire-attributed spiritual power. Obviously, the Burning Heaven Clan was one of such places.

The half a mile worth of distance was crossed in the blink of an eye. In front of Issei, a large, colossal gate appeared. There weren't any walls surrounding it, but Issei could see a tough and strong Spirit Formation covering the surrounding areas.

Near the gate, five Burning Heaven Clan disciples stood guard.

When they saw Issei rushing towards them, one of them stepped forward and lifted his arm. "Stop!" he ordered. "This is the Burning Heaven Clan! Identify yourself first!"

Alas, Issei had no intention of doing that. He continued running towards them without any decrease in speed, surprising the five Burning Heaven Clan disciples who stood by the gate.

"Who's this person?" one of them muttered, a derisive smile on his face. "Is there really someone foolish enough to think they can just barge into the Burning Heaven Clan?!"

"Stop right now!" The same disciple who had ordered Issei to stop repeated the same order. At the same time, he took out a crimson sword from his Cosmos Sack. "If you don't, I'll be forced to deal with you."

Issei coldly snorted. He turned his head to stare at the Burning Heaven Clan disciple. All of a sudden, the same Burning Heaven Clan disciple coughed up (blood?), startling the other disciples. His eyes then rolled over and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Before the others could react, Issei glanced at each and every one of them. One after another, they fell to the ground, all of them unconscious.

If one looked closely, they would see that a vortex could be seen in each of Issei's eyes.

"Eggy, you said you needed Source Energy, right?"

In the World Spirit Space, Eggy slowly nodded hear head. "Yeah. Why?"

"How does an entire clan sound?" Issei seriously asked.

Eggy's clear, crystal eyes widened in disbelief. In the following moment, greed flashed in them. She licked her scarlet lips. "Delicious!" she joyfully exclaimed.

"Then prepare yourself," Issei said. "You're in for a feast."

After he finished speaking, a small flame appeared on the palm of his left hand. The scarlet flame then divided into five parts, which then flew into the air, each of them falling on the body of a Burning Heaven Clan disciple. Shortly after, their unconscious bodies turned into charred corpses.

In the World Spirit Space, Eggy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. At the same time, in the outside world, a faint light flashed from the corpses of the Burning Heaven Clan disciples. Those lights then flew out of them and into Issei. They directly passed through his sea of consciousness, whereupon entering his World Spirit Space. Eggy then did a grasping motion with her hand, and they were all absorbed into her.

Her cultivation base, which had laid dormant and stagnant for a long period of time, finally showed signs of awakening.

"Are you going to kill them all?" Eggy asked, curious.

"Yes," Issei said as he rushed through the gate, stepping into the Burning Heaven Clan. He paused, glanced in all four directions, before rushing towards the west.

"Even the outer disciples?"

Once more, Issei nodded. "When eliminating a sect or clan, even the most insignificant disciples need to be dealt with. Otherwise, they would only come back in the future as trouble. When plucking a weed, it needs to be cut down to its very roots."

"But why kill all of them? Is there a need to eliminate the entire sect?" Eggy asked. It wasn't that she disapproved of Issei's behavior; she simply wanted to know his reasons.

"The Burning Heaven Clan and the Xiao Sect have always been enemies." Issei rushed into the Burning Heaven Clan's inner disciple area while speaking with Eggy. He waved his hands, and a fireball made of Phoenix Flames flew out, landing on a house. "A war would happen between them sooner or later," he continued speaking calmly. "Not only that, they dared to kidnap Xia Mei, which means that they already harbor enough enmity towards me. Finally, you need Source Energy. In the end, erasing the Burning Heaven Clan off the map is the most logical course of action. In the world of cultivation, there's no pity or mercy. Ruthlessness is all there is." Issei paused and bitterly smiled. "In the end, I've already grown numb to killing. In this dog-eat-dog world, where you are killed if you don't kill, all you can do is to adapt and survive."

Eggy went silent. Shortly after, she nodded her head. A gleeful smile bloomed on her face. "Fair enough," she said. "As long as I get my Source Energy, everything's fine."

Issei solemnly nodded his head. Around him, all of the various houses burned. Charred corpses littered the ground, and many other disciples ran around, their bodies burning.

He frowned. With a wave of his hand, all of the burning disciples burst into flames. Even though he was killing them, Issei saw no reason for them to suffer a painful death. At the very least, it would be better if they died painlessly.

Issei then clenched his right hand, and the numerous stands of Source Energy flew out from the corpses, rushing into Issei's body. In the World Spirit Space, Eggy absorbed it all with a pleased expression on her face.

After everyone in that area had been killed, Issei went to another one. The exact same scene took place. Fast and ruthless, he gave all of the Burning Heaven Clan disciples he could find a painless death.

As Issei slaughtered his way into the Burning Heaven Clan, he felt a powerful and overbearing aura lock onto him. Instead of stopping, Issei increased the intensity of his slaughter. Heads flew, bodies burned and blood stains covered the ground.

That was… the massacre of the Burning Heaven Clan!

The Burning Heaven Sect... was literally _burning!_

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	170. The Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 170 - The Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor**

* * *

"What?! What's happening?!"

The Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch stood up from his seat, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. In front of him, a Burning Heaven Clan inner disciple had his head lowered. His whole body trembled in fear.

"Patriarch… a young man just trespassed into the clan… and started killing all of the clan members..." he said weakly.

Fen Duanhun's eyes narrowed. Realization had hit him. "A young man… could it be… Issei?!"

He then closed his eyes and sent his spiritual power out. He immediately locked onto a powerful energy signature near the outer disciple area. Fen Duanhun could sense the tyrannical, overbearing pressure it emanated.

Fen Duanhun knitted his brows together when he noticed Issei didn't show any signs of stopping, even after sensing his aura. All of a sudden, the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch threw his head back and laughed uproariously, almost shocking the poor inner disciple to death.

"To think he dared to come all the way her! Alone, even!" Fen Duanhun abruptly stopped laughing, his eyes flickered with a dark, cruel glint. "If he thinks he can slaughter my Burning Heaven Clan, then he's dead wrong!"

The Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch then flew into the air, rushing out of the Burning Heaven Clan's headquarters. Next to him, various Burning Heaven Clan elders appeared in the air. All of them held weapons in their hands, most of which swords.

"Where's the girl?" Fen Duanhun turned his head towards one of them and asked.

"She's currently being held captive in the underground dungeon," the elder bowed answered.

"Keep her there," Fen Duanhun said. "In a while, I'll personally bring her the kid's head! Let's see the bitch's face of despair then!"

After boldly saying those words, Fen Duanhun shot higher into the air, flying in Issei's direction. He completely employed his cultivation base, causing the air to cackle and sparks to form. Against someone like Issei, he wouldn't hold back at all. With each second that passed, more of his clan members would die.

Issei, who had been in the midst of slaughtering what remained of the outer disciples, suddenly froze in place. He raised his head to stare at the skies, and a cold and dark smile appeared on his face.

"I had thought I would have to slaughter my way through to get to you," Issei murmured, his eyes distant. "But who would have thought you would be kind enough to save me the trouble and deliver yourselves to me?"

Issei then chuckled darkly and continued to slaughter the outer disciples, temporarily ignoring the Burning Heaven Clan members that were currently rushing his way. With a wave of his hands, countless lives would be ended.

As Issei killed his way around the Burning Heaven Clan, he slowly came to the conclusion that although it wasn't as massive as the Xiao Sect, it was still considerably big. Even though he had already gone through more than ten outer disciple's areas, there were still many others remaining.

He was sure that with the way things were going, Eggy's cultivation base would be greatly increased once he finished his slaughter.

Just as Issei was about to kill the last remaining disciple of this area, who had managed to escape from the deadly Golden Crow Flames, countless red-colored beams of light flashed in the skies above them. Issei immediately jumped back in retreat. In the next instant, a flaming sword fell down, creating a deep fissure in the place he had just been at.

Issei raised his head towards the skies and coldly smiled. "Took you long enough," he said.

Fen Duanhun didn't bother with empty words or haughty threats. When he saw the hundreds of corpses that laid on the ground next to Issei, his eyes went red with anger. Even though he had already been informed of Issei killing the outer disciples, he hadn't thought Issei would be so thorough in his slaughter.

"Die!" Fen Duanhun exclaimed. A crimson-colored sword appeared in his hand, which he then slashed down towards Issei. A half-moon, colossal arc made out fire formed out of spiritual power, cutting through the air towards Issei.

"Burning Heaven Arts—Descending Fire Blade!"

At the same time, the other elders all struck out with martial skills of their own. Even though they believed someone like Issei was far from enough to take their Patriarch's attack head on, they didn't want to take any chances.

They planned on getting rid of Issei once and for all.

Not only would this be a way of getting revenge for their dead fellow clan members, this would be a huge blow to the Xiao Sect, who would lose a superb genius.

Issei didn't panic, nor did he even reveal any hint of fear. He stood in place, coldly watching as all kinds of fire attacks rained upon him. He could see fire phoenix, fire dragons, fire arcs, as well as all kinds of powerful martial skills.

He did nothing to counterattack. He simply stood in the same place, allowing the dozens of attacks to impact on his body without any restraint. After all, he had fused with the Evil God's Fire Seed! It could be said that he was impervious to any and all kinds of fire attacks!

The area around Issei was quickly submerged in a sea of flames. The mighty, powerful flames billowed up into the skies, emanating a terrifying aura.

As Fen Duanhun stared at the endless sea of flames, he solemnly nodded to himself. He was certain that even if the Ancestor of the Burning Heaven Clan received such an attack, he wouldn't be able to come out unharmed, never mind Issei. To him, it was clear that regardless of how much of a genius Issei was, he wouldn't have been able to live through that.

Little did Fen Duanhun know that he was in for a rude awakening.

He could only watch in shock as the ocean of flames disappeared all of a sudden, revealing a patch of land charred black. In the middle of it all, Issei stood in the same place he had been before, the same cold smile on his face. His appearance was the exact same as before; it was as if the flames hadn't affected him in the least!

Issei stared straight into Fen Duanhun's eyes.

"Is that all you've got?" he coolly asked.

"How?!" Fen Duanhun cried out in disbelief, but before he could say anything else, Issei disappeared right before his eyes. In the next moment, a cold, dark voice reach his ears.

"You're better off not knowing."

Issei then struck out with his palm, hitting Fen Duanhun in the back. A muffled sound rang out, and the Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch was sent crashing towards the ground. Upon contact, a deep crater formed.

The Burning Heaven Clan Elders reacted quickly. Half of them flew them to check on the Patriarch, while the other half rushed towards Issei.

Alas, they were simply rushing towards their death.

All that the ones who rushed to Issei saw was a flash of gold, and in the next moment, they fell down from the skies, their lifeless bodies charred black. Some of them were burned until only their bones remained.

On Issei's hand, two flames danced. One of them scarlet, the other golden. Within Issei's eyes, cold ruthlessness flickered.

His body then vanished from the skies, appearing right next to the crater, behind one of the Burning Heaven Clan Elders. He struck out with his hand, punching a hole through the Elder's heart. In the following moment, the Burning Heaven Clan elder's body burst into ashes.

Issei withdrew his hand and used the Star God's Broken Shadow to appear next to another Elder's body. This Elder, who had seen his comrade being killed, tried his hardest to block Issei's attack, but failed. Issei's arm effortlessly pierced through the flame barrier that had formed around the Elder and grabbed hold of his head. He then activated the Golden Crow Flames, and the Burning Heaven Clan Elder's body erupted in flames.

By this point, Fen Duanhun had already flown out of the crater. When he saw what had happened outside, his eyes widened in disbelief. In the five seconds he had been in the crater, out of all the original twenty elders, thirteen of them were killed.

And, right before his eyes, he witnessed as Issei appeared next to another one, and quickly ended his life.

Now, only six elders remained.

Fen Duanhun almost flew down from the skies out of shock. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined Issei was this powerful!

The Burning Heaven Clan's Patriarch took in a deep breath. Then he raised his head towards the skies and roared. "Ancestor, save us!"

The moment he said those words, in a location hidden deep within the Burning Heaven Clan, an old man with a head full of white hair opened his eyes. An ancient aura rolled off his body in waves, and with every breath he took, sparks would fill the air.

He was the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor, one of Blue Wind Nation's Emperor Profound Realm powerhouses!

"Who dares… to wreak havoc… in my Burning Heaven Clan?!"

The Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor stood up from his cross-legged position. From his old and emaciated body, dust fell down. As he moved around, all of his limbs emanated cracking noises, as if they hadn't been used in a very long time.

The old man's dark and muddy robes suddenly started to ripple. A pillar of flames suddenly rose up from the ground, covering his body. When it disappeared, the old man looked completely different. His aura had grown even stronger, and his robes had turned golden. On top of his head, a golden crown appeared, and on his hand, a dark-colored sword materialized out of thin air.

The old man then took a step forward, disappearing from sight. When he reappeared again, he was standing on air, above the Burning Heaven Clan. His old and small eyes shone with a dark light.

"Intruders… shall DIE!"

At the same time, Issei, who had just finished killing another Burning Heaven Clan Elder, suddenly raised his head to stare at the skies. When he sensed the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor powerful and deadly area, he smiled instead of frowning.

"Eggy," he said. "It seems like you'll truly benefit a lot today."

Eggy didn't response. At that moment, she was completely focusing in absorbing all of the Source Energy into her body. A smile, however, appeared on her face.

Issei then concentrated, and the Golden Crow Flame in his hand disappeared. The crimson Phoenix Flame then grew larger, covering his entire palm. On Issei's other hand, the same thing happened.

Although the Golden Crow Flames were superior in terms of destruction, Issei knew that in a real battle, the Phoenix Flames would be much more deadly in his hands. After all, Issei knew the World Ode of the Phoenix, which allowed him to bring out the Phoenix Flame's true potential.

Soon after, a gust of wind kicked up in front of him. Then, right next to Fen Duanhun, a white-haired old man appeared out of thin air, as if he had simply materialized.

"Father!" Fen Duanhun immediately knelt down mid-air, his face one of hope and reverence.

Even if Issei was ten thousand times stronger, Fen Duanhun didn't believe he would be a match for his father, the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor and previous Patriarch!

The Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor ignored his son's words. He coldly glanced at his surroundings, seeing the charred bodies of countless disciples, as well as what remained of the fifteen elders who had met their end at Issei's hands. Finally, his gaze fell on Issei himself.

"Are you the one who caused all of this?"

Issei didn't hide anything. He stared at the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor straight in the eye and nodded his head. "That's right," he said.

The Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor sighed. "Child, you possess great talent, but your heart is too wretched, filled with killing intent. This old man cannot allow you to continue living in this world!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	171. Going to Frozen Cloud Asgard

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 171 - Going to Frozen Cloud Asgard**

* * *

"Wretched?" Issei stared at the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor. His eyes were sharp like swords, ruthless and deadly. All of a sudden, a dark smile split across his face. "I don't have the patience to talk about morals with you," he said. "I may be wretched, but you aren't any saint either!"

Issei took a step forward, his head lowering. His cultivation base surged out; three streaks of light flashed across his eyes, one golden, one blue, and one purple.

"Evil Soul, open."

A wild, tyrannical aura surged out from within Issei's body.

"Burning Heart, open."

The Burning Heaven Clan's eyes went wide. He could practically feel the tyrannical, boundless strength that emanated from Issei's body.

Issei continued to stare at the old man before him. A faint, dark smiled bloomed on his face.

"Purgatory… open!"

Three gates!

Three gates… had been unleashed!

Boundless power surged from within Issei's body. He could feel as wave after wave of power exploded from within him—from within his profound veins. Power that he had never had before. A power so great, so power and so deadly that he couldn't even fathom.

This wasn't the power of a mortal.

This was the power of a god!

This was the power… of the Evil God!

Issei took another step forward. The air rippled and the wind howled and screamed. A gust of wind kicked up, throwing the debris into the air. The sounds of thunder peals filled the area, shaking everyone to their very core.

Issei's power was causing the world's laws of nature to change! The power of a god, which should have long since been lost, was now awakening. And along with it, the world had begun to change!

Another step was taken. Issei's left arm burst into flames. Three flames. Three colors. One golden, one scarlet and one vermillion. The power of the Fire Seed was forcefully awakening the Divine Beast's bloodlines that slumbered within him!

Issei's left arm was suddenly enveloped by ice. Water floated near it, wrapping itself around it. In front of the hands, a dense and heavy fog came into existence.

It was as if Issei had become a child born of fire and born of water. It was as if the world itself was trying to protect him; trying to aid him.

Issei then raised his head to stare at the Burning Heaven Clan's ancestor. On his left eye, a mythical, azure-colored vortex could be seen. On his other one, the three Divine Lightning Beasts roared, a deadly, overbearing aura around them.

Fen Duanhun was left panting. Even the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor had his eyes widened in disbelief.

He had been cautious ever since he had arrived. After all, his son, Fen Duanhun, had secretly warned him how he had been able to punch him down from the skies with sheer strength alone. There were also the deadly golden flames, which consumed whatever they touched, regardless of what it was. Moreover, there was also his body, impervious to flames.

However, the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor believed that he could still be defeated. After all, he had a few tricks under his sleeves.

Alas, when he saw all the power that had exploded out of Issei's body, the Burning Heaven Clan's Ancestor, for the first time in his life, felt incomparably insignificant.

All of a sudden, Issei disappeared from sight. The Burning Heaven Clan ancestor then felt a burning sensation on his back.

That sensation… was the last thing he would ever feel.

…

Twenty minutes later, Issei walked out of the Burning Heaven Clan's main entrance. In his arms, a young woman could be seen, currently in a state of deep sleep. The young man's eyes were cold and deadly, and his hands were soaked red with blood.

Behind him, the Burning Heaven Clan was unnaturally quiet. If one walked inside and walked through its streets, they wouldn't see even a single soul present. All that remained were buildings, or what remained of them.

In the entire area covered by the Burning Heaven Clan, not even a single person could be seen. There weren't even corpses. It was as if all living beings in that area… had simply ceased to exist.

All that could be heard were Issei's heavy steps.

Eventually, he arrived back in the place where he had parted with Chu Yuechan. He found her sitting on top of her azure cloud, meditating in silence. Issei didn't need to glance at her twice to see how tensed up her body was. It was clear that she was ready to move at any given moment.

Before he could announce his arrival, Chu Yuechan opened her eyes. Her two, onyx orbs stared straight at him. Her gaze lingered on his bloodied hands and Xia Mei for a few seconds before resting on his face.

"How was it?" she asked.

Issei jumped up, falling on top of the azure cloud. "Everything went as expected."

"So you managed to kill the Ancestor?" she asked.

"Yes," Issei said. He then laid down Xia Mei's body on top of the cloud and gave her a thorough imagination, searching for any injuries.

Chu Yuechan glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. Then her gaze fell on Xia Mei, and jealousy flickered across her eyes. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and sighed. With a wave of her hands, the azure cloud ascended into the air. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the distance.

On the way, Chu Yuechan couldn't help but briefly stop on top of the Burning Heaven Clan. She then sent out her spiritual power in an attempt to see the current situation.

That simple action left her completely shocked.

There wasn't even a single any signature left there. Even corpses would still give off some aura, but not even that could be felt. At that moment, she realized what Issei had truly done. Not only had he killed everyone, even their corpses had been reduced to nothingness.

If an outsider were to see that situation, they would think that the Burning Heaven Clan members had simply faded from existence; they ceased to exist.

In an act of reflex, Chu Yuechan glanced at Issei. When she saw how he was calmly tending to Xia Mei's condition, she let out a bittersweet smile.

"Seems like I was worrying for nothing," she murmured to herself. "He's the kind of person Master would definitely approve. He's…. just like me."

She then smiled again. This time, the bitter was no longer present; all that remained was a pleasant and peaceful sweetness.

Once more, she channeled her spiritual power into the azure cloud. Their figures, carried by the mythical azure cloud, quickly disappeared over the horizon.

…

After Issei was certain that Xia Mei was back in a good condition, he finally took his eyes off of her. When he bent his head to look at the terrain below them, all he saw was an endless plain of snow.

In a way, it was similar to the Heaven Basin Secret Realm. However, this snow seemed more realistic… more alive.

"We're in one of Blue Wind's most dangerous areas, the Snow Region of Extreme Ice, also known as the Snow Region," Chu Yuechan said, noticing that Issei had finally decided to look down. "In this extremely vast area, the only sect present is Frozen Cloud Asgard, located exactly at its center. We should arrive there in the time it takes half an incense stick to burn."

Issei slowly nodded his head. "I've heard of this place before. It's as beautiful as the rumors say."

Chu Yuechan looked at him. "You aren't bothered by the cold, right?" she asked. "Even someone of the Sky Profound Realm would take some time to adapt, but considering your affinity with water..."

"Don't worry," Issei said. "I'm perfectly fine."

All of a sudden, he narrowed his eyes. He turned his head to look at Xia Mei and realized that she was shivering. He immediately placed his hands on her forehead and started to channel warmth into her body.

"What's her cultivation base?" Chu Yuechan asked. "Is it at the Spirit Profound Realm?"

"No," Issei said. "Lower."

Chu Yuechan hesitated. Then she sighed and threw him a small pill. "This is something the Asgard Mistress gives to the new disciples," she said. "It helps the body adapt to the cold. Since you brought her here, I believe she's going to enroll as a Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple anyways. Have her take the pill."

Issei looked at Chu Yuechan gratefully, holding the pill in his hand. He knew how hard this was for her. Considering that she and Xia Mei were rivals for his love, for her to actually show kindness towards her was extremely unusual. Chu Yuechan also had a proud nature. This made it even more unlikely.

"Thank you," Issei said. Then he opened Xia Mei's mouth and used his spiritual power to lead the pill into her stomach.

Normally, he'd have done it like he did with Eggy; kissing her to help her ingest the pill. That way, he wouldn't need to use his spiritual power, which was of a dangerous nature, close to a weak patient. However, considering Chu Yuechan was right by their side, Issei knew he had to be mindful of the situation, and opted for the slightly harsher method.

When he considered that Xia Mei was in the possession of the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins, he realized that in theory, his spiritual power shouldn't be harmful to her, as she also possessed the tyrannical attribute.

Eventually, a large building appeared over in the distance. As they got closer, Issei gradually became able to distinguish more and more details. It was the color of ice, and looked like a huge palace. There were also great walls made out of ice surrounding it, with a gate in the front.

Next to that gate, three Frozen End Asgard disciples stood guard. However, at that moment, their attention wasn't directed to any possible outsiders. They were nervously staring at a young, veiled young woman, who stood in front of the gate, coldly looking into the distance.

Ever since the Frozen End Asgard's group had arrived from the Heavenly Sword Villa there, Xia Qingyue had been there, anxiously waiting for Issei's arrival.

The poor Frozen End Asgard disciples guarding the entrance didn't know what to do, and could only awkwardly stand there, trying to ignore that what could possibly be the third most important figure of all Frozen Cloud Asgard was standing right next to them.

When Xia Qingyue saw Chu Yuechan's azure cloud appear in the distance, she narrowed her eyes. Her cultivation base burst forth with power, and she rose into the air. The poor Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples could only stare in shock as Xia Qingyue flew into the air and rushed into the distance.

Because their cultivation bases were rather shallow, their eyesight wasn't that good; they had yet to catch a glimpse of the azure cloud.

Xia Qingyue whistled through the air, almost immediately arriving in front of the azure cloud. Chu Yuechan immediately snapped her fingers, and the azure cloud stopped in place.

Xia Qingyue completely ignored Chu Yuechan, and even her sister, Xia Mei. She rushed into the cloud and only stopped when she was in front of Issei.

"Why did you go without me?" she asked. Issei could clearly sense the hurt in her voice.

Obviously, she wasn't happy that he had suddenly left without any warning, and had even taken Chu Yuechan with him.

Her reaction was completely understandable.

"Actually," Issei said calmly, as he had already expected this kind of reaction from her, "I would have preferred to go alone, but I needed Chu Yuechan's azure cloud."

His words made Xia Qingyue's anger almost completely dissipate. Issei was well aware of how she worked and knew how to deal with her.

However, in the entire world, he was the only person who could so easily calm her down. If any other person were to say the exact same words, they wouldn't have any effects.

They only worked… because Issei was Issei.

"Where did you go?" Xia Qingyue asked. This time, she was just curious.

"Burning Heaven Clan," Issei answered. "I had to save your sister." He motioned towards Xia Mei, who laid in front of him.

Xia Qingyue merely glanced at Xia Mei out of the corner of her eyes and gave a curt nod. Clearly, her relationship with her sister was like that of strangers.

Most likely, the only thing that connected them was their blood.

"Were you hurt?" Xia Qingyue suddenly asked.

"No." Issei shook his head. "But the same can't be said about the Burning Heaven Clan."

She looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Issei mysteriously smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	172. Feng Qianhui

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 172 - Feng Qianhui**

* * *

When they finally arrived at Frozen Cloud Asgard's entrance, an unexpected figure had already appeared in the place Xia Qingyue had previously been at, in the middle of the entrance. Surprisingly, the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples near the entrance where all on their knees.

Chu Yuechan motioned for Issei and the others to exit her azure cloud. Issei nodded his head, picked up Xia Mei and jumped down, followed by Xia Qingyue. Chu Yuechan then waved her hands, and the azure cloud shrunk down to the size of a finger. It then solidified, becoming an azure-colored jade slip. Chu Yuechan grabbed it from mid-air, stored it within one of her sleeves, and flew down to the ground, landing next to Issei.

"Chu Yuechan."

The woman who stood had a hair full of white hair. In spite of that, she had the face of a young woman in her early twenties. She tall and wore a long, icy-colored dress.

"Grand Asgard Mistress," Chu Yuechan said. She looked coldly at the white-haired woman. However, there wasn't scorn or derision in her eyes. It was clear that while Chu Yuechan didn't exactly respect her, she didn't dislike her either.

Xia Qingyue had a similar reaction, but differently from Chu Yuechan, she gave the white-haired woman, the one whom Chu Yuechan had called Grand Asgard Mistress, a polite, half-bow.

The white-haired woman gently smiled at them. Differently from the normal Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples and members, she didn't have the signature icy and aloof aura. She seemed more like a kind and gentle woman.

"And who might this young man be?" the Grand Asgard Mistress turned her head towards Issei and asked.

"He's Issei," Chu Yuechan coolly said.

"Issei?" The Grand Asgard Mistress slightly widened their eyes. "You mean the Xiao Sect's disciples who beat Disciple Qingyue and became the champion?"

Issei respectfully nodded his head. "It's indeed me."

"And for what reason have you brought him?"

"He's here to become a Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple."

The Grand Asgard Mistress' smile froze. It took a few seconds for she to regain clarity. She turned her head to Chu Yuechan. "What… what did you say?" she carefully and slowly asked.

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes. "I said he's here to become a Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple."

The Grand Asgard Mistress stared at Chu Yuechan in shock. Then she turned around to look at the other Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples. "All of you, go back inside," she ordered. "Don't allow anyone to come out. If anyone wants to talk with me, tell them to wait."

The few Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples hurriedly nodded their heads. Then they turned around and ran into the colossal palace, quickly disappearing from sight.

When the Grand Asgard Mistress turned around to look at Chu Yuechan again, she had a respectful, yet helpless look on her face. "Chu Yuechan… you can't be serious," she said.

"Feng Qianhui, do you want me to repeat myself?" Chu Yuechan's expression turned even colder.

At that moment, Issei realized what was going on. In front of others, Chu Yuechan and the Grand Asgard Mistress treated each other as equals, but once they were alone, it became clear who was superior.

"But… a male disciple… this breaking the rules!"

"I was sent here by the Frozen Cloud Asgard Founder herself," Chu Yuechan coldly said. "I have the right to change the rules as I see fit, no?"

The Grand Asgard Mistress, Feng Qianhui, stared at Chu Yuechan blankly. Eventually, she sighed and turned her head towards Issei. "Why him?" she asked.

"He's my fiancee," Chu Yuechan plainly stated.

This time, Feng Qianhui wasn't the only on surprised. Issei and Xia Qingyue also widened their eyes at Chu Yuechan in shock. With the latter's eyes, a poisonous emotion surfaced.

"He's also my beloved!" Xia Qingyue proclaimed before Feng Qianhui could react.

"He's.. he's.. what?" Feng Qianhui stared at Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue in shock, incapable of believing what was happening.

She knew of Chu Yuechan's mysterious and powerful background, and was also more than aware of Xia Qingyue's frightening talent. They were both at the pinnacle of beauty, and possessed heaven-defying talent. After getting to know them, Feng Qianhui came to the conclusion that a man who could move their hearts couldn't possibly exist. However, at that moment, she suddenly realized that not only such a man existed, he had moved both of their hearts… simultaneously!

Feng Qianhui could tell from the serious look in both Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan's eyes that neither of them were kidding. They definitely meant what they had said. After a moment of shock, the Grand Asgard Mistress took in a deep breath, temporarily pushing the shocking information she had just heard to the back of her mind.

"Alright," she said. "If that's the case, then I can indeed accept him, but…" she frowned. "From what I heard from Chu Yueli and the others, isn't he a fire-attributed cultivator? How could he practice the Frozen End Arts?"

Chu Yuechan didn't bother answering her. She turned her head towards Issei and gently smiled. "Show her."

Issei nodded his head. He then stretched out his hand, and with a thought, a small body of water appeared on top of it. In front of it was a crystal, and surrounding it a thick mist.

Feng Qianhui's eyes widened.

"Water… Water Manifestation?!" she cried out in disbelief.

"Precisely."

"He isn't… he isn't using any martial skills?" Feng Qianhui was unwilling to believe it. "How's is this possible? Is he truly not using any martial skill or cultivation skill? Is it truly the fabled Water Manifestation?"

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes darkly. "Why would I lie?"

Feng Qianhui gulped. "No, nothing," she hurriedly said. Then she once more returned her attention back to Issei's hands, staring at in disbelief. "If… if he practices the Frozen End Arts, just what level will he reach…?"

"You won't be finding that out," Chu Yuechan said, startling Feng Qianhui.

"He isn't?" she asked. "Then what? Is he going to learn only the Frozen Cloud Arts?"

Chu Yuechan snorted. "I'll teach him mine."

For the umpteenth time that day, the Grand Asgard Mistress widened her eyes in shock. "Yours?!" she asked, stunned. "You mean… the original?!"

"Yes," Chu Yuechan replied. "Is there any problem?"

"No! No. There isn't. It's just that..."

Chu Yuechan narrowed her eyes. "What?" she coldly asked.

"Nothing!" Feng Qianhui cried out in fear. In the entire Blue Wind Nation, only Chu Yuechan was able to pressure her like that. If others were to see her like this, they wouldn't be able to believe their own eyes.

The Grand Asgard Mistress, a mysterious and legendary existence whom even the Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Villa respected, was actually acting subserviently to a girl who's age didn't surpass twenty.

This was a scene without precedent.

Feng Qianhui took in a deep breath to calm herself. Then, after a moment of deliberation, she asked, "What about the Xiao Sect?"

"He'll still be a Xiao Sect disciple," Chu Yuechan explained. "At the same time, he'll also be a Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple. However, in tournaments and the such, he'll be representing the Xiao Sect."

Issei, who had barely spoken a few words, stared at the interaction between the Grand Asgard Mistress and Chu Yuechan in silence. Since Chu Yuechan was handling the situation fairly well, he didn't feel the need to intrude.

Eventually, after a few more questions, Feng Qianhui turned her head towards Issei. She forced a smile. "I welcome you as the first Frozen Cloud Asgard male disciple," she said, trying to seem as gentle as possible. After all, the man before her was the terrifying Chu Yuechan's fiancee.

Issei smiled at her. He didn't put on any airs, and gave her a bow. "I greet the Grand Asgard Mistress."

Feng Qianhui stared at Issei in bewilderment, surprised at his polite behavior. She had imagined he would be like Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue—proud and aloof. However, when she looked at the young man before her, she couldn't even think of him as arrogant. She found him to her liking.

It was true that Issei had always been a laid-back and calm person when interacting with people. He wasn't too enthusiastic, nor was he too lazy. He had an extremely mild attitude under normal circumstances, and didn't react to provocations or being looked down on. He wasn't prideful, and couldn't be described as arrogant. Aside from having a somewhat twisted view of the world, he was fairly normal. However, all of that would change whenever someone threatened his love ones, or in a serious battle. Feng Qianhui had yet to find that out.

"Oh? And who's the young woman in your arms?" Feng Qianhui asked, finally noticing Xia Mei.

"She's Xia Mei," Issei said. He smiled at Feng Qianhui politely. "I was wondering if it would be possible for she to enroll as a Frozen Cloud Asgard disciple?"

"Definitely!" Feng Qianhui smiled, nodding her head. Since Issei wasn't putting any airs, even though his position was clearly higher than her, considering he was Chu Yuechan's fiancee, she decided to treat him kindly. "However, that name… is she…?"

Xia Qingyue glanced at Xia Mei out of the corner of her eys and sighed. "She's my sister."

"Ah." Feng Qianhui slowly nodded her head. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, no sounds came out of her mouth. Eventually, her eyes landed on Issei again. "Alright. Since everything has been solved, please enter. I'll summon all of the other disciples to inform them of the news. As for your residence…."

"He's staying in mine." Chu Yuechan interrupted.

Before Feng Qianhui could say anything, Xia Qingyue took a step forward, her eyes narrowed. "And who gave you the right to choose?" she asked. "If anything, he should be going to mine!"

"Actually," Issei smiled, "I would rather have a room of my own."

"Why?" Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue asked simultaneously.

"Preference." Issei shrugged his shoulder. He didn't want to explain.

Chu Yuechan stared at him deeply before sighing. "Very well then. Qianhui, arrange a residence for him next to mine."

"No! Next to mine!" Xia Qingyue persistently insisted on having Issei close to her.

The Grand Asgard Mistress smiled awkwardly. "Aren't your residences… close to each other's? Wouldn't it be possible to erect one for him between you two?"

"That's perfect!" Issei immediately exclaimed, not giving the girls any chance to answer. "That's exactly what I need."

Feng Qianhui nodded and glanced at Chu Yuechan out of the corner of her eyes. Seeing that the young woman was quiet, the Grand Asgard Mistress came to the conclusion that Chu Yuechan didn't mind such arrangement. Since that was the case, she hurriedly excused herself to prepare the necessary materials for a new residence.

"For now, let's go to mine," Chu Yuechan said as she watched Feng Qianhui disappear into the frozen palace. "As for the girl, I'll show you the resting area. She should do well there."

Issei nodded his head and followed Chu Yuechan inside. After sending Chu Yuechan an angry glance, Xia Qingyue followed after them, sticking as close to Issei as she could.

The first place Chu Yuechan brought Issei to was an infirmary-like area. There were various beds orderly placed around the room, all of them empty. The thick scent of medicinal plants permeated the air.

Issei chose the bed nearest to them. He carefully laid Xia Mei down on it, and covered her with the blanket. However, he felt like even though she had taken the pill, this cold temperature would only worsen her state.

He was aware that the Burning Heaven Clan had, at most, only roughened her up a little. The only bruise on her body was on one of her arms, which was probably the one they used to drag her. The actual reason why she was unconscious was because of the awakening of her Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins.

Clearly, it had developed into a state much worse than it had previously been at.

After a moment of deliberation, Issei waved his hand, and various strains of Fire Spirit Grass, which he had acquired back in Ddraig's cave, appeared on his hand. He carefully laid them around Xia Mei's body. In the next moment, she was surrounded by a warm aura.

Issei then checked her condition once more. Once he came to the conclusion that it showed no signs of worsening, he turned around to look at Xia Mei and Chu Yuechan, who waited for him at the entrance.

"Alright," Issei said. "Let's go."

Chu Yuechan nodded, turned around, and once more began to lead the way. This time, she was walking towards the room. She had decided it was time to teach Issei the 'Ice Phoenix Investiture Cannon'.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	173. Ice Phoenix's Blood

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 173 - Ice Phoenix's Blood**

* * *

"Sit down there."

After Issei, Xia Qingyue, and Chu Yuechan had arrived at the latter's residence, Chu Yuechan brought them to a large, yet empty room. Currently, Chu Yuechan had her arm stretched, her finger pointing towards the middle of the room.

"Alright."

Issei strode forward, stopped in the middle, and sat down. He looked at Chu Yuechan, awaiting further instructions.

"As for you, you can leave," Chu Yuechan said, turning her head towards Xia Qingyue. "Your presence will negatively influence the ritual." She paused. "Wait. Why are you even here? Who allowed you to enter?"

Xia Qingyue darkly narrowed her eyes at Chu Yuechan's words. However, before she could protest, she saw Issei shaking his head at her out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and sighed.

"Since it's for Issei," she said, "I'll take my leave."

Chu Yuechan smiled a smug smile, while Issei sighed helplessly. Normally he wouldn't take sides, but Chu Yuechan's words were within reason. In such a situation, he knew Xia Qingyue had to step down.

After glancing at Issei one last time, Xia Qingyue turned around, opened the door and left the room, closing the door behind her. Shortly after, she was outside Chu Yuechan's residence, which wasn't big to begin with.

Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples lived frugally. Chu Yuechan's house was by far the biggest; it had two floors and over four rooms, not including the living room. Even the Grand Asgard Mistress' house had only two rooms.

And, just like all other houses in Frozen Cloud Asgard, it was made out of ice. Of course, certain parts were crafted from different materials, but overall, all the houses were sculpted from large blocks of ice. Even the furniture was made out of the same, cold material.

Xia Qingyue silently pondered whether she should wait by the entrance or head over to her own residence, but when she considered the possibility of the ritual lasting for a few hours, she sighed and made her way back to her house.

The ritual in question, according to Chu Yuechan, was the necessary procedure one had to take in order to practice the 'Ice Phoenix Investiture Cannon'. Chu Yuechan had explained that it wasn't a normal cultivation skill; it was a legacy cultivation skill. Therefore, not everyone could practice it. In order to inherit it, a certain ritual was in order.

Chu Yuechan didn't explain the details, and Xia Qingyue couldn't care less. All she wanted was for it to end quickly so she could go back to Issei's side again.

As Xia Qingyue walked back to her house, she saw many Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples reunited on top of an empty stretch of land. Xia Qingyue could see that on top of the snow, a layer of ice had already been formed.

Apparently, the preparations to build Issei's house had already begun.

Not even a few feet away from the place where Issei's house was to be built was her own residence. It could be said that Issei's house was the boundary that separated hers from Chu Yuechan's. According to Frozen Cloud Asgard's custom, the outstanding disciples would each have a master of their own. After a master had been selected, the disciple's residence would be built near the master's.

As surprising as it may seem, Chu Yuechan was Xia Qingyue's master. In the beginning, Xia Qingyue's master had been Chu Yueli, who pretended to be Chu Yuechan's sister. However, once her frightening talent was revealed, the Grand Asgard Mistress, Feng Qianhui, asked Chu Yuechan to take Xia Qingyue in as her disciple.

Out of boredom, Chu Yuechan accepted. However, in the two years Xia Qingyue had been under Chu Yuechan's tutelage, all that Chu Yuechan had taught her was not to annoy her. Before meeting Issei, Chu Yuechan had never once mentioned the 'Ice Phoenix Investiture Cannon', or how she actually came from some strange, mythical sect.

In fact, it was only on this day that Xia Qingyue realized the real relationship between the Grand Asgard Master and Chu Yuechan. Like everyone else, she had thought they treated each other as equals. It could be said that it was only after Issei's arrival that Xia Qingyue started to truly understand who Chu Yuechan was.

And the more Xia Qingyue found out, the more she hated her rival in love.

Sighing, Xia Qingyue made her way to her house. After opening the door, she immediately arrived at her room. Her house was the most frugal model of all of them; it only had a single room, which was her bedroom. In comparison to Chu Yuechan's two-story house, hers was rather lacking. Despite that, she didn't mind it.

In reality, if she wanted, she could easily add up to a hundred more floors. After all, in order to build an ice residence, all that was required was a fine control over ice. Then, in order to make it durable, she only needed to refine the ice a few times. That's also how all the houses were built.

This was also how Issei's house would be built.

After glancing around her room once, Xia Qingyue sighed and laid down on her bed. She stared straight at the ceiling, deep in thought. In her hand, a small piece of bamboo appeared.

"When he comes out, the first thing I'll do will be to reunite them..." Xia Qingyue whispered to herself, a joyful smile on her face.

At the same time, within Chu Yuechan's residence, the ritual was about to commence.

Currently, Issei had his eyes closed and his legs crossed. His mind was hovering between clarity and unconsciousness, in a seemingly ethereal state.

Chu Yuechan sat behind him, her arms stretched outwards, and her hands pressed against his back. She had her eyes opened, staring straight at Issei. Surprisingly, the color of her eyes was no longer onyx, but a deep purple. In the place of her pupils were thin, narrow slits.

Behind her, two illusory images could be seen. One of them was that of a gigantic white tiger, while the other one was of the Phoenix. However, this Phoenix was completely white in color. Most shocking of all was its flames. Instead of being hot, they were extremely cold.

Had Feng Xinyi been there, she would have immediately recognized those two phantom images. One of them was the legendary Ice Phoenix, a Divine Beast born out of ice, yin and snow. Out of all Divine Beasts, it was the only one who possessed the feared Yin Fire, which was just as destructive as the Golden Crow's Golden Flames. However, the Yin Fire was the complete opposite of it! Instead of burning all living beings, it was capable of freezing everything in existence!

The Ice Phoenix… was also the Founder of the Snow Song Realm!

As for the illusory tiger, it was a Divine Beast just as famous the Ice Phoenix, the legendary White Tiger! There were various groups the Divine Beasts were divided in, and some of them could be part of more than one group at the same time. Such was the case of the Vermillion Bird; aside from being part of the Three Divine Fire Beasts, it was also one of the Four Heavenly Beasts. The White Tiger, along with the Primordial Azure Dragon and another Divine Beast known as the Black Turtle, were also part of that group.

In terms of overall power, the White Tiger only lost to the Primordial Azure Dragon.

Surprisingly, in Chu Yuechan's veins, ran the blood of those two Divine Beasts!

And, at that moment, she was channeling part of the Ice Phoenix's blood into Issei.

Under normal circumstances, she would never dare to do so. After all, Issei possessed the bloodlines of the Three Divine Fire Beasts. Those three bloodlines were already extremely incompatible to begin with, and if the bloodline of a pure Yin Divine Beast was introduced into his body, his body exploding would be the best outcome.

However, after Chu Yuechan discovered Issei's perfect affinity for the Water Element, she realized that if it was him, it was possible! In theory, the moment the Bloodline of the Three Divine Fire Beasts were fused into Issei's bloodlines, he should have lost all of his compatibility and affinity with the Water Element. Despite that, not only did he maintain it, it was actually the most powerful affinity in existence!

All of that meant that Issei could make the impossible possible!

"It's almost time," Chu Yuechan murmured to herself. She then pulled back her hands from Issei's back, and with a thought, a small vial appeared on her hand.

This was something her master had given her before she was sent to this planet, South Heaven. Within it were ten drops of blood from the Ice Phoenix.

Originally, her master had intended for her to use it in a perilous situation. That was because if Chu Yuechan were to ignite the Ice Phoenix's blood, it would burst into a river of Yin Flames, giving her a chance to escape whichever situation she was in.

Since her master cared for her too much, she had taken a step further and requested for over ten drops of the Ice Phoenix's blood. Normally, this would have been impossible, but Chu Yuechan's talent was something unprecedented, and her master was someone from the Higher Realm's Snow Song Realm's upper echelon. It was only because of that Chu Yuechan's master managed to get over ten drops of that precious blood for Chu Yuechan.

Never could Chu Yuechan's master have imagined that those ten drops of blood… would actually be infused into someone!

Chu Yuechan herself only had three drops of the Ice Phoenix's blood in her veins. That was her absolute limit; if any more of that were added into her, she would undoubtedly die. That was already considered something incredulous, as even Chu Yuechan's master, whose cultivation base was nothing short of unfathomable, had the same amount.

At the same time, she also had three drops of the White Tiger's blood. That was also one of the reasons why she was so valued in her sect.

However, at that moment, she actually planned on infusing all ten drops of blood into Issei!

Ten drops of the Ice Phoenix's blood. It's said that even the leader of the Snow Song Realm, an existence in the level of gods, had only managed to absorb eight drops.

Chu Yuechan was more than aware of how absurd her idea was, but she had seen how heaven-defying Issei was. She was certain that if it was him, even if one thousand drops were infused into him, he would still be able to survive!

This was a woman's blind and boundless faith on the one she loved!

However, she wasn't rash either. She was extremely wary, and she was prepared to immediately stop the ritual the moment she noticed Issei's body was unable to endure anymore. That's also why she wouldn't infuse all ten drops of blood at the same time; she would fuse them into him one at a time.

After confirming that Issei was in a stable condition, she carefully opened the vial. A drop of blood instantaneously flew out, hovering in the air right before her. Carefully, Chu Yuechan controlled the drop of blood, making it land on Issei's back. It easily passed through his robes, penetrating into his body.

Previously, she had been channeling the energy of the Ice Phoenix into him, making his body used to the aura. It was all so the process of absorbing the blood could go smoothly.

The moment the drop of blood fused with Issei, a tremor ran through his body. Despite that, his ethereal mental state wasn't broken. Around him, a faint layer of ice formed. If Chu Yuechan could see his eyes at the moment, she would have been shocked to find out that they were a deep purple.

For the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chu Yuechan intensely observed Issei's body, watching out for any abnormalities. It was only after making sure that everything was alright that she took out another drop of blood and sent it into Issei's body.

The same process followed. Once more, she waited five minutes before taking out another drop of blood.

Chu Yuechan fused drop after drop into Issei, growing tenser with each passing moment. Eventually, it reached the point in which only a single drop of blood remained in the vial.

By this point, Issei's body had already suffered many changes. His eyes, which had already turned purple, were now darker, bordering black. Around his body, a cold aura had already started to condense.

"It has already been nine drops..." Chu Yuechan murmured to herself. Even if she had believed Issei could do it since the very beginning, it still felt shocking to witness it with her own eyes. She glanced down at the vial in her hands and eyed the last drop. "The last one..."

Chu Yuechan did a small grasping motion with her hand, and the drop of blood flew into the air. Then she controlled it, sending it into Issei's body. It slowly fused into his skin and flesh, merging with his blood.

A tremor ran through Issei's body.

The first part of the ritual… had been completed!

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	174. Issei's Sea of Consciousness

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 174 - Issei's Sea of Consciousness**

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"He really did it..."

Chu Yuechan stared at Issei in a daze. Even though his entire body was trembling, she could see that it hadn't caused any fatal damage. From her estimations, he would be back to normal with a quick rest.

However, she still made sure to carefully observe him before proceeding to the second part of the ritual. It was only after ten uneventful minutes had passed that she was fully assured of his condition. She stored the empty vial back on her Cosmos Sack and stretched out her hands, now placing them on top of his head.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, sending her consciousness into her sea of consciousness. There, she found a bright, icy mote of light. She enveloped her consciousness around it, and after a few seconds, the mote of light doubled in size. Following that, it started to tremble and finally separated into two.

Those two motes of light were identical to the initial one be it in shape, glow, or what was contained within them.

After that was done, Chu Yuechan used her consciousness to carry one of the two motes of light. She brought it towards his hand, and then into Issei's head.

Beads of sweat starting dripping down her forehead. Theoretically, she should have been able to easily enter the sea of consciousness of anyone with a cultivation lower than hers, but she found it incredibly hard to enter Issei's. She could also tell that he wasn't resisting, and even allowing her to enter, but it didn't change the fact that it was an extremely difficult task.

"How is this possible?" Chu Yuechan said to herself. "His consciousness is even stronger than that of a Monarch! And he's not even trying to block me..."

Gritting her teeth, Chu Yuechan activated the bloodline of the White Tiger. In the next moment, her cultivation base surged out with power. Meanwhile, her consciousness got a thousand times stronger. The White Tiger was known both for its extremely power physical attacks, as well for it's terrifying mental attacks.

Chu Yuechan was making use of that to enter into Issei's Sea of Consciousness.

Alas, even with the boost of the White Tiger's bloodline, she was still having a hard time. By this point, Chu Yuechan was certain that Issei's consciousness was above that of even a person at the Saint Profound Realm, bordering the realms of false immortality.

If Chu Yuechan had been shocked before, she was panting at this point.

Never before had she seen such a fierce consciousness. It was like an impenetrable fortress, impervious to any and all attacks.

Then it happened.

Chu Yuechan's vision changed all of a sudden. The mote of light that she held onto disappeared and even the feeling of her body was lost. She was suddenly submerged in a void-like, empty space.

"What's going on?" If Chu Yuechan had been in her body at the moment, her eyes would have been widened. She had never experienced something like this before.

Then she saw it. In the midst of all that void, there was a certain patch of darkness that was blacker than its surroundings. It was something blacker than black, a color that shouldn't have been possible. And it's overall shape was that of a person. Four limbs, and what she assumed to be a head.

Shortly after, two red dots appeared in the head. Those red dots then expanded horizontally, becoming two, red slits.

At that moment, Chu Yuechan realized that those were the eyes of whatever was in front of her.

For a long time, that shadow-like existence simply stared at her, completely silent. All of a sudden, just below the eyes, a long and wide line of white appeared.

In shock, Chu Yuechan realized that it was actually smiling.

In the following moment, the strange shadow disappeared from sight. She suddenly felt her body again and found herself back where she had just been. The mote of light was just in front of her, prepared to enter into Issei's sea of consciousness.

"What was that?" Chu Yuechan murmured, shocked. Just thinking about that strange shadow sent chills down her body. Not even when in the presence of her master had she felt so powerless and weak. Whatever that shadow was, it possessed unfathomable power. Power beyond the limits of her comprehension.

Alas, no matter how hard she thought about it, she was unable to find out what it was. In the end, she sighed helplessly and did one last attempt to enter Issei's sea of consciousness.

Much to her shock, she didn't meet with any resistance this time. She immediately felt her consciousness leaving her body and entering Issei's.

She had finally entered his sea of consciousness.

What Chu Yuechan saw left her breathless.

"What… what it this?!"

In front of Chu Yuechan was a space as boundless as the universe. It stretched out as far as the eyes could see, seemingly endless. It was pitch-black, and in the distance, countless motes of lights shone, resembling stars.

If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought she had somehow ended up in space.

Chu Yuechan had seen her fair share of seas of consciousnesses in her life. Most of the times, they would be small and empty, devoid of anything. If the person was a World Spiritist, there would be a World Spiritist Space.

Her own sea of consciousness was considered to be extremely large, mostly because of the influence of the White Tiger's bloodline. If her sea of consciousness were to be measured, it would be around one hundred meters wide, nine meters in length and fifty meters in height.

That was considered huge even for someone at the Saint Profound Realm.

Chu Yuechan had also seen her master's sea of consciousness. From what she remembered, it was over a dozen miles both vertically and horizontally. It had to be said that her master's cultivation base was at a realm far beyond the Saint Profound Realm, bordering the peak of cultivation.

And yet, in front of the sea of consciousness before her, Chu Yuechan believed that even if a million of her master's sea of consciousness were to be put together, it still wouldn't be able to fill even a tiny portion of Issei's.

However, that wasn't the most shocking part.

Issei's sea of consciousness… was filled with all kinds of things.

Aside from the various stars in the distance, she could see an enormous palace not too far away. It was absolutely massive in size and seemed to stretch out indefinitely.

"Is that… his World Spirit Space?"

Chu Yuechan then turned her head in another direction and found something even more shocking. The corpse of a huge dragon floated in front of her. It was completely azure in size, and even a single of its scales would have been enough to cover the entire planet South Heaven. It was extremely far away from her, but it still seemed incomparably massive.

"Wait… it's body… is burning?!"

All of a sudden, Chu Yuechan realized that its entire body was covered in black flames. Because of the darkness of her surroundings, she hadn't realized it, but upon a closer it look, she became able to see it clearly.

After staring at the burning azure dragon for a few more moments, she averted her gaze. This time, what entered her line of sight was a small, miniature dragon. It was barely the size of a palm and was flying around gleefully. Occasionally, it would spin around or even do back-flips and front-flips. Apparently, it was having the time of its life.

For some reason, Chu Yuechan found that small, cute dragon oddly familiar. Then she remembered the colossal dragon she had just seen and her eyes widened in shock.

"Could this be… a miniature version of it?"

She continued to observe it for a few more moments, but it eventually disappeared into the void. Chu Yuechan sighed and just as she was about to continue with the ritual, she caught sight of yet another shocking scene.

Down below her, she could see a gigantic corpse floating around in space. It was humanoid, and seemed just as big as the colossal azure dragon. On its foreheads were dozens of purple stars, all of them shining brightly.

However, Chu Yuechan was certain that it was dead; that it was a corpse. After all, there was a massive hole in the middle of its chest. She could also see all sorts of weapons embedded on its body. It was also wrapped in thick chains.

Near that corpse were three motes of light. They shone brighter than the stars, and were also much bigger in size.

One of them was red, the other was green, and the other one was a deep purple, almost black.

Surprisingly, Chu Yuechan could feel different auras from each of them. The red one had a dangerous aura akin to that of gods. The green one emanated the aura of reincarnation, and the black one gave off the aura of thunder.

She could also two more motes of light, each of them a certain distance from each other. One of them was small, resembling a pearl, whereas the other one was squared and black. Both of them emanated terrifying auras.

Next to those two motes of light was a single arm. It was withered and black, floating around in space. Even though it looked frail and minuscule when compared to everything else, Chu Yuechan had a feeling that the withered arm… was actually the most terrifying out of all the other strange things. Even the corpse of the dragon or the giant's corpse gave her such a dreadful feeling.

Never before had Chu Yuechan been so shocked in her entire life.

The sea of consciousness was basically a person's souls. In other words, the sea of consciousness represented the person's soul.

"Just what kind of soul does he have?" Chu Yuechan murmured to herself. "This, along with that strange shadow… goes beyond the realms of possibility! How could such a sea of consciousness possibly exist?!"

However, regardless of how much Chu Yuechan found the situation before absurd, there was nothing she could. If she still refused to admit it after seeing it with her own two eyes, then she wouldn't be Chu Yuechan. No matter what absurd it seemed, as a cultivator, she still needed to accept it.

"When I get out of here, I'll definitely ask Issei what's all of this about," Chu Yuechan said to herself. She then concentrated, and focused on the reason why she had come there, ignoring all possible distractions. After looking around, she found a suitable place for the icy mote of light. It was far away from all other motes of light and the colossal dragon, as well as the corpse and the tiny dragon.

She figured this was the perfect location to place it.

"Done," Chu Yuechan said. "Now that the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon' has been placed, I can finally leave."

Chu Yuechan then concentrated, and her consciousness disappeared from Issei's sea of consciousness. She opened her eyes and found herself back in her residence. Her hands were still on top of Issei's forehead.

After taking a deep breath, Chu Yuechan moved her hands back. "It's done," she said.

Shortly after, Issei opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but after blinking his eyes a few times, he could see again clearly.

"Is it?" he asked. "I don't feel anything different, though."

"Turn around to face me," Chu Yuechan said.

Issei did as he was told, revealing his face to Chu Yuechan.

When she saw his appearance, her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Issei asked.

"You… you look different," she said.

"Different? How?"

Chu Yuechan waved her hands, and an ice mirror appeared on her palm. She then handed it to Issei, who lifted it up to his eyes level.

In the next moment, he realized what was wrong. The eyes that stared at him in the mirror weren't black ones. They were a deep, thick purple.

However, what surprised Issei the most wasn't that; it was his forehead.

Previously, he had hidden the flame-like mark with countless formations and Spirit Formations, but it somehow appeared again. Not only that, it was different. Now, the three-colored flame imprint was on top of a crystal-like mark.

It looked like a flame burning in the middle of a snowflake.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	175. Reuniting the Bamboo Sculptures

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 175 - Reuniting the Bamboo Sculptures**

* * *

"Jasmine? What's going on?" Issei immediately asked.

"Didn't I tell you to stop relying on this princess?"

"Jasmine, what do you expect me to do?" Issei asked, helpless. "I have an all-knowing existence in my head. Do you really expect me to not ask you? Furthermore, it's just answering. It's not as if I want you to fight or anything."

He didn't get a reply.

Issei furrowed his brows. Chu Yuechan was staring at him strangely, wondering why he was so silent. He couldn't pretend to be observing the mirror for so much longer.

Then he heard Jasmine sighing.

"That Chu Yuechan girl bestowed you with the bloodline of the Ice Phoenix."

"She did?" Issei asked, inwardly surprised. Chu Yuechan hadn't told him the details of the ritual, nor did she tell him about the granting him the Ice Phoenix's bloodline. During the ritual, because of his strange state of mind, he didn't feel anything. Shortly after he had regained his awareness, Chu Yuechan had ordered him to open his eyes. He didn't remember anything. "How many drops?"

"Ten."

Issei held back a frown. "And that's what caused these transformations?"

"Yes."

"But that doesn't make sense," Issei said. "I got over a thousand drops of blood from Xinyi, the Three-legged Golden Crow, and the Vermillion Bird. And the only physical change that happened was the flame-like mark on my forehead. But now, after getting only ten drops of the Ice Phoenix's blood, not only do the mark change, the color of my eyes changes too?"

"It's not that simple," Jasmine said, slightly annoyed at Issei's lack of comprehension. "When the Evil God gave you their blood, he sealed most of it inside you. Right now, out of the one thousand drop of blood from each Divine Beast, only six of them are active. There's also the three thousand drops of the Primordial Azure Dragon's blood. Like the blood of the three other beasts, only six of them are active. The bloodline of Divine Beasts only provokes physical changes if it surpasses ten drops."

"Wait," Issei suddenly said. "If that's the case, how come I was able to absorb all ten drops? Shouldn't I only be able to absorb six of them?"

"That's… because of the Water Seed."

"What?"

"Within the Water Seed was a fragment of the Evil God's consciousness," Jasmine explained. "This was what allowed you to fully absorb the Ice Phoenix's blood. That remain of consciousness used what remained of its power to make your body adaptable enough to absorb it all."

"Remain of consciousness?" Issei's mind was suddenly sent back to the Divine Fire Realm, at the moment when the Evil God appeared. Issei suddenly remembered how it said it's Water Seed was in Blue Wind, and how he had left a fragment of his consciousness there. He had also mentioned how it would bestow him with some good fortune. "Could it that this was the good fortune it was talking about?"

Jasmine ignored his words. "Anyways, it's because of the fragment of the Evil God's consciousness that you were able to absorb all ten drops. Right now, it has already disappeared. Apparently, it didn't have too much power to begin with, and this was the most it could do."

"Jasmine… I've got one last question."

"What is it?"

"The Primordial Azure Dragon mentioned that upon reaching the Divine Profound Realm, I'd be able to absorb all of the blood. Is that… is that true?"

"It is. But not the Divine Profound Realm you're thinking of."

"What? There's another one?"

"Indeed," Jasmine said. "The Divine Profound Realm he mentioned… is actually the Divine Dao Profound Realm. It's on a level you can't even imagine. Right now, in the entire universe, the amount of people in the Divine Dao Profound Realm… can be counted on a single hand."

Issei held back a sigh. He had already been expecting such answer. After all, he could only absorb six drops at the moment, and he was at the Spirit Profound Realm. It would be extremely strange if he could absorb all three thousand drops after progressing only six more realms. Not only that, that amount of blood he could absorb didn't change upon reaching the Spirit Profound Realm.

"Is that the peak of cultivation? The Divine Dao Profound Realm, I mean."

"That I'm not sure of," Jasmine said. "The peak of cultivation… is something that everyone pursuits since the dawn of time. It's unknown if there's even an actual peak. However, there are records of ten more realms above the Divine Dao Profound Realm. However, at the current point in time, the so-called peak is indeed the Divine Dao Profound Realm."

"Alright," Issei said. "That's about it. Thanks."

Jasmine didn't answer, opting for silently excusing herself.

Issei finally lowered his mirror to look at Chu Yuechan. He smirked at her. "Do I look more handsome?"

Chu Yuechan, who had been about to ask him why he was taking so long, was struck speechless by his question. First, she blushed and lowered her head, then she suddenly raised her head and sighed. The blush, however, didn't fade from her now-rosy cheeks.

"Well..." Chu Yuechan smiled. "I guess you do."

Issei sighed. Inwardly, however, he was glad his plan to turn her attention away had worked. "Xiao Luocheng sure is going to make fun of me when we meet again. I always teased him because of his purple eyes, but now that mine are purple too…. I can already see the hell he'll make me suffer."

"Ah!" Chu Yuechan suddenly narrowed her eyes, remembering something. "I think I know what caused it."

"The Ice Phoenix's blood, right?" Issei asked offhandedly as if it wasn't anything important.

Chu Yuechan widened her eyes. "How… how did you know?"

"I at least know what's contained within my body," Issei said, hiding the truth. "Anyways, is the ritual truly over?"

"It is." Chu Yuechan nodded her head. Even though she was still baffled at how he had found out, she didn't pursue that matter. Originally, she had planned on giving him a surprise. She could only sigh at her failed plan. "I have already placed the cultivation method of the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon' within your sea of consciousness—" She suddenly paused. "Talking about the sea of consciousness… what's wrong with yours?"

"Mine? What about it?" Issei asked.

"You don't know?" Chu Yuechan widened her eyes. "It's inconceivable! I had never seen anything so huge in my entire life, and that's considering I'm a Monarch."

Issei raised a brow. "Monarch?"

"Wait. You don't know the terms?" Chu Yuechan asked, bewildered. "Cultivators at the Emperor Profound Realm are called Throne," she explained. "Those at the Tyrant Profound Realm are Overlords and the ones at the Sovereign Profound Realm are Monarchs. I thought that was basic knowledge."

"Nobody told me about that..." Issei sighed. "Anyways, you mentioned my sea of consciousness. What's wrong with it?"

"How do you see it?" Chu Yuechan asked instead of answering.

"Well… it's not exactly big," Issei said after some thought. "Around a few dozen meters in all directions, I'd say. It's pretty much empty, too. The only thing eye-catching is the World Spirit Space, which stretched far beyond the limits of my sea of consciousness."

"So you are unable to see it… Could it be that someone is hiding it from you?" Chu Yuechan immediately thought back to that strange shadow she had seen. "Could it be… it?"

"It? What are you talking about? Did you see something else?"

"No, no." Chu Yuechan shook her head. She believed that if Issei was unable to see it, then there was a reason for that. She wasn't about to get herself involved in something that could be potentially dangerous to him. "Just forget it."

Issei had his own secrets. Since Chu Yuechan didn't want to speak, he wouldn't pursue that matter.

"Alright then," he said. Then he thought back to the ritual, and an idea came to mind. "Could you instruct me on the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon'?" he asked. "I want to know how it works."

Chu Yuechan suddenly beamed at him. "Gladly!" she exclaimed.

Following that, she spent the next two hours constantly bragging about how powerful it was. Of course, she also provided him with usual information, as for how it should be cultivated, but in the end, she spent most of the time bragging.

It was only after this conversation that Issei realized how fanatic she was about the 'Ice Phoenix God Investiture Cannon'. Issei didn't believe there many things in this world that could get her so hyped.

By the time they left their residence, it was already evening.

Chu Yuechan refused to at first, but Issei managed to convince her to show him Xia Qingyue's residence.

However, he didn't expect Chu Yuechan to simply take a few steps back and point forward.

"Do you see that ridiculously small house a few dozen meters away from here?"

Issei nodded.

"There you have it."

Issei widened his eyes. "This close?"

"Feng Qianhui mentioned it, didn't she? We live rather close."

"Then what about that house between you two?" Issei pointed at it. "It wasn't there when we arrived." He paused. "Oh. Is it mine?"

Chu Yuechan smiled. "Exactly," she said.

"You work fast."

She rolled her eyes. "I could have done it in seconds," she said. "All that's needed is a little bit of control over ice. Later on, let me refine it a few more times to increase the resistance."

"Wouldn't it be better if I did it?" Issei asked. "For training, I mean."

She stopped to think. "I suppose," she eventually said.

"Alright then." Issei smiled. "I'll go see how's the situation with Qingyue. I'll pass by later."

Chu Yuechan nodded. Issei then started walking forward but stopped after taking a few steps. He turned around to look at her. "I forgot to ask," he said. "Do the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples eat dinner? Or do they live with a pill-only diet?"

"Some of us do," Chu Yuechan said after some thought. "I myself opt for pills."

"Ah. That's too bad."

"Why?" Chu Yuechan looked at him in puzzlement.

"I was planning on making you some dinner."

Chu Yuechan's eyes widened. A dinner with Issei? How could she possibly let such an opportunity go? She hurriedly shook her head. "If it's you, I can make an exception."

Issei smiled and turned around, continuing his walk back to Xia Qingyue's house.

Upon arriving it, he knocked on the door once. Just as his hand was about to go for the second knock, the door flung open and Xia Qingyue appeared in the doorway. She widely smiled at him. "How did it go?" she immediately moved closer to him and asked.

"Perfectly, I'd say."

"That's good," Xia Qingyue nodded to herself. Then she suddenly frozen, noticing his eyes. "Issei… your eyes..."

Issei shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Consequence of the ritual."

"Good or bad?" she asked, concerned. She didn't remember purple eyes being a good thing.

"Neutral," Issei said. "Doesn't change anything. Don't worry."

"If you say so," Xia Qingyue said with a smile, assured. She then invited him into her home. Or, to be more precise, her room.

"It's pretty small in here," Issei commented.

Xia Qingyue grew worried. "Is it? Then I'll increase it right now!"

"No, no!" Issei hurriedly stopped her. "It was only me mindlessly saying stuff. Don't bother yourself. It's the perfect size."

While speaking, he took the opportunity to look around the room. It was practically empty. All that she had was a bed and a cultivation mat. There weren't any furniture or decorations. It was a room that nobody would expect from a girl, but when considering she was from Frozen Cloud Asgard, it made sense.

All of a sudden, Issei caught sight of a small, bamboo piece that laid on top of the bed. His eyes widened, then softened in the next moment.

"You still have it?"

Xia Qingyue turned her head in the direction Issei was looking at, and immediately understood what he was talking about. She softly smiled. "Of course, Issei. It's the only gift you ever gave me. I've treasured it with all my heart."

He couldn't help but sigh when Xia Qingyue mentioned it was his only gift. He knew she hadn't said it on purpose, but it was the truth. She was one of the girls he knew the longest, but everything that he had given her was a small piece of bamboo. Maybe it was time to start spoiling her a little, he realized.

"Then, what about it?" Issei asked. He slightly concentrated, and his half of the bamboo appeared on his hand. He brought it up to Xia Qingyue's eyes. "Should we reunite them? We have a promise to keep, after all."

Xia Qingyue beamed at her. She did a grasping motion with her left hand, and her bamboo piece flew over. She then slowly and carefully brought it over to Issei's.

They connected with each other perfectly.

Even though a lot of time had passed, they fit each other just as well as they had three years before.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	176. Rift in the Skies

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 176 - Rift in the Skies**

* * *

At the dawn of the following day, in the skies of the Blue Wind Nation, the air suddenly trembled, as if signalizing the descent of a heavenly body. A colossal gust of power exploded forth in a wave, and all of the clouds in the dispersed into nothingness. Ripples spread out, and a terrifying pressure fell down upon the entire Profound Sky Continent.

Shortly after, in the middle of the skies, a massive slit appeared. It was endless and vast, covering the entirety of Blue Wind. It slowly opened up, as if being torn apart by gigantic hands, revealing a dark, and seemingly endless space contained therein.

Issei, who had been calmly cultivating in his room, suddenly felt a tremor run through his body. His eyes snapped open, and a feeling of fear and terror welled up inside him. It was as if his darkest fears had suddenly turned true. Fears even he didn't know about. After taking a deep breath, he rushed out of his residence and raised his head to stare at the skies.

When he saw the massive rift in the skies, his pupils constricted.

"That… what is that?!"

A shiver went down his spine. He subconsciously clenched his hands to the point of drawing blood. It was as if all of the cells in his body were urging him to get away as fast as possible. Never before had he felt such a terrifying, ominous feeling. Blood started to ooze out of his mouth, eyes, ears and nose.

Deep within his soul, in a secluded space, the mysterious dark shadow suddenly opened its eyes. It sat on top of a throne made out of flesh and bones, their origin unknown. Various sealing marks whistled in the air around it, giving off a shocking aura. Each and every one of them was capable of leaving a Monarch trembling.

"So you have come, Wang Lin..." the shadow said in a faint yet ancient voice. The vicissitudes of time were clearly imprinted within. It had no apparent mouth, yet the sound could be heard as clearly as thunderclaps. "You have found me… even after so much time has passed…."

Meanwhile, throughout the entire Profound Sky Continent, everyone at the Emperor Profound Realm and above felt the changes taking place in Blue Wind Nation. All of the various experts from all kinds factions flew into the air, their eyes glued onto the massive dimensional rift.

All of those experts possessed enough power to wreak havoc in the mortal world as they pleased. However, at that moment, they were all gathered together, simultaneously staring into the skies.

Even the experts from the Four Great Sacred Grounds, existences that no mortal would ever dare to even think about, were alarmed. They were all Monarchs; peak existences of the Profound Sky Continent. Normally, they would be in secluded cultivation. However, the sudden appearance of the mysterious rift… made all of them shocked to their various cores.

Shortly after, the experts from all over the Profound Sky Continent started sending their forces towards the Blue Wind Nation. Everyone wanted to investigate the strange rift. Even the country of the Nine Provinces, which would normally ignore the affairs of the other countries, sent a vast amount of experts to the Blue Wind Nation.

They wanted to see whether that strange, mysterious and colossal rift was some sort of good fortune… or a terrifying calamity.

That day was one of the few that would be forever marked into the story of the Profound Sky Continent.

It was the day wherein almost all of the experts of the Profound Sky Continent… met their end.

…

Shortly after Issei had left his house, Chu Yuechan left hers for the exact same reason; the mysterious rift had also interrupted her meditation. After staring at the skies in shock for a few more moments, she turned around to walk back into her residence but caught sight of Issei out of the corner of her eye.

"Issei? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. She had felt the rift in space the moment it appeared, and she could also sense that only those in the Emperor Profound Realm or above could feel its aura. Not even Xia Qingyue, who was almost at the Emperor Profound Realm, had been able to sense it.

 _Yet Issei could._

And, from the looks of it, he seemed to be extremely affected. More than even her.

More than anyone else, in fact.

Chu Yuechan's words fell deaf on Issei's ears. He continued to stare at the huge rift, shocked and dazed. Realizing that her words had no effect on him, she rushed closer to his position. Then she lightly touched his shoulder, but all she felt was a stiff and cold sensation. She then looked at her face and saw his empty and black expression, as well as the blood dripping down from his head's seven apertures.

It was a ghastly sight.

After a moment of shock, Chu Yuechan raised her head to stare at the gigantic rift again. For some reason, it seemed a thousand times more terrifying than before, menacing. Then she turned her attention back to Issei and went back to trying to talk with him.

"Issei?! What's wrong?! Answer me!" Eggy cried out. As his World Spirit, she could clearly feel the terrible state of mind he was in.

"Darling, what's wrong?!" Feng Xinyi was just as worried. Were it not for Chu Yuechan's presence, she would have already appeared in the outside world.

"Don't waste your breath," Jasmine suddenly said, startling the two girls. "He can't hear any of you."

"How do you know?" Feng Xinyi asked, temporarily forgetting her enmity with Jasmine.

"Right now, he's in a state of utmost shock," Jasmine carefully explained, considering she was talking with the Phoenix at the moment. "Even if you were a thousand times louder, it would make no difference. You just have to wait for him to gradually regain consciousness."

"Do you know what's going on?" Eggy asked. Even if she didn't like Jasmine, she didn't have any other choice but to ask her at the moment.

Jasmine shook her head. "No," she said coolly. "But I can assure you that it isn't anything good."

At the same time, in the real world, Chu Yuechan kept attempting to wake Issei from his daze again and again, but to no avail. Her voice alarmed Xia Qingyue, who had been peacefully cultivating in her room. When she heard Chu Yuechan cry out Issei's name, she immediately rushed out of her residence.

"Issei?!" Xia Qingyue's eyes widened the moment she caught sight of his bloodied and pale face. Noticing he was staring at the skies, she raised her head and saw the gigantic rift in space. Her eyes widened even further. "That is…?" she murmured to herself, shocked.

She then heard a loud, crashing noise. She turned her head back to Issei and saw him collapsed on the ground. Chu Yuechan was next to him, checking for his pulse. She had a worried look all over her face. Such was her shock that her mind was a mess, unsure of what to do.

"Let's get him to the infirmary!" Xia Qingyue exclaimed, surprisingly clear-mind. For the first time since they met, Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue agreed with each other.

After carrying his body to the infirmary, they laid him down on the bed next to Xia Mei, who slept as soundlessly as she had the day before. They tried everything they could to wake Issei up, but nothing worked.

Later that day, when the sun was already completely in the sky, Feng Qianhui calmly went over to Issei's residence to see whether or not he was pleased with his new living arrangements. A few hours before, at dawn, she had also noticed the rift in space but didn't think too much of it. Her life was nearing its end; matters like that didn't pertain to her. She glanced at the skies and helplessly sighed.

The rift in space was still there. Not only that, it seemed even bigger than it had been just a few hours ago. At dawn, it had only been big enough to cover the entire country. However, now that it was almost mid-day, it had extended towards the other nations surrounding the Blue Wind Nation.

By this point, the entire Profound Sky Continent had already sighted it. Even if those below the Emperor Profound Realm couldn't sense it, they could still see it. However, they could only see it; only the Thrones or above could actually feel how terrifying it was. The higher the person's cultivation, the more terrifying the rift would seem.

When Feng Qianhui arrived at Issei's residence, she knocked a few times. No answer came. Finding that situation strange, she spread out her spiritual power but soon discovered that Issei wasn't in his room.

"Don't tell me… he spent the night with the others?"

How could the Grand Asgard Mistress not know about the relations between man and women? Even if she was the leader of a man-hating sect, she was more than aware of what intercourse was.

Alas, when she checked on Xia Qingyue's room with her spiritual power, she discovered that there wasn't anyone inside.

"Issei disappeared… Xia Qingyue disappeared..." Her eyes widened. "Could they both be at Chu Yuechan's residence? All three of them?! How daring!"

Normally, she would never dare to come close to Chu Yuechan's house. However, her curiosity was far too strong, and she couldn't hold back. She tentatively sent her spiritual power towards it, but was shocked to find out that it was also empty.

"They left?" By this point, the Grand Asgard Mistress was nothing short of puzzled.

She then turned around and walked into Frozen Cloud Asgard's main palace. As she walked around, she came across one of the various Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples. That disciple was a young woman with a petite appearance.

Feng Qianhui gently smiled at her. "Have you seen Disciple Xia Qingyue and the others?" she asked.

The young woman was startled. When she realized the Grand Asgard Mistress was talking to her, reverence flickered across her eyes. She immediately bowed down. "Grand Asgard Mistress!" she exclaimed. "I saw Senior Sister Qingyue, Elder Chu Yuechan, and Senior Brother Issei at the infirmary!"

"Infirmary?" Feng Qianhui raised a brow. "Are they there to check on the condition of the other girl?"

Surprisingly, the young woman shook her head. "I don't think so, Grand Asgard Mistress," she said. "Senior Brother Issei was on one of the beds." She paused, somewhat hesitant. "Also, that rift in space… what is it?"

Alas, her question had come too late. Before she realized it, Feng Qianhui had already turned around and rushed into the infirmary. Upon arrival, she found Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue nervously standing by a bed. On it laid Issei, whose face was pale and his complexion weak.

"What happened?" Feng Qianhui quickly asked, coming closer to the bed.

Chu Yuechan ignored her, whereas Xia Qingyue turned her head to look at her.

"He got like this after seeing the rift," she explained.

"What?" The Grand Asgard Mistress widened her eyes. "But I thought those below the Emperor Profound Realm couldn't feel it."

Chu Yuechan finally turned her head towards her. "He's an exception, apparently," she dryly said.

Before Feng Qianhui could say anything else, Chu Yueli suddenly entered the infirmary, her face a mix of shock, bewilderment, and disbelief. She immediately rushed towards the Grand Asgard Mistress, ignoring everyone else in the room, even Chu Yuechan.

"Grand Asgard Mistress," she hurriedly said, "I've got some news."

Feng Qianhui narrowed her eyes. For Chu Yueli to personally bring her news, something big must have happened.

"Speak."

Chu Yueli nodded. "According to our spies in the other sects… the Burning Heaven Clan was destroyed yesterday!"

"What?!" Feng Qianhui's eyes widened. "The Burning Heaven Clan?! Destroyed?!"

"That's not all." Chu Yueli shook her head. "The Xiao Sect's Patriarch and Ancestor, along with half of their elders… perished two hours ago."

"They what?!" Feng Qianhui exclaimed once more, stunned. Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue also had their eyes widened. "How?! Are you certain of that?!"

"Our spies in the Xiao Sect are certain of it!" Chu Yueli nodded her head. "According to them, not even one hour after the dimensional rift appeared, the Xiao Sect's Patriarch and Ancestor lead an entourage of elders into the portal to investigate. Two hours ago, the disciple in charge of guarding the jade-slip storehouse saw their life jade slips bursting apart!"

Feng Qianhui clearly knew what those life jade slips were. Before going on in a potentially perilous quest, a sect's disciples or members would infuse a portion of their life force into a jade slip, known as a life jade slip. The moment they perished, the life jade slip would be destroyed.

Life jade slips were extremely accurate. Even if Feng Qianhui found it hard to believe, she knew it was the truth. Furthermore, the Frozen Cloud Asgard spies that had infiltrated into other sects had all managed to acquire a position of power. They wouldn't send back false or dubious information.

"Xiao Sect..."

Issei suddenly stirred awake, attracting everyone's attention. His eyes snapped open, revealing two dark purple orbs.

He raised his body, and his eyes landed into Chu Yueli. His gaze was deep and penetrating, like sharp swords.

"Did you say that… the Ancestor and the Patriarch… died?!"

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	177. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 177 - The Truth**

* * *

Chu Yueli solemnly nodded her head. "They are," she said.

"The Ancestor, the Patriarch and half of the elders…" Issei took a deep breath. "The Xiao Sect is in dire straits."

Feng Qianhui sighed. "The situation is more dangerous than you think," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure that almost all of the experts of the Profound Sky Continent noticed the rift in space. Considering it's directly above the Blue Wind Nation, most of the various sects and clans are probably sending their troops here to investigate. And when they see the Xiao Sect, which has thousands of years of accumulated resources and has no way to defeat itself..."

Issei widened his eyes. "Doomed. They'll be doomed."

Feng Qianhui raised her head towards the ceiling and sighed again. "Who would have thought that the Old Monster and that Xiao Juetian would actually be so daring… but for them to have lost their lives.. whatever is inside that rift is extremely dangerous."

She then turned her head towards Chu Yueli. "Do you know how long until the others arrive?"

"The closest enemy force is from the country of the Nine Provinces," Chu Yueli said. Obviously, she had ordered some disciples to be on the look out. "They are roughly two hours away. The Four Great Saint Lands are probably on their way too."

"Very well," Feng Qianhui nodded her head. "Order all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples that are outside the sect to report back. Then activate the illusory formation. If those powerful, greedy monsters from the other sects find us… Frozen Cloud Asgard is doomed."

Chu Yueli gave Feng Qianhui a polite bow and left the room.

"What about you?" Feng Qianhui asked, turning her head towards Issei. "What do you plan on doing?"

Issei took a deep breath. "There's one hour, right?"

"Approximately."

After a moment of deliberation, he sighed. "I'll try to think of something." He then closed his eyes and crossed his legs. In the next moment, he appeared within the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl, right in front of Jasmine.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, Jasmine opened one of her eyes.

"No," she said plainly.

Issei stared straight at her, somewhat helpless. "I didn't even ask."

"But I know what you want." Jasmine closed her eye disdainfully. "You want a new skill, correct? One that can make you much stronger."

Issei kept silent.

"See?" Jasmine sneered at him. "I knew it." She paused. "My answer continues the same, I don't have anything like that."

"Do you at least know what that rift is?"

Jasmine shook her head. "No."

Issei was unwilling to give up. "Is there truly no way to save the Xiao Sect?"

At first, Jasmine didn't say anything. Then she sighed. "I'm sure you already noticed, but there's another World Spirit inside you," she said. "That one is extremely powerful, even in my standards. If you can manage to get it to help you, then you have a chance."

"Alright." Issei nodded his head. "I'll do just that."

After concentrating for a moment, his vision grew blurry. Shortly after, it cleared up, revealing an endless corridor. He was now at the World Spirit Space.

Issei walked forward, following the path to Eggy's room. Once he arrived at it, he turned around, and what entered his sight was the colossal door.

Before he could approach it, the door to Eggy's room opened.

"Issei, are you certain about that?" Eggy asked as she walked out, her expression one of concern. "That World Spirit… I don't think it's friendly."

"It's my only choice." Issei sighed. "Xiao Luocheng is in the Xiao Sect. Not only that, I made some friends there. I'm not about to let all of them perish."

As he spoke, he walked closer to the door. Eventually, he was only an arm's length away from it. After glancing at Eggy one last time, he placed his palm on the door's surface. A tremor went through his body, and his eyes instinctively closed.

When he opened them again, he found himself in a completely different place.

In front of him was a gigantic beast. Or at least what remained of it.

The air reeked of blood, and the ground was splattered with gore and bones. The carcass of a huge beast laid before him. The beast was easily fifty meters in height, and over a hundred in length. There were numerous holes and craters all over its body, as well as parts of its fur ripped off.

It appeared to be a wolf-like World Spirit.

Issei widened his eyes. "What's… what's going on?"

He had gone there expecting to see a proud and mighty World Spirit, capable of devouring worlds and tearing apart the Heavens, but what he encountered was a lifeless corpse.

"So you have come..."

An old and ancient voice suddenly reached Issei's ears. He immediately raised his head and saw a shocking scene. Floating above the carcass of the World Spirit was a throne made out of blood and flesh. Seated on top of it was the same shadow-like existence Issei had seen at the end of the Primordial Azure Dragon's trials.

Countless sealing symbols swirled around that shadow, each of them emanating a terrifying aura.

"You are..."

"Paragon Nine Seals," the shadow introduced itself. "A pleasure to meet you."

The shadow's voice was thundering, yet ancient. It gave off an indescribable feeling of power and seniority.

Issei stared at the strange shadow in shock, unsure of what was happening. It remembered seeing it before when the Primordial Azure Dragon sent a piece of his soul into his. However, he had a feeling that the shadow before him… was much stronger.

Two thin, red colored slits appeared on the shadow's face. "I must apologize about this World Spirit," it said, stretching one of its arms towards the corpse. "It was just too tempting of a meal to ignore."

"Who… are you?"

"Didn't I introduce myself already?" The shadow chuckled. "Oh well, I shall do it again. Call me as Paragon Nine Seals."

"What are you doing here?" Issei inquired, his voice harder and steadier.

"Obviously not sight-seeing." A wide, white line appeared below the shadow's eyes. It was a smile. "Anyways, I'll stop fooling around. You're here for power, aren't you?"

Issei widened his eyes. "How did you know?"

"It's to be expected." The shadow shrugged its shoulder. "After all, that old bastard did open up that portal in the sky…"

"Portal in the sky… you mean the rift?! You know about it?!"

"Of course I do!" The shadow jumped down from its throne, landing in front of Issei. Surprisingly, their heights were the same. "How could I not know my rival's signature teleportation technique?"

"Rival—"

The shadow stretched out one of its arms towards Issei, silencing him. "Don't speak," it said. "I'll explain everything in one go. If you were to keep asking those ridiculous questions, it would take all day. I'm not in the mood for that."

Although unwillingly, Issei complied and kept his mouth shut.

"Very good," the shadow said. It could have either been a praise or plain irony. Issei wasn't sure. "Now, I'll get straight to the point." The shadow took a few steps back and sat down on the ground. "It's a long story," it explained, noticing Issei's weird expression. "So don't keep standing."

After a moment of hesitation, Issei sat down. He still found the situation extremely strange, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The shadow's smile widened. "I believe I should introduce myself again. This time, I'll do it properly." It paused. "I'm Paragon Nine Seals… and your previous reincarnation."

Issei's eyes widened. Just as he was about to speak, the shadow once more stretched out its palm, telling him to keep silent.

"Don't make me repeat myself," the shadow said, it's voice harsher. "Do not speak until I tell you to."

Issei quickly nodded his head.

"I'm glad you understand." The shadow smiled, going back to its cheerful and carefree attitude. "Anyways, as I was saying, I'm you… in your previous life. I'll get to that in a while. However, before that, I'll tell you a little about my life..." It paused. "Which is also your life… I guess? Well, your previous life. Let's call it as such.

"Let's see..." the shadow, Paragon Nine Seals, paused to think. "I should probably skip to the end of my life. That's what's really important here." It then took in a deep breath. "I'm sure you have heard of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the place this planet is in, right?"

Issei nodded his head.

"Back in my time, the Mountain and Sea Realm didn't exist. In its place was the Paragon Immortal Realm. Overall, the Paragon Immortal Realm was the equivalent of what you would call the Martial Holy Lands. It was the place of gathering of all the powerhouses throughout the Middle Realm, a place like no other."

Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "Alas, after billions of years of prosperity, the Paragon Immortal Realm was destroyed. You see, there were 3,000 other realms in the Middle Realm; they were known as the Middle Realms. To them, those of the Paragon Immortal Realm were like deities and divinities, existences beyond their reach." Paragon Nine Seals darkly chuckled. "One day, they rebelled."

Issei's eyes narrowed, but he kept silent.

"Under normal circumstances, those 3,000 realms would never dare to do anything of the sort," Paragon Nine Seals explained. "They didn't even have enough power, either. The Paragon Immortal Realm was like the pinnacle; not even the added power of all the 3,000 realms could compare to it. However, they received the aid… of an Outsider. An existence that came from a place beyond the 3,000 realms and the Mountain and Seal Realms. They originated from a completely different place in the Middle Realm, somewhere nobody had even thought existed."

Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "That existence… was Wang Lin, the only cultivator to have ever existed that was capable of surpassing the Ancient Gods and True Gods. Most surprising of all was that he wasn't from the Higher Realm, but the Middle Realm, yet had enough power to rule over all three realms." It paused, as if remembering events from long ago. "When he came," it continued, "Wang Lin brought with him an army. That army, along with the 3,000 lower realms, destroyed the Paragon Immortal Realm.

"During that battle, Wang Lin fought against me, as well as two other cultivators, Paragon Sea Dream and Paragon Immortal Ancient. Together, we were the three Paragons of the Paragon Immortal Realms; existences regarded to as Deities. However, in front of Wang Lin… we were barely worth mentioning.

"In our battle, Wang Lin killed Paragon Immortal Ancient and fatally wounded Paragon Sea Dream, who was forced to retreat. In the end, only me, the strongest of the three Paragons, remained. Our battle lasted for nine days and nine nights. If it wasn't for the fact that Wang Lin had been wounded by Paragon Immortal Ancient in the moments before his death, I wouldn't have lasted even an hour against that monster."

Paragon Nine Seals shook his head and sighed. "In the dawn of the tenth day, the battle came to an end. Wang Ling had won. All that remained of me was a my soul; he had completely destroyed my fleshly body in that battle. However, it wasn't as if he hadn't suffered any damage; during the course of our battle, I managed to rip off his arm." Paragon Nine Seals paused. "Now, to a cultivator at the level of Wang Lin, even if his entire body was destroyed, he could regrow it in seconds. However, he was different. That was because his body was that of an Ancient God. You see, each and every part of his body was precious. Even if he could regrow his arm, it wouldn't be anywhere near the original. In fact, it wouldn't be even as 10% as powerful.

"Under normal circumstances, Wang Lin could have easily destroyed what remained of my soul and gotten his arm back. However, he didn't. He couldn't. That was because, moments after our battle finished, Wang Lin was forced to retreat back. Even now I don't know what had happened back then, but all I know was that he was forced to retreat in that crucial moment. Along with him, the entire army of powerful cultivators he had brought along retreated too.

"The 3,000 lowers realm, in that battle, were reduced to a miserable 33. In the end, they didn't keep fighting and backed off, each of them going back to their originals realm in order to regain their power. All that was left was the ruins of the Paragon Immortal Realm, along with the remains of three other realms."

Paragon Nine Seals suddenly raised its head towards the ceiling. Much to his shock, Issei was suddenly able to distinguish a forlorn emotion within it's two, red eyes.

"In such a situation, I decided to use what remained of my life to give people some hope," Paragon Nine Seals said. "Using the ruins of the Paragon Immortal Realm, I created nine mountains and nine seas. What couldn't be used was transformed into magical places, known as the Ruins of Immortality. After that, I created a Sun, and sealed my weapon, the Nine Seals Sword, within it. Then I created a moon, and sealed my armor, the Nine Seals Armor, inside of it. I also used the remains of the three other realms to create three lower realms, all of them subservient to the Mountain and Sea Realm. Through use of some mind-washing magic, I erased the memories of the inhabitants and made them believe the Mountain and Sea Realm was still the Paragon Immortal Realm. After that, I gave I the control of those three realms to Paragon Sea Dream, who had managed to regain some of her power.

"By that point, I only had a miserable amount of life left in me. Therefore, I released nine Demon Turtles, which I had captured back in my days of prosperity, and sealed one of them within each of the Nine Mountains so they could protect them. Finally, I created one last thing—the League of Demon Sealers."

Issei widened his eyes in disbelief.

"The League of Demon Sealers," continued Paragon Nine Seals, "was created with a single purpose in mind—revenge." After a brief pause, Paragon Nine Seals sighed and continued. "Before my death, I created the Demon Sealing Jade. Inside there I sealed the remaining of my consciousness, as well as Wang Lin's arm and the corpse of an Ancient God, which I happened to find in my travels. After all was done, I left behind the necessary instructions for the following Demon Sealers. Their job was simple. In exchange for a portion of my power, they simply had to seal what remained of their consciousness within the Demon Sealing Jade the moment before they death. The Demon Sealing Jade would then hide itself in space, only appearing when coming across a cultivator suitable for being a Demon Sealer.

"Various generations went by. Eventually, the Eighth Demon Sealer was chosen. On the moment before his death, the Demon Sealing Jade… activated. All of the souls of the previous Demon Sealers were awakened for a brief period of time, including mine. In total, there were nine of us. Nine. The perfect number. The pinnacle. Nine… seals. In a way, I'm the First Generation Demon Sealer, as I have my own Hex. However, I chose to be the Founder, as I wanted my reincarnation…. To be the ninth!

"Once all of our souls had been awakened, we immediately began the ritual… to create a vessel for my soul. I then used the power of all of the Demon Sealers to create a body. A body… that had the potential of surpassing the ultimate body, Wang Lin's. That new, self-made body was like a treasure. It was made out of Wang Lin's arm, the corpse of the Ancient God, and… three other bodies. Those bodies… were the ones belonging to the Middle Realm's three most talented newborns."

Paragon Nine Seals stretched out his hand and raised three of his fingers.

"The first was the prince of the Fang Clan, who possessed the blessing of reincarnation and unlimited potential. The second was the body of the successor of the Chu family. The Chu family is famous for having Divine Lightnings, a type of bloodline power. However, the leader of the Chu Family used some special kind of power to mutate the Divine Lightning within his son, creating a bloodline of unprecedented powerful. Finally, the last one was the son of the Yun family's Patriarch. You see, the Yun family is blessed with the bloodline of a True God, which grants them something known as the Profound Handle. In simple terms, the Profound Handle allows you to create another soul, which can possess a certain percentage of your original power. If that profound Handle is of the highest quality, it becomes possible to create a perfect clone of oneself… with the same amount of power!

"Obviously, I needed all of the power I could get. Therefore, I ordered the Eighth Demon Sealer, the only one who still possessed his body, to capture those three. Even if he was on his deathbed, the Eighth Demon Sealer still possessed immeasurable power. Not only that, the three of them were unprotected. At the time, the oldest was the prince of the Fang Clan, who was already one year old. His parents were living in Planet South Heaven like mortals for reasons I couldn't fathom at the time. Quickly and efficiently, the Eighth Demon Sealer knocked down his parents and captured him."

Paragon Nine Seals chuckled. "The other two were even easier. The successor of the Chu Family was also in South Heaven, being carried by some insane, yet extremely weak cultivator. After knocking him down and capturing the baby, who wasn't even three months old at the time, the Eighth Demon Sealer went to a secluded place in the Blue Wind Nation, the Xiao Clan. There, the successor of the Yun family was being taken care of by an adoptive family. Once again, it was extremely easy to capture him.

"After all of that, little Eighth brought me the three of them. I then extracted their bloodlines powers and placed it within my man-made vessel. In the end, I felt pity for the three of them and decided to seal their bodies and soul within my vessel. That way, once my reincarnation reached a certain level of power, they could be released and brought back to their respective families."

Paragon Nine Seals pointed towards the left wall. "Currently, they are all in your sea of consciousness, as well as Wang Ling's arm and the Ancient God's corpse. Currently, you aren't powerful enough to sustain the power of the Ancient God, Wang Lin's arm, the Profound Handle and the power of reincarnation, so I only unsealed the Divine Lightning. As you get stronger, your other powers will awaken.

"Though, keep in mind that in the process of fusing their powers with you, you also acquired their blood. Therefore, in theory, their parents… will think you are their son. The Chu family's leader already noticed you; like the others, he believes you to be his son. Anyways, be careful with that. Otherwise, you'd get messed up in one hell of a family's quarrel.

"Finally, the reason why you ended up in the Lower Realm… well, I'm not sure of that either. Originally you were meant to be sent to the Higher Realm, but it seems that I messed up the ritual in the end. Anyways, everything turned out well in the end. You're not even seventeen and already got your hands on the Evil God's legacy, as well as the blood of five divine beasts. As expected of my reincarnation."

Paragon Nine Seals paused. "Oh yes, before I forget, there are two other things I must tell you. First of all, back in the Divine Fire Realm, when the Devil King or whatever his name was sent you to that other dimension, you didn't 'coincidentally' end up in the place where the Eighth Demon Sealer left behind his legacy. It's somewhat complicated, but through various auguries, we calculated all of that ahead of time. There's no such thing as coincidence.

"The other thing I wanted to mention was the reason why you're able to see me right now. You see, you're my reincarnation; you're me. Therefore, you shouldn't be able to see your past self, as you _are_ your past self. However, in the moment of sealing my soul inside the vessel, I cloned my soul. The original soul had its memories erased, which ended up in you. The cloned version is me. After being sealed into your body, I was too weak, and couldn't even think straight. It was only after you acquired that Liang Ye's fellow legacy, along with that _delicious_ World Spirit that he gave you that I managed to recover a great part of my strength by devouring that tasty World Spirit."

The shadow took a deep breath. "Well, that was a lot. I guess I have explained most of the key points you need to know…." It paused. "So? Any questions?"

Just as Issei was about to open his mouth to speak, Paragon Nine Seals smiled.

"No? Alright, then let's more technical," he said, much to Issei's chagrin. "As my reincarnation, you only have a single purpose—kill Wang Lin. I don't care how you do it, or when you do it. As long as you do it, everything is fine. Since you're going to fight him in the future, I'll tell you what little information I managed to gather about him back in my time.

"First of all, you must understand the difference between a True God and an Ancient God. A True God is a deity. For example, the Evil God, the Rage God and most of the well-known gods were True Gods. An Ancient God, on the other hand, is a type of ancient cultivator who cultivated their bodies. They were existences the size of universes and could shred apart galaxies with a wave of their hand. Wang Lin possesses the body of an Ancient God. I don't know how he got it, but it doesn't change the fact that he does.

"At the same time, Wang Lin is also at the true peak of cultivation. That should be impossible, considering that when practicing an Ancient God's body cultivation technique, one would have to give up their spiritual power cultivator. Alas, Wang Lin is a heaven-defying bastard and somehow managed to pull it off.

"In other words, this means that the only way for you to become as strong as him would be to have a body stronger than his and a cultivation stronger than him. My original plan was for you to use his arm as inspiration to develop a body cultivation technique akin to that of Ancient Gods, but stronger. But now that you have the Great Way of the Buddha, and by that I mean the Great Way of the Chaotic Virtuous Buddha, all you need to do is to fuse your understandings of Wang Lin's arm with it and everything will be fine. As for cultivation base, I'm not too worried. After all, there _is_ a peak; a level that can't be surpassed. In other words, as long as you reach that level, you'll be equal to Wang Lin. Then, considering you have the Demon Sealing Hexes, you'll actually have the upper hand in that aspect.

"Though, at the time I was creating your body, I hadn't planned for you to get your hands on the Evil God's legacy, as well as the bloodline of so many Divine Beasts. Truth be told, what will truly matter for you in your fight against Wang Lin is the Evil God's legacy. As long as you can get your hands on all of the Seeds, all of the spiritual power attacks will be useless against you. You also have the Sky Poison Pearl, which makes you impervious to all kinds of poisons.

"Finally, there's also that damnable Magic Cube of yours. Truth be told, that little shit is nastier than the Sky Poison Pearl. You have no idea how many nightmares it gave me back in the day. You see, I was the one who created that crappy thing. I used the energy of the 2,964 lower realms that had been destroyed to create three treasures. One of them is that Magic Cube of yours. There's also the Purple Card, also known as the Purple Crystal, and the slightly weaker Demon Bead. If you can, try to get your hands on all of them. They will be great help in your battle against Wang Lin. While you're at it, get yourself the other Heavenly Profound Treasures too, specially that extremely overpowered sword, the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword. The more power you have, the better.

"Oh, before I forget, you should also search for the Cooper Mirror," Paragon Nine Seals suddenly added. "Right now, it should still be within Planet South Heaven. When you get powerful enough, search around for it. Many don't know it, but even if all of the Heavenly Profound Treasures were to be added together, they wouldn't compare to the Cooper Mirror. Well, when you get close to it, I'll tell you, so don't worry."

Paragon Nine Seals then clasped his hands and widely smiled. "Alright. You can truly ask your questions now. If you have any, that is."

Issei stared at the shadow in front of him in silence for a long time. What he had been told was simply too massive to be digested in one go. Even if Issei found what Paragon Nine Seals had told him to be ridiculous… there was a feeling deep within his heart that told him it was all true.

Eventually, he sighed. "I have a few questions," he said. "First of all, how long will you maintain your consciousness?"

"Heh, are you afraid you'll have to deal with another voice in your head?" Paragon Nine Seals grinned. Or at least what Issei believed to be a grin. "Don't worry, I'll keep quiet. I like to observe more, you know? In fact, I'll only talk whenever you come across some really powerful stuff and you don't notice it. For example, the Cooper Mirror or the other Heavenly Profound Treasures. Though, to answer your question, I won't be going back to sleep or fading away. That World Spirit gave me enough energy to last for a few millions years. That should be enough for you to reach Wang Lin's level of power, right?"

Issei slowly nodded his head. "Then, what about the Magic Cube? How do I use it?"

"Don't bother yourself with that." Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "Right now, you're too weak to control it. The only reason why you can use it is because there's someone inside there transforming the 'blood' from powerful beings into energy that is then used to fuel the Magic Cube. Don't bother asking me who's there; I don't know either. All you need to know is that once you reach a decent level of power, you'll be able to use the Magic Cube as you please, without any 'requirements'. Until then, just keep feeding it blood."

"Then… why did that portal—the rift—appear in Planet South Heaven?"

"You can thank good old Wang Lin. You see, he noticed my reincarnation was in South Heaven, and opened up a dimensional vortex to lure you back to his world. Obviously, he wants to kill you—me—and get his arm back. Actually, Wang Lin wouldn't be able to sense it if you were on any other planet, but South Heaven in special. The current Planet South Heaven… isn't a planet. It's a door. A door that leads to Wang Lin's dimension. Don't ask me about that, either. That's something you'll have to understand on your own."

Issei felt even more helpless. It appeared that whenever Paragon Nine Seals answered his questions, even more questions would surge. Since that was the case, Issei decided to go straight to the point.

"Considering you know all of that, what do you know about the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins?"

The moment he asked that question, the glow of Paragon Nine Seal's eyes dimmed.

"You're asking about that girl, right? Xia Mei."

Issei nodded. He wasn't surprised that it already knew the situation.

Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "The Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins… are, in a way, a kind of bloodline. It normally only manifests itself on man, but every few thousands of years, a female that possesses it is born. Xia Mei is such a case. However… when the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins manifests in a woman… there's a certain period in which they absolutely can't be awakened."

Issei narrowed his eyes.

"From the age of one until the age of ten, the Tyrannical Emperor's Divine Veins can be awakened without any problems. Then, after the woman turns twenty, they can also be awakened. However, if they are awakened in the woman's adolescence, the consequences are grim. I don't know why this happened, as I didn't research those types of power when I was alive, but all I know is that if a woman awakens it in the period between eleven and twenty years of age… she'll die ten years later."

Issei took a deep breath. "Is there a way to change that?"

"No." Paragon Nine Seals shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to change that even if I were in my days of prime. Ten years from now, Xia Mei will die."

Issei lowered his head. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Paragon Nine Seals didn't have any reasons to lie to him. He could also sense that it wasn't a lie.

"You mentioned rebirth..." Issei eventually said. "Is that possible?"

"Normally, yes." Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "But not with Xia Mei. You see, when someone born in the Mountain and Sea Realm, they get sent to the underworld of the Fourth Mountain, where they'll go through the cycle of rebirth. As long as you go there and have enough power, you would be able to bring her her back to life. However, after she dies… she'll be going to another place."

"What? Why?"

"You see, Wang Lin… has a title. A position, to be exact." Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "Wang Lin…. Is the Master of Hell. In other words, he controls the underworlds of the Lower Realm, the Middle Realm and the Higher Realm. Normally, he allows those who died to go to the underworlds of the realms they are in, but since Xia Mei is your lover… he'll snatch her away from the reincarnation cycle and hold her hostage. He wants his arm back, and is afraid you'll run away. By capturing her, you'll be forced to battle with him in the future. Sadly, the same will happen to all of the other girls. If any of them perish, they'll get captured by Wang Lin."

Issei's body started to tremble. "So this means… that after she dies, I'll only be able to see her again… after I defeat Wang Lin?"

"Exactly," Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "Considering it will take a long time for you to be able to defeat him… I suggest you cherish the time you have with her right now. For the next ten years, take a break from the world of cultivation and spend that time with Xia Mei. Cherish every moment you have with her, because it may take hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years for you meet her again."

Noticing Issei's silence, Paragon Nine Seals sighed. "Right now, you're in a difficult situation in the outside world. You need power. Therefore, I'll temporarily give you access to a part of the power of the Ancient God. You'll be able to use part of it for one year, but in the nine years that follow, you'll be extremely weak. Use that one year to conquer the entire Profound Sky Continent and gather yourself an army. Then, in the nine years that follows, spend them with Xia Mei. Finally, on the tenth year, you'll reenter the world of cultivation."

Issei raised his head to stare at Paragon Nine Seals. His expression was resolute. "How much power… how much power are you talking about?"

"Even if I'm giving you a minuscule percentage of the Ancient God's power, it's still the power of an Ancient God. Even a single strand of its hair could be used to slice apart countries." Paragon Nine Seals chuckled in spite of the situation. "I'll give you just enough power to slaughter Saint Profound Realm cultivators. That should be more than enough to conquer the Profound Sky Continent, right?"

This time, Issei wasn't surprised. He simply stood up, turned around and started to walk away. Just as he was about to reach the door, he stopped. "Thank you," he softly said.

Paragon Nine Seals widely smiled. "Heh. I'm just doing a favor to myself, if you know what I mean. Also, I suggest you get away from Frozen Cloud Asgard as fast as possible. I'm going to give you that power in a few minutes, and believe me when I say this, there will be a massive explosion. If you don't want the others to be harmed, find yourself a secluded space within the next ten minutes."

Issei solemnly nodded his head. Then, with a thought, he disappeared from his World Spirit Space.

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	178. The Final Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, Against** **The Gods, Martial God Asura, Martial World, or the story's image. They all belong to their respective owners.**

 **Info:**

 **Cultivation Realms – Elementary Profound Realm, Nascent Profound Realm, True Profound Realm, Spirit Profound Realm, Earth Profound Realm, Sky Profound Realm, Emperor Profound Realm, Tyrant Profound Realm, Sovereign Profound Realm, Divine Profound Realm and Saint Profound Realm.**

 **World Spiritist Levels – White-Cloak, Gray-Cloak, Blue-Cloak, Purple-Cloak, Gold-Cloak.**

 **Fleshly Body ranks - Strength Training Stage, Viscera Training Stage, Muscle Altering Stage, Bone Forging Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, Tempering Marrow, Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.**

 **Great Way of the Buddha - First Stage : 1, _500 kilos_.  Second Stage: _4000 kilos_.  Third Stage: _Ten Thousand Kilos_ _\+ Fast Healing Capabilities_.  Fourth Stage: _50,000 kilos..._ Seventh Stage: _Unreachable, at least to humans_...  Twelveth Stage: _The_** _**Peak of the 'Great Way of the Buddha.' Attain the original physique of the Rage God.**_

 **Beta-read by: Planet511!**

* * *

 **Chapter 178 - The Final Battle**

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When Issei opened his eyes again, he found himself back inside the infirmary. Everyone was still staring at him, awaiting for some kind of answer.

Ignoring everything else, Issei immediately turned his head towards Chu Yuechan. "I need your help," he said. "Right now."

"What?" she asked, startled.

He jumped off the bed and started walking towards the infirmary's exit. On his way, he couldn't help but glance at Xia Mei, who peacefully slept on her bed. His gaze softened, but hardened in the next moment. He averted his gaze and said, "I need you to take me somewhere." Noticing Chu Yuechan wasn't following him, he turned his head back. "Hurry!" he urged. "Otherwise, everyone here will die!"

His words successfully snapped Chu Yuechan out of her daze. Disregarding Xia Qingyue and Feng Qianhui, she rushed to the entrance, catching up to Issei.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they rushed out of the palace.

"Some place where there's nobody. It needs to be close to here."

Chu Yuechan was confused, but still nodded her head. The moment they left Frozen Cloud Asgard's palace, Chu Yuechan took out the azure jade slip and threw it on the snow. After absorbing the water contained therein, the jade slip transformed into an azure cloud.

Chu Yuechan jumped into the cloud, followed by Issei. They then rose into the air and disappeared into the distance in a blink of an eye. While in the air, Issei kept track of the passage of time. Once exactly five minutes had passed, Issei rose to his feet. "Stop," he said. "Here's good."

"Alright." Chu Yuechan nodded and waved her hand down. The azure cloud immediately began descending, quickly reaching the ground.

Issei then jumped out of the cloud. Just as Chu Yuechan was about to do the same, he raised his arm, blocking her. "Don't," he ordered. "I want you to get away as fast as possible now. Head over to Frozen Cloud Asgard."

"What?" Chu Yuechan stared at him, looking puzzled. "Why?"

"Don't ask," he said. "There's no time to explain. Just get as far away a possible. Regardless of what happens, don't come back. Once this is over, I'll meet with you in Frozen Cloud Asgard."

Even though Chu Yuechan found the situation strange, she complied. She controlled her cloud and immediately ascended into the air, rushing back to Frozen Cloud Asgard. For some reason, when Issei said some words, she had a premonition that something huge was about to happen.

Immediately after Chu Yuechan had left, Issei started to rush in the opposite direction, getting as far away as possible. Paragon Nine Seals hadn't specified how big the explosion would be, and Issei wasn't about to take any chances. It was only after exactly ten minutes had passed that he stopped running.

After taking a deep breath, Issei sat down on the snow, crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

Then it happened.

…

Chu Yuechan suddenly felt a tremor run through her body. She turned her head to look back just in time to see a huge beam of heavenly, divine light pierce into the skies. A tyrannical and massive gust of power exploded out, and all of the snow before her was thrown into the air. The ground shook, and everything else trembled. Maddened ripples spread out in the air, while windstorms raged. Up in the skies, lightning cackled. The sound of peals of thunder rang all around her, deafening and terrifying. All of the spiritual power in an area of dozens of miles grew erratic and wild, unbound by all laws.

It was as if a True God was descending into the mortal world.

Only something like that… could provoke such a colossal reaction.

All of sudden, an even stronger wave of power hit her. Her vision turned dark. She couldn't feel anything anymore.

….

A while later, she regained consciousness. Upon opening her eyes, she came face to face with a shocking sight. She blinked once. Then twice. Then thrice. Finally, on the fourth time… she realized that she wasn't dreaming. Her eyes widened.

All of the snow before her—thousands of miles of white—had completely disappeared. Vanished. Ceased to exist.

What she saw was a vast and barren land, covered in desolate, brown soil. Gigantic craters littered the ground. The smallest of them was only a few meters wide, but the biggest reached miles in length. They went beyond what her eyes could see, stretching into the distance. It was if a rain of meteors had taken place. Most shocking of all was that the spiritual power in the area had turned extremely scarce and rarefied, almost reaching the point in which cultivation wasn't possible.

"Where… where am I? Where is this place?" Chu Yuechan asked herself, thoroughly bewildered. She tried moving her body, but was struck by a painful sensation. Slowly and carefully, she moved her head down. Her eyes widened. Realization hit her.

She couldn't move… because she was stuck on a wall.

Frozen Cloud Asgard's wall.

Chu Yuechan's mind reeled, thunderclaps exploding within her mind.

The reason for her shock wasn't because she was stuck on a wall. That had happened before. What truly shocked her was that if she was was on Frozen Cloud Asgard's wall, that would mean that what was in front of her… was the Snow Region of Extreme Ice.

Or at least what had once been the Snow Region.

Forcing herself to calm down, she took in a deep breath. Then she produced a small pill from her Cosmos Sack and guided it to her mouth through use of her spiritual power. The instant she swallowed it, she felt a cold sensation spread out in her body.

All of the pain quickly faded away, as if it had been warded off. In its place, a pleasant sensation was born.

Despite that, she didn't dare to move yet. It was only she was sure that she had absorbed all of the pill that she finally channeled spiritual power into her limbs. Instantly, she felt boundless power surging out within her body. Taking advantage of that, she broke free from the wall. As she did so, fragments and debris of the wall crumbled down into the ground.

Hovering in the air, Chu Yuechan faced the wall. On it was a massive crater, almost fifty meters in width—the place she had just been at. Web-like cracks spread all around the wall, covering its entirety.

"Just what happened?" Chu Yuechan glanced back and forth between the wall and the now-snowless landscape, extremely confused.

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out just what could have caused such a massive change. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. Her eyes widened as she thought back to a certain event that happened… in the Primordial Azure Dragon's Trials.

"Could it be… Issei?!" she exclaimed. Then she shook her head. "No. To make all of the snow disappear… not even someone of the Divine Profound Realm could easily do that. The power Issei showed that day, albeit strong, wasn't this much..." She paused. "Wait…. Issei… where is him?!"

She immediately snapped her fingers, and the azure jade slip appeared on her hand. Even though it had it's cloud form forcefully dispelled due to the shock wave, it hadn't suffered any damage.

However, before she could activate it, she caught sight of a figure in the distance, whistling through the air towards her.

Her eyes widened. She recognized that person.

Dark hair. Deep purple eyes. Handsome face.

It was Issei.

Then she realized something else. Issei… couldn't fly.

In one moment, he was in the distance. Then she blinked, and he appeared in front of her. His appearance was the same, but the aura around him was completely different. Boundless power radiated out of his body. Power unprecedented in this continent. Power… that shouldn't be possible. What shocked her the most was that she could feel that his cultivation base… was still in the Spirit Profound Realm.

That meant that the power… came from his bones, flesh and blood! Not from his his cultivation base, but from his fleshly body!

"Saint Profound Realm…. Fleshly Body?!" She widened her eyes. Shock and disbelief flickered with her them. "How…?!"

Then she noticed that on Issei's forehead, a strange, star-like mark could be seen. It was right next to snowflake-like mark—the Ice Phoenix's mark—and the three-colored, ethereal flame imprint. For reasons she couldn't fathom, Chu Yuechan felt that his sudden increase in power… was because of that star mark!

Issei smiled at her. It was a gently, caring smile. "I'll tell you once I get back," he softly said. His voice was deeper—richer. Even his bearing changed, turning more dignified and proud. "Right now, I have a sect to protect."

Before Chu Yuechan could say anything, Issei's body flickered. In the following moment, he disappeared from sight. Shocked, Chu Yuechan hurriedly spread out her spiritual power, but soon realized that she couldn't feel his presence.

It was as if he had simply ceased to exist.

"Speed bordering teleportation… that's definitely… the power of the Saint Profound Realm!"

…

At the same time, in a far away place Issei suddenly appeared. Below him was a large and dense forest, mountains in the distance. If he focused his sight, he would be able to see a small hut made out of bamboo deep within the forest. He stood in the air, arms crossed. His gaze was hard and cold as he stared of into the distance.

The sun hung high in the sky. Near it, the dimensional rift seemed bigger than ever.

However, when Issei's gaze fell on it again, he was no longer overwhelmed by fear or hatred. All he felt was a deep, strong hatred.

It didn't take long for a mass of people to appear over the horizon. Sighing, he turned his attention away from the rift, and his gaze fell on the newcomers. From what he could see, there were at least three hundred Sky Profound Realm cultivators, all of them heavily armed. Leading them was a man wearing a golden armor. A spear was held in his hand, and the signature aura of the Emperor Profound Realm radiated from his body.

That army of cultivators had originally been flying towards Blue Wind with their fastest speed, not stopping for anything. Many cultivators from other factions had tried to block their path, but they were all cut down by the golden-armored man's spear. Their momentum was almost unstoppable. However, the their leader—the golden-armored man—caught sight of Issei, his eyes darkly narrowed. He then raised his hand into the air, and all of those behind him halted in place. Some of them revealed expressions of surprise. It was the first time their leader had ordered them to stop. Ignoring the strange gazes sent in his direction, the golden-armored man flew out, only stopping a few feet away from Issei.

He then took off his helmet, revealing a handsome and rugged face. "Who might fellow cultivator be?" he politely asked, an ingratiating smile on his face.

Issei stared at him coldly, not even a hint of friendliness on his expression. He looked like a deity, capable of looking down on everything in existence. "If you don't want to die, take your army back," he icily said.

The man's smile faltered. "What?" he asked. His voice was harsher, stronger.

"Are you deaf?" Issei's gaze grew even colder. "Take one step forward and I'll show you a fate worse than death"

Initially, the man in golden armor had gone there with good intentions. He had felt that Issei's cultivation was only in the Spirit Profound Realm, but thought he was intentionally hiding it. Since he was able to hide his cultivation base, that meant he was at least a Throne. Because of that, he first wanted to know what Issei was doing there. If a battle could be avoided, then he would definitely do it.

Alas, after hearing Issei's words, anger surged in the man's eyes. Nevertheless, since he knew the young man before him was extremely powerful, he tried to solve the situation peacefully. "Fellow cultivator, there's no need for that, is there? I'm only bringing my man to investigate. I promise that I won't do anything to Blue Wind."

"I don't care," Issei coldly said, refusing to give the man face. "My words stand. If you step forward, all that awaits you is death."

The golden-armored man no longer tried to fake friendliness. "I've got an army of three hundred Sky Profound Cultivators with me. I'm at the Emperor Profound Realm myself," he said, his eyes narrowed. "Even if you're powerful, judging by your appearance, you're not even eighteen, are you? At most, you are in the middle stages of the Emperor Profound Realm. Do you truly believe you can stop my army on your own?"

Issei looked at him coldly. "You don't... believe me?" he slowly asked.

Instead of answering him, the golden-armored man took a single step forward. Even though it was only one step, it clearly showed his intention.

A dark, murderous light flashed across Issei's eyes.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Before the golden-armored man could react to his words, he disappeared from sight. In the next moment, Issei appeared in the middle of the army of Sky Profound Realm cultivator.

Then he snapped his fingers. It was only a single action.

However, when Issei did it, it was massive!

 _BOO_ _OOOOM!_

A thunderous sound wave resounded in the air, spreading in all directions. It was louder than thunderclaps, deadlier than swords. The Sky Profound Realm cultivators who were the close directly exploded in a haze of blood and gore, while the farther ones lost consciousness, and fell to the ground, their ears reduced to a bloody mess. Without hesitation, Issei waved his arm, and the Source Energy of all of those who died was sucked into his body, directly sent to Eggy.

In but a single move, he incapacitated an army of over three hundred Sky Profound Realm cultivators.

The golden-armored men, who was farther away, was also affected. He was sent sailing through the air like a kite without string, bleeding from all of his head's seven apertures. His mind reeled in shock as he spun around, completely disorientated.

All of a sudden, he suddenly felt his body stabilizing. With much effort, he raised his head, and found Issei's face directly in front of his. Two deep, purple orbs stared straight at him unblinkingly. Deep within them was boundless power and ruthlessness, the likes of which he had never seen. The golden-armored man knew, that from that moment onward, such a sight would plague his nights for the rest of his life.

"Go back to your lord or whatever," Issei said, holding him by the collar, "and tell him that one week from now, the Profound Sky Continent's Emperor is going to take over his nation."

Before the man could say anything, Issei pulled back his arm, then whipped it forward, throwing the golden-armored cultivator back into the country of the Nine Provinces at a speed much greater than he could possibly achieve on his own.

Shortly after, Issei disappeared without a sound.

Not even a second later, in the border between Navy Tide Nation and Blue Wind Nation, Issei mysteriously appeared.

He then sat down in the air, waiting for his enemies to arrive.

All of a sudden, he heard someone's shout in his mind.

"What the hell happened?!" Jasmine cried out. For the first time since he met her, she was extremely perturbed. "How… how are you so powerful?!"

Eggy and Feng Xinyi seemed equally shocked, as they also cried out in disbelief.

Alas, Issei couldn't bring himself to bother with that at the moment. After taking in a deep breath, he said, "Once I finish with this, I'll explain everything."

Shortly after, an army appeared in the distance. This time, it was even more massive. Over two thousand Sky Profound Realm cultivator, and at least one hundred Thrones. He could even see ten Overlords in the front.

If it was the Issei from before, he would definitely be shocked by such an army.

However, to the current him, that army… was no different that harmless bugs, waiting to be crushed under his feet.

Issei stood up from the ground, and his eyes flickered with a deadly light.

This was the day in which the Emperor of the Profound Sky Continent… was born!

…

…

…

Inside one of the rooms of a large castle, Issei sat next to a large bed. On it was Xia Mei, who slept with her eyes closed. Issei held onto her hand, a caring expression on his face. Moonlight shone out from the window, illuminating the room in a faint light yet pleasant light.

Eventually, Issei sighed and stood up. He turned and walked towards the door, which was in the opposite side of the room. After leaving the room, he carefully closed the door behind him. The moment he stepped into the corridor, the lights in the ceiling—powered by spiritual power—lit up, fully revealing his appearance.

Compared to how he had been one year before, he looked completely different. He was taller and more handsome. His skin had grown even fairer, and his eyes now possessed a different type of light. An illusory formation covered his forehead, hiding the various marks that were previously imprinted on it.

Issei also wore different clothes. At the moment, he was clad in a long, golden robe. On it were drawings of dragons, phoenixes and all kinds of mythical creatures.

Issei walked in slow and heavy steps. Eventually, he came across a large door. He slowly tapped on it, causing it to open, revealing what was in the other side—a large room with a squared table in the middle. There two chairs in each of it's two sides, and a bigger, dark-colored chair in one of the ends. There was also a smaller, white-colored chair on the other end.

Four of those chairs, the golden ones, were occupied. Seated on them were all massive figures in the Profound Sky Continent—the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds.

The moment Issei arrived, they all stood up from their seats and politely bowed towards him. All of them were in the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm. They were true Monarchs, existences that only a year ago, had been considered as the absolute peak of the Profound Sky Continent. The youngest of them was already several hundred years old, and the oldest had reached his thousands.

However, in front of Issei, they all showed reverent and respectful expressions. None of them were faked; they all respected him from the bottom of their hearts.

"You may all sit down," Issei said plainly.

They all complied, and sat back on their seats.

Issei calmly walked to his chair, the black-colored one. After sitting down, he turned his attention to one of the four Monarchs, the Sword Master and leader of the leader of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Xuanyuan Wentian.

"Wentian, what is your reason for requesting this meeting?"

Xuanyuan Wentian stood up from his seat and politely bowed his head. "Your Imperial Majesty, this one wishes to discuss the matter of the Illusory Demon Realm."

"The Illusory Demon Realm?" Issei raised a brow. "Speak."

He nodded his head. "The Illusory Demon Real, as Your Imperial Majesty knows, has always been the biggest enemy of our Profound Sky Continent. Not too long ago, I acquired information that currently, the ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm is the Little Demon Empress, whose power isn't far from mine, or the other leaders. I believe that if we use Your Imperial Majesty's power, it should be possible to conquer it once and for all." He paused. "Also, considering that in a few weeks, Your Imperial Majesty will lose your powers… this is something that, in my humble opinion, should be done as soon as possible."

He then politely bowed again and sat back on his seat.

Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie, the leader of the Sun Moon Divine Hall, one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, faintly nodded his head, agreeing with Xuanyuan Wentian's words. As for the two others—the leader Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and the leader of the Supreme Ocean Palace—, they remained silent; they didn't agree with Xuanyuan Wentian, but they didn't disagree either.

"Conquering the Illusory Demon Realm…." Issei lowered his head in thought. After a moment of deliberation, he glanced at the Heavenly Monarch. "Meixie, how long would it take to arrive at the Illusory Demon Realm?"

Ye Meixie immediately stood up from his seat and gave Issei a bow. "Your Imperial Majesty, if we were to use Sacred Arks and Profound Arks, we could probably arrive there in one week's time."

Issei nodded towards him, and Ye Meixie sat back on his seat. After a few moments of silence, Issei focused his attention on the two other leaders, who hadn't spoken anything. "What about you two?" he asked. "What's your opinion?"

Both of them got up from their seats, and like Ye Meixie and Xuanyuan Wentian, they politely bowed. The leader of the Supreme Ocean Palace took the initiative to speak. "Truth be told, Your Imperial Majesty, this old one is already nearing the end of his life. Whatever order Your Imperial Majesty has for me, I shall follow it. I have no opinion on this matter."

Issei nodded and glanced in the direction of the remaining leader.

Absolute Monarch Sanctuary's leader, the Saint Emperor, nodded his head. "I also have no opinion on this matter. I shall also follow any order Your Imperial Majesty has."

"Very well then," Issei said. He then got up from his seat and sighed. "I'm sure all of you already know, but two weeks from now, I'll turn powerless. In this past year, I've managed to reunite the Profound Sky Continent into a single, deadly force. Alas, there are still other enemies we must be wary of. One of them is the Illusory Demon Realm. Therefore, I have decided. In these two weeks I have left… I shall conquer all of our enemies."

The Saint Emperor widened his eyes. He was the oldest one out of all of those present, and knew better than anyone the meaning behind Issei's words. "All of them?" he questioned. "Even the Immortal Execution Archipelago of the Eastern Sea Region? What about the South Sea Demon Region?"

"All of them," Issei repeated. "At the same time, I'll also make alliances with the remaining countries near us." He then turned his head back to the Heavenly Monarch. "Meixie, how are our ties with the Fey race and the Vampire race? Did we manage to sign a treaty with them?"

Ye Meixie stood up from his seat. "Reporting to Your Imperial Majesty, I've got good news. Our Vampire Ambassador, Lord Shinso, successfully managed to form an alliance with the Vampire Emperor of the Blood Soul Continent. Right now, the Vampire Emperor is on his way here to meet with Your Imperial Majesty. As for the Fey race, we've also made progress with them. The Fey Empress of the Divine Light Continent is also on her way."

Issei nodded his head. "As long as successfully form both alliances and conquer our enemies, we'll have half of planet South Heaven on our side. Considering that the other half never interacted with us, we'll leave them be. I believe I'll be able to retire with safety."

"RETIRE?!"

Almost immediately, the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds stood up from the seats, their expressions shocked. The Saint Emperor was the first to speak. "Your Imperial Majesty, forgive my insolence, but what are you talking about? Didn't you mention that you would only remain powerless for nine years? There's no reason for you to retire, is that? You can just take a temporary leave from the Throne, but to retire… isn't that too much?"

The three others all nodded their heads, sharing the same feelings of the Saint Emperor.

Almost one year before, Issei had single-handedly beaten all of them. The first one to fall to his hands was the Heavenly Monarch, who immediately swore loyalty. In the span of a week, Issei defeated the leader of all of Four Sacred Grounds. His momentum had been unstoppable, and his image had been deeply carved into the mind of everyone.

It could be said that in the entire world, the only person the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds respected was Issei. That was because the defeat they suffered had been simply too massive. Had they been simply beaten, it wouldn't have mattered much. In fact, they would actually have thoughts of killing Issei and taking the throne for themselves.

However, what Issei had done was far from a simple beaten. He roughed them up so badly to the point in which they were begging to die. Despite that, he didn't kill them. He gave them a chance to follow him in his conquest, to become the true kings of the Profound Sky Continent. Issei would be the Emperor, and they would be the Kings.

Never before had the Profound Sky Continent been so united. Since time immemorial, there had always been different factions vying for supremacy. However, that all changed with Issei's arrival. With heavenly, unprecedented power, a sword on his hand and a spear on his other, he made everyone bow before him.

It didn't matter if it was the Phoenix Emperor or the leader of a small, inconspicuous sect… Issei made all of them swear loyalty to him. Many of them had even taken a Dao Oath in order to prove their conviction. This meant that if they were to betray Issei, they would lose their lives.

The leader of the Four Great Sacred Grounds had taken a step further. Not only did they swear a Dao Oath, they made all of the elders of their factions do the same. This was because they were afraid Issei wouldn't be satisfied with their word alone.

Originally, they had done that simply to keep their lives, but as they witnessed Issei literally destroying the Profound Sky Continent only to rebuild it again as a united land, a land thousands of times more powerful than it had once been.

None of the leader of the Four Great Sacred Grounds were saints. Most of them had committed atrocious actions and grave sins in their lives, specially the Heavenly Monarch. Murder, slaughter, who of them hadn't done that before? However, they shared one thing in common—their love for the Profound Sky Continent.

In terms of overall power, the Profound Sky Continent, even with the help of the Four Sacred Grounds, used to be weaker than the Illusory Demon Realm, or even countries of the other races. However, after one year of Issei's lead, they had become the most powerful of all countries.

Before, the Fey and the Vampire race wouldn't even glance at them. Now, they were personally going to visit Issei to pay their respects.

As time passed, the leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds believed that if it was Issei, he would be able to lead the Profound Sky Continent to glory! That's why they put aside their ego and malicious intent, and started to wholeheartedly respect Issei.

Even though they knew that Issei would soon lose his powers, their respect for him didn't diminish. After all, nine years later, Issei would regain them once more. After that, they were sure that it wouldn't be impossible to have the Profound Sky Continent… take over the entire planet!

Issei stared at the four Monarchs in front of him in shock, completely startled by their outburst. Then he chuckled and sighed. "I meant it as a temporary retirement," he said.

The tension of the atmosphere instantaneously decreased.

Everyone sat back on their seats, joyful expressions on their faces.

Issei sighed. Not even a year before, the ones before him were untouchable existences, but the current him could order them around with a single word. Times had truly changed. Eventually, he turned his head towards Xuanyuan Wentian. "How is the Demon King?" he asked. "I told you to release him from his biding a few months ago. Has he already been nursed back to health?"

He nodded his head. "Lord Demon King Yun Canghai is currently in a much better state, per Your Imperial Majesty's orders. Why? Does Your Imperial Majesty want something with him?"

"I do," Issei said. "Bring him to me tomorrow, after lunch. I want to have a talk with him." He paused and sighed. "I'd rather not cause any bloodshed between the Illusory Demon Realm and the Profound Sky Continent. Differently from the Immortal Execution Archipelago and the South Sea Demon Region, the Illusory Demon Realm are much more peaceful."

"Then do you plan on creating an alliance with them?"

"No," he shook his head. "From your reports, an alliance wouldn't work. There's too much infighting there. What I plan to do is to give them a chance. I'll offer the Little Demon Empress my protection, and handle all of her enemies. In return, the Illusory Demon Realm will have to listen to my orders. I'll become the Illusory Demon Realm's Emperor."

The Saint Emperor and the leader of the Supreme Ocean Palace both nodded their head. Obviously, they believed this to be a better solution.

The Heavenly Monarch and the Sword Master both thought for a moment before nodding their heads. They also supported that decision.

Seeing that everyone agreed with his decision, Issei smiled. "Alright. Temporarily setting the problems of the Illusory Demon Realm aside, I believe we should choose a temporary leader for the next nine years."

"Does Your Imperial Majesty have any suggestions?" Xuanyuan Wentian asked.

"Actually, I do," Issei said. "This person isn't a leader of any of the Four Great Sacred Grounds., but I'm sure all of you know him." Issei paused for suspense. "Actually, I met him by coincidence. He challenged me to a battle, but was still beaten by me in the end. He then swore a Dao Oath, pledging to follow me. His name has been long since forgotten, but his identity… is that of the leader of the Eternal Night Royal Family."

"What?!"

Everyone widened their eyes.

"Weren't they exterminated? How… how is this possible?!" Xuanyuan Wentian cried out. "I personally witnessed the soul King of Eternal Night be sealed into a coffin! That was a thousand years ago! How could he still be alive?!"

"I'm not too sure either," Issei said. "All that I know was that one day, he appeared before me, introduced himself, and challenged me to a fight. Through that battle, I was able to ascertain that he's actually stronger than all of you, as surprising as it may seem. I've also talked things through with him. And he has accepted. However, he bears a grudge against one of you..." Issei glanced at Xuanyuan Wentian out of the corner of his eyes.

The Sword Master lowered his head, ashamed. "I was too rash back then," he admitted. "Because of my greed, I tricked everyone else into attacking them. Even to this day, I'm still ashamed."

Issei sighed. "Don't worry about it. The King of Eternal Night told me that as long as you give him back the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, he won't take revenge. Don't worry about him going back on his word either; he's under the effect of the Dao Oath."

"The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?" Xuanyuan Wentian didn't need to think twice. He waved his arm down, and a small, spatial rift appeared in front of him. He stretched out his hand, and grabbed a Cosmos Sack from inside. He then placed it on the table. "It's inside there," he said. "Truth be told, Your Imperial Majesty, it's pretty useless to my Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. We've researched it for almost one thousand years, but haven't been able to activate it. The Old Kind of Eternal Night can have it."

"Alright," Issei said. He then waved his hand, and the Cosmos Sack Xuanyuan Wentian had taken out disappeared from sight, being sent into the inner world of the Sky Poison Pearl. Issei stood up from his seat. "That's all for now. Tomorrow, after my meeting with Yun Canghai, I shall summon you all again to define the details of our plans for the Illusory Demon Realm."

The four Monarchs all stood up, and after bowing to Issei, they left the room one by one. Eventually, only Issei was left. Once everyone had left, he rubbed his temples and sighed. "Now I gotta deal with the other girls..."

He helplessly smiled. After glancing at the meeting room once, he concentrated, and his body disappeared. When he appeared again, he was standing in front of two, large doors.

After pushing them open, a large table entered his sight. Chu Yuechan, Xia Qingyue, Eggy, and Feng Xinyi were all seated in silence, their eyes closed. Issei sighed at that peculiar sight. For some reason, he had already gotten used to it.

He then cleared his throat, and all of the girls opened their eyes. Immediately, happy smiles bloomed on all of their faces.

"Let's have dinner, shall we?" he said.

They all nodded in unison, some more firmly than the others.

Once more, Issei helplessly smiled. This smile, however, seemed a little happier than the previous one. Eventually, dinner finished. Issei excused himself from the room for a moment and went back to Xia Mei's room. This was something he did every night.

Much to his surprise, she was awake. Using the faint moonlight as illumination, she read a book.

Issei's expression softened. "What are you reading?" he gently asked.

"A fairy tail," Xia Mei lowered her book and smiled at him, "it supposedly tells the story of your life." She softly giggled. "I've only read a few pages, but there were so many mistakes..."

Issei chuckled. "This is what? The hundredth book about the Emperor of the Profound Sky Continent?"

Xia Mei smiled. Just as she was about to say something, she started coughing. Issei immediately rushed to her side and helped her stabilize her condition. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine..."

"Lying to a doctor isn't good for your health," Issei rebuked her.

Xia Mei forced a smile. "You got me."

After that, they chatted until she fell asleep again. Her condition kept getting worse by the day, and there was nothing he could do about it. At first it was only pain, but slowly she started to lose control over her limbs. She could no longer walk, and would have coughing fits occasionally. The situation was far from good.

Issei sighed. If he didn't believe it before, now he was certain. She would definitely die in ten years.

After a moment of silence, Issei slowly walked over to the window. He raised his head to stare at the skies and saw the spatial rift. Never before had he hated something this much.

"Wang Lin..." Issei clenched his hands. "Just you wait…"

…

…

…

Time slowly passed.

After peacefully taking over the Illusory Demon Realm, Issei did as he promised and destroyed the two remaining enemies of the Profound Sky Continent—the South Sea Demon Region and the Immortal Execution Archipelago. Using his last few days of power, he finished establishing alliances with the Fey race, which resembled elves, the Vampire race, and other powerful factions.

When he lost his power, the King of Eternal Night immediately took over his position. However, only the higher-ups were aware of that. The masses had no idea of what was happening. Not much changed with that transition.

The King of Eternal Night was extremely loyal to Issei. It could be said that Issei was still the one who had the last word; it was only that in meetings with other continents, the King of Eternal Night would be the one to represent the Profound Sky Continent, but his job was simply to report Issei's orders.

Slowly, nine more years passed.

On the same day Issei regained most of his cultivation base, Xia Mei died.

The funeral was the greatest one in the history of the Sky Profound Continent. For one month, everyone allied with the Profound Sky Continent wore black. And, during that month, Issei never left her grave.

Alas, he was still the Emperor of the Profound Sky Continent, and he had a role to fulfill. Thus, after one month of mourning, he wholeheartedly devoted himself to cultivation. At the moment, he no longer had the aid of the Ancient God's power, but it didn't matter. During that year he had spent with that power, he had gained many insights. Because of that, in the next five years, Issei managed to reach the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm.

Surprisingly, he didn't face the bottlenecks others would normally face. Shortly after becoming a peak Monarch, he stepped into the Divine Profound Realm. By that point, the King of Night had already stepped back, and Issei was once more the actual Emperor.

In the two years that followed, Issei reached the Saint Profound Realm. Shortly after, Jasmine left to the Higher Realm. She could have left the moment Issei became a Monarch, but she decided to stay around a little longer.

Before she left, she told Issei that if he ever needed a favor, she would pay him back. She also told him she expected to see him in the Higher Realm in the future.

One more year passed, and Issei reached the very peak of the Saint Profound Realm. He was only 33 years old then, but had already reached the peak of the Saint Profound Realm, becoming an existence akin to a God in the Profound Sky Continent.

Chu Yuechan had also surpassed her bottleneck, and just like Issei, she was in the Saint Profound Realm. Xia Qingyue was the same.

Shortly after that happened, Issei left the Profound Sky Continent along with Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue. The leaders of the Four Great Sacred Grounds were reluctant to see him go, but they knew they couldn't hold him back any longer. He had already done all he could for the continent. It was now their responsibility to keep it like that.

Through Chu Yuechan's help and connections, they entered the Martial Holy Lands.

And with that, another adventure started.

…

…

…

Profound Sky Continent's Imperial City.

Walking across the large streets was a man clad in deep, thick robes, his face shrouded by a hood. Occasionally, he would glance around the streets, and a melancholic light would flicker within his purple eyes.

"It sure has changed," he murmured. "There are so many people now… so many cultivators…."

He could see Overlords casually walking around in the streets, and even Monarchs flying in the skies every once in a while. The Profound Sky Continent he remembered was completely different from the one he was seeing. Before, the population was mostly made out of mortals, but after so much time had passed, he hadn't found even a single one of them even after hours of walking.

Sighing, he shook his head. "Well, that's to be expected. Considering how much time has passed..."

After walking for a few more minutes, he found himself standing in a large plaza. In the middle of it was a statue. It depicted a handsome young man, carrying a spear on his hand. The hooded figure lowered his head and read the words written at the foot.

 _Issei – The First Emperor._

"First, huh?" he murmured. "I wonder in which generation they are now. Maybe be thousandth?" He chuckled dryly. "I sure have grown old…."

He then raised his head to look at the skies. The spatial rift was there, just like he remembered.

"I guess it's time." The hooded figure clenched his hands. "Mei, Qingyue, Eggy, Xinyi and Chu Yuechan… I'm coming for you."

His body disappeared. In the next second, he was standing directly in front of the spatial rift. A gust of power surged out from within it, throwing his cloak into the wind, and revealed the man's appearance.

He wore long, black robes. His hair was black and unruly, as if it hadn't been combed in years. Most surprising of all was the man's face. He looked young, barely eighteen. Despite that, his eyes were that of a person who had experienced the vicissitudes of time. He was undoubtedly handsome, but had an ancient air to him.

Not even a single strand of power radiated from his body, as if he was a mortal.

With a thought, a spear suddenly appeared in his right hand. It was black and long, a deadly aura swirling around it. Following that, a sword appeared on his other hand. It was crimson in color, and incredibly sharp.

Even though more than a hundred thousand years had passed, his weapons remained the same. However, after a second thought, he stored them away. He wouldn't need that in the beginning.

He then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were no longer purple. His left one was completely black, as if a black-hole exited therein. As for the other, it had completely transformed. If one looked closely, they would see than an entire universe was contained within it.

"Wang Lin…," Issei murmured, a murderous aura rising up within him. "I'm coming for you."

A gust of power exploded out from his body, and his body dissolved into the wind.

…

Issei stood in front a throne. On top of that throne was a white-haired man. He wasn't handsome, but wasn't ugly either. He looked plain, and even harmless. Surprisingly, he was also missing one of his arms.

However, Issei knew that the one before him was the strongest existence in the universe—Wang Lin.

"So you have finally come, Nine Seals," Wang Lin said, his gaze colder than ice. "Do you have my arm with you?"

Issei stared straight at him, his gaze filled with boundless hatred. "Kill me and you'll see."

Wang Lin shook his head and sighed. "I see that you have reincarnated," he commented. "But do you truly think your current self… is capable of defeating me?" He then snapped his fingers; Issei stumbled to the ground, an invisible force weighing him down.

"Is this all you've got?" Issei coldly snorted. He waved his hands, and his own energy surged out. A massive amount of power exploded out from his body, fighting back against Wang Lin's.

The white-haired man's eyes widened. "Oh? I see you've gotten stronger."

"This is nothing!" Issei exclaimed. He then waved down with his arm, and the spiritual power within his body concentrated into a single, deadly arc. Dozens of miles in length, it flew out towards Wang Lin, shredding apart the very atoms between them. Just as it was about to reach him, Wang Lin stretched out his left finger and lightly tapped on the arc. It instantaneously shattered. "Weak."

Before Wang Lin could say anything else, Issei snapped his fingers, and thousands of planets appeared all around him. Each and every of them was more than twice the size of South Heaven, some of them even bigger. He then stretched his arm towards Wang Lin, and the dozens of planets were sent flying. In the moment they were about to collide with the white-haired man, Issei narrowed his eyes, and they all exploded.

Issei suddenly felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. Turning his head around, he came face to face with Wang Lin, who stared back at him with a plain expression. "You can't beat me," he said. "I'm stronger than a god. What can you do?"

Issei smirked.

"Eighth… Demon Sealing Hex!"

Wang Lin was paralyzed. Even his cultivation base had been sealed down. He narrowed his eyes. "What?!"

Issei coldly smiled. He stretched out his arm and placed his hand on top of Wang Lin's forehead. "Ninth Demon Sealing Hex… Existence Sealing!"

A tremor ran through Wang Lin's body. He could feel his very essence, his sense of being, his soul fading away.

"Impossible!" Wang Lin cried out. Clenching his teeth, he forcefully broke himself free from Issei's grasp. While fighting back against the sucking power, he waved his arm, and over 100,000,000 immortal souls appeared in front of him.

"Kill him!"

Immediately, all of the souls were sent flying towards Issei, who coldly harrumphed. His hand formed a fist, and he held his fist out, steadying it with his other.

The sound of thunderclaps resounded as massive, illusory beam of light burst out from Issei's fist, clashing against the immortal souls. Almost all of them instantly exploded, whereas the remaining one were almost completely pulverized; the harbinger of doom, Issei controlled the life of the undead and silenced them once and for all.

Wang Lin, who had been trying to resist the Ninth Demon Sealing Hex, widened his eyes. Then, he took in a deep breath and exclaimed, "Yellow Springs!"

On top of Issei, a gigantic river appeared. The water was of a faint yellow and filled with countless bones. Surrounding it were thousands of souls. On the end of the river was a man sitting on top of a throne. He looked like the absolute sovereign of death.

Before Issei could react, Wang Lin waved his arm down three times. Three lights flashed from within his body. One of them transformed into a huge star of bolstered fire, the other an eight-winged black butterfly, whilst the last an ordinary coffin, scratched and beaten and old.

Those three lights, along with the Yellow Springs, all shot towards Issei, threatening to end his life.

But Wang Lin had underestimated him.

"Three Steps Massacre!"

Issei took a step forward, and space itself trembled. The water in the Yellow Springs started to boil, the sun shook, the butterfly lost half of its wings, and a crack appeared in the coffin.

He took another step. Peals of thunder rang in the air, shaking everything. Around Issei, an unstoppable aura materialized, filled with boundless powers. At the same time, the souls surrounding the Yellow Springs all exploded, and all of the other things showed signs of weakening.

Finally, Issei took his third step. The Yellow Springs instantaneously exploded, while the butterfly lost of all of its wings. Only the sun and the coffin survived.

Issei stretched out his arm. "Fifth Demon Sealing Hex!"

A vortex sudden appeared in front of the sun, engulfing it. In the next moment, another portal appeared directly in front of the coffin, and the sun flew out of it, colliding against the coffin. A loud noise reverberated in the air, and they both exploded.

"Now's your turn," Issei said. He took a step forward and as if space had warped itself, he appeared in front of Wang Lin. On his forehead, countless star-like marks shone.

Wang Lin bellowed as immense quantities of power surged out from his body in an attempt to stop Issei's advance. He coldly snorted and punched out with his hand, completely destroying the protective barrier. Wang Lin was sent flying, blood oozing out of the corner of his mouth.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Issei exclaimed. His body then flickered, and he reappeared directly on top of Wang Lin. He whipped out with his hand and grabbed hold of Wang Ling's head. He clenched his hand into a fist, and the head exploded.

However, Wang Lin's body remained intact.

Issei coldly watched as Wang Lin's body flew out, putting up some distance between them. Then a new head appeared, just like the previous ones, but this time, Wang Lin's eyes were filled with boundless hatred.

Surprisingly, Issei smirked. "This is good. At least you're a durable punchbag."

Before Wang Lin could react, Issei appeared in front of him, his arms pulled back. Then he punched out four times with each hand. Wang Lin could only watch as his body, which he took so much pride on, was completely destroyed. This time, only his head was left behind.

Issei grabbed it from mid-air, not allowing it to run away. He stared straight into Wang Lin's eyes and coldly smiled. "This is for Xia Mei." He clenched his hand, and Wang Lin's head exploded into a haze of blood. Shortly after, the blood merged together a few meters away, and Wang Lin's head reformed.

Anticipating that, Issei appeared directly behind Wang Lin. He grabbed it once more and whispered, "This is… for Chu Yuechan." Once more, he clenched his hand, and Wang Lin's head exploded.

When it formed again, Issei was already waiting behind it. He struck out with his hand and grabbed it. "This is for Xia Qingyue."

 _BAM!_

"This is for Feng Xinyi."

 _BAM!_

"And this… is for Eggy."

 _BAM!_

This time, Issei didn't grab it. He threw Wang Lin's head up. Then he took out Demon Solider Lonely Tomb again and threw it towards the severed head. With a shrill sound, the spear pierced a hole into Wang Lin's forehead.

"Finally, this is... for myself!"

Issei stretched out his hand, and exclaimed, "Tenth Demon Sealing Hex… Body and Soul Slaying!"

Wang Lin's eyes widened. His head then burst like it had the previous times. This time, however, it didn't reform again.

He had been slayed in both body and soul.

"I guess this is it," Issei murmured. He stared blankly into space before sighing. "With him gone… I can finally get them back."

He then punched out, and a rift in space appeared in front of him. He grabbed both of its sides and teared it open, revealing a completely white space.

Far off in the distance, he could see five figures. The all stood there, motionless.

Issei smiled a smile that came from the bottom of his soul. This was the moment he had waited for hundreds of thousands of years for.

He stepped inside the rift. Immediately, five heads turned in his direction. He could see everyone's widened eyes.

Tears streamed down the corner of his eyes.

 _"I'm finally here."_

 **[END]**

 _ **Read & Review~!**_


	179. Farewell

Guys, I have a sad announcement to make... what you read at the end of 178 wasn't a typo. _ **Chapter 178... is the last chapter of DTH. Not of Book 2, but of DTH as a whole. (By the way, I posted chapters 168 all the way to 178 today)**_

As many of you know, my original plan was for DTH to have over 1000 chapters. Alas, plans don't always bore fruit. It's as they say, _"Man proposes, Heaven disposes"._ You see, up until a few weeks ago, DTH was indeed supposed to last for a few more years. However, a lot of stuff came up, and I realized that I won't be able to keep writing as of next year. I'd rather not say why, but just know that I truly can't.

I simply spend too much time on DTH. Writing each chapter takes at least 1.5 hours, then I spend almost the other half of the day constantly thinking about it. It's simply too time-consuming, and time is something I definitely won't have next year and in the ones that follow.

Therefore, instead of leaving DTH without ending, I decided to give it one, even if rushed or if it came out of nowhere. Blame me, curse me and hate me; I don't care. I had no other options. This was the best I could do, really.

However, even with my absence, I don't want the ATG's fanfiction community if to die out. So, if any of you have any ideas for fanfictions, then please write them down and post them! It doesn't have to be ATG either! There's also an I Shall Seal The Heavens category, Heavenly Jewel Change category and Martial World category! I think there's also a Martial God Asura one. They are all under books, and it's just because there are no stories under them that they don't show up on the main page. If you are going to upload a story, you'll definitely find them there. Heck, even if you want to write a fanfiction of DTH, or make a spin-off, or even want to add more to the story (for example, what happened at the Higher Realm, or the Martial Holy Lands... or how he conquered the continent... or even lemons), feel free to. You don't even need to ask for my permission to do that. Do as you please. I just don't want this community to die.

Again, I'm sorry for ending DTH so suddenly, but there's nothing I could do about it.

Though, if any of you want to discuss the Dao, or talk about Chinese Novels, or even have some doubts regarding something and need enlightening, then feel free to send me a PM. Every day, I'll give my inbox a check. Even if I don't have the time to write a story, I can occasionally answer some messages. Don't feel shy and have a talk with me one of this days, Fellow Cultivators.

Anyways, that's about it. I wish all of you a successful life, and may the Dao be with all you.

If any of you need any novel recommendations, you can check out the list below or, if you need a more specific recommendation, send me a Private Message and I'll be glad to help you.

Here go a few novels similar to DTH (Also the novels I based myself on):

 _I Shall Seal The Heavens;_

 _Against the Gods;_

 _Martial God Asura; (If you are interested in this one, then send me a Private Message. This novel isn't for those with high morals, and there are some warning I have to make)_

 _True Martial World;_

 _World of Cultivation;_

 _Heavenly Jewel Change;_

 _Martial World;_

 _Martial Peak;_

 _Renegade Immortal (Xian Ni);_

 _Beseech the Devil;_

 _A Though Through Eternity;_

 _Transcending the Nine Heavens;_

 _Sovereign of the Three Realms;_

 _Spirit Realm;_

 _Battle Through the Heavens._

Well, I guess that's it. Again, sorry for everything. It was good while it lasted.

 **EDIT:**

Guys, after reading all of your reviews... all I can say is that I'm deeply touched. Truth be told, after finishing DTH, I prepared myself for a bunch of flames. Despite that, after reading each and every review and PM, I realized... that there weren't any flames.

Even though many of you expressed their disappointment, none of you blamed me or cursed me. You were all very understanding.

You are all AWESOME.

You people **ROCK**. I'm even ashamed that I thought so little of you..

Huge shout-out to all of you!

You guys are THE best.

 **~Breaker12**


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